Roses – Past, Present and Future

Friends of the Central Experimental Farm Summer 2009 Newsletter Volume 21 No. 3 Roses – Past, Present and Future The present Whatever it is that makes us love them seems sufficient to keep us working with them forever and ever. Close to home, the Central Experimental Farm has been a major centre in the development of hardy northern roses, in particular the Explorer Series (see Page 6), which has its own separate garden at the Farm. Our other rose garden, the Heritage Rose Garden, contains not only Explorers, but also most of the Parkland and Prairie series and many Old Rose groups such as Alba, Gallica and Centifolia. The total collection is quite eclectic with a wide range of ramblers, climbers and modern shrub roses – many developed in Canada, and many from other parts of the world. Photo by R. Hinchcliff ll modern roses owe their existence to wild or species roses originally found only in the Northern Hemisphere. Many of these are still available as lovely additions to modern gardens in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and continue to provide genetic material for exciting new varieties. A Roses and Modern Climbers. As a defining point, 1867 was the year chosen to distinguish Old Roses from Modern Shrub Roses and Modern Climbers. How do we account for the enduring interest in roses – thorny and temperamental as they can be? Perhaps the combination of prickliness and beauty is part of our fascination. And fascinating they have been and continue to be – honoured in song, poetry and works of art, symbolic of true love, infinitely fragrant, superficially fragile, yet resilient and long-lasting. As wild roses moved to the cultivated gardens of early civilizations, much hybridization began to take place. Thousands of varieties of these Old Roses appeared and just as many vanished. Soon, Old Roses gave way to Modern Shrub ‘Line 396-99,’ a new unnamed rose from Neville and Catherine Arnold (see Page 2) is “…the first grandiflora-like rose which exhibits winter hardiness with only snow as protection.” Continued on Page 3 Photo by Neville Arnold Explorer rose ‘AC Marie-Victorin’ Page 2 Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 President’s Report alking through the Ornamental Gardens recently, I thought about the wide variety of plants growing there and the interesting origins of many of them. In a random sampling of the plants at the Farm, there is, for example, the lupin that originated in western North America, the poppy from Armenia, the peony that was widespread from France to Albania, and the daylilies that originated in Japan, East Asia and China. Some clematis had their origins in the Himalayas, others in Southwestern and Central Europe and North Africa. These plants were introduced to other countries, and we now enjoy them in the gardens at the Central Experimental Farm. W mankind in many ways. In fact, we could not survive without them. And just as mankind cannot survive without plants, the Friends of the Farm could not survive without our committed volunteers and members. Our volunteers and members are as diverse as the species found in the plant kingdom. They, or their ancestors, immigrated to Canada from many parts of the world. They come from all walks of life and have many different interests, but they have one important thing in common – a great love for the Farm and a strong wish to preserve and maintain its beauty and heritage. 7 It was a privilege for the Friends of the Farm to host the International Lilac Society’s 2009 annual convention with the assistance of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. A special thanks to Joan Speirs and her lilac team and to our Director of Events, Diana Dakers-Ryan, for their hard work in making the convention such a success. The Farm’s trees and shrubs have interesting origins as well. Some are native to Canada while others came from South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. This diversity of plants, and their uses, serves Polly McColl Mots de la Présidente ors d’une promenade dans les Jardins ornementaux, je pensais à la grande diversité de plantes qu’on y trouve et à l’origine intéressante de plusieurs d’entre elles. Ainsi, parmi les plantes de la Ferme, nous pourrions trouver le lupin qui provient de l’Ouest de l’Amérique du Nord, le pavot d’Arménie, la pivoine qu’on trouvait de la France à l’Albanie, et les hémérocalles originaires du Japon, de l’Asie de l’Ést et de la Chine. Quelques clématites sont originaires des Himalaya, d’autres de l’Europe centrale et l’Europe du Sud-ouest, et de l’Afrique du Nord. Ces plantes furent introduites dans d’autres pays et c’est maintenant à notre tour d’en jouir dans les Jardins de la Ferme expérimentale centrale. L L’origine des arbres et des arbustes de la Ferme est également intéressante. Alors que quelques-uns sont indigènes du Canada, d’autres nous viennent de l’Amérique du Sud, de l’Europe, de l’Asie et de l’Afrique. La diversité des plantes, grâce à leurs nombreux usages, nous rend service de multiples façons. En fait, il nous serait impossible de survivre sans elles. Tout comme nous ne pourrions pas survivre sans les plantes, Les Amis de la Ferme ne pourrait pas exister sans nos bénévoles engagés et nos membres. On trouve autant de diversité chez ceux-ci que chez les plantes dans la nature. Ils sont venus au Canada, ou leurs ancêtres sont venus, de partout dans le monde. Ils sont de tous les horizons et ont des intérêts variés, mais ils ont un trait commun : un grand amour pour la Ferme, nourri d’un désir ardent de préserver et de maintenir sa beauté et son héritage. 7 Les Amis de la Ferme ont eu l’honneur de recevoir la Société internationale des Lilas pour leur congrès annuel de 2009, avec l’appui d’Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada. Nous remercions sincèrement Joan Speirs et son équipe des lilas, ainsi que notre directrice des événements, Diana Dakers-Ryan. Leur travail ardu a fait de ce congrès un véritable succès. Breeding New Roses Winter-hardy, disease resistant… and beautiful! Come and enjoy a presentation on one of the latest success stories in the breeding of roses for this region. Dr. Neville Arnold and his wife Catherine have been developing hardy roses for the past 14 years at Northern Hybrid Roses in Green Valley, Ontario. Dr. Arnold is a research scientist who worked on roses with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Experimental Farm in L’Assomption, Quebec. You don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy his photos of spectacular new roses and to appreciate his discussion of such topics as goals, plant selection, pollination, harvest of hips and seeds, sowing and germination, and a biological spray program for fungal diseases and insects. Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 7 pm (at the Friends of the Farm Annual General Meeting) …venue to be announced… Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 Page 3 Roses – Past, Present and Future (continued from Page 1) Modern shrub roses Developing new varieties represents an ongoing search for an ideal rose – a rose with the best characteristics of all groups. While much has been achieved in the Explorer and Parkland series, English roses also provide fine examples of recent work. The English roses are nearly hardy to our zone and there are continuing efforts to increase their hardiness. The Heritage Garden contains wonderful representatives of this group, in particular, ‘Lilian Austin’ and ‘Mary Rose.’ There has been much work using Rugosa species roses as parent material. Rugosas are “tough love” parents with tough offspring. The Rugosas meet two key requirements that today’s rose growers and fanciers look for: they are winter hardy and resistant to insects and disease. The Heritage Garden is home to many Rugosa hybrids. My favourite Modern Roses are: • Explorer Roses – ‘Alexander Mackenzie,’ ‘George Vancouver,’ ‘Champlain’ • Parkland Roses – ‘Morden Blush,’ ‘Morden Ruby,’ ‘Morden Sunrise’ • Prairie Roses – ‘Prairie Joy’ • English Roses – ‘Lilian Austin,’ ‘Mary Rose’ • Rugosa Hybrids – ‘Therese Bugnet,’ ‘Carmenetta’ (by Isabella Preston) • Canadian Hybrids – ‘Kakwa,’ ‘Prairie Peace’ • Other – ‘F.J. Grootendorst,’ ‘Golden Wings,’ ‘Dublin Bay.’ Isabella Preston and her ‘Carmenetta’ The goals of hybridizers In our climate zone hardiness is crucial. Growing frost tender varieties in Ottawa entails a lot of work in a world where time is at a premium. Most Old Roses bloom only once a year, and although their blooming periods last four to six weeks, they end up spending a lot of time just being green. If the hybridizer wants to “go all the way,” there are other desirable characteristics besides hardiness and continuous bloom. These are size, colour, fragrance, complexity of bloom, plant form, foliage and resistance to disease, insects and drought. Quite a tall order! Two lovely new roses The birth of a new rose is a delicate and demanding process that requires considerable patience and scientific knowhow. From a bit of pollen from one parent to a careful mating with a compatible parent, to the time when a saleable product becomes available to the public takes an average of 13 years! Some of us made this journey the easy way with Dr. Neville Arnold in Morrisburg, Ontario last year. Dr. Arnold’s lively and humorous descriptions of his work and his wealth of excellent slides were a true pleasure. He now has two lovely new roses – ‘Erika Hofmann’ (photos this page) and ‘Line 396-99’ (Page 1, yet to be named) ready for release. Their blossoms are large, generously petalled in gorgeous apricot and rich pink and, above all, they are hardy! Hardiness has always been a major challenge for northern hybridizers – to create a rose as beautiful as any tea rose and make it hardy to northern zones. Not only are Dr. Arnold’s creations hardy, these newcomers busy themselves with producing lusty blooms throughout the season. They repeat! Well done, Dr. Arnold! Everyone who attends the Friends’ 2009 AGM on September 16 is in for a very special treat: Dr. Arnold is our keynote speaker. (See Page 2). Beauty, continuous bloom, hardiness, low-maintenance and resistance to disease are characteristics that I truly adore. None of my picks are perfect but I would give many of them a 9 out of 10 score. Take time to smell the roses! They are just one more of the many blessings that we can all enjoy. Edythe Falconer ‘Erika Hofmann,’ a new rose from Neville and Catherine Arnold (two photos). Photos by Neville Arnold Page 4 Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 Upcoming Events 10 Mile Run on the Farm • July 22, registration at 4:30 pm, race at 6:30 pm. • Join the Friends of the Farm and the National Capital Runners’ Association for a challenging 10-mile run through the Central Experimental Farm. • Location: Morningside Lane, CEF. • Visit www.ncra-ottawa.com for more information on the race. Art on the Farm • August 15, 10 am to 6 pm • Raindate August 16. • Artists working in various formats will display and sell their original works under the trees in the Arboretum. • Location: Arboretum, CEF. • Free admission and parking. For the Love of the Farm Art Exhibition (See Page 10) • October 10 to 12, 10 am to 5 pm. • Friends of the Farm Fine Art Exhibition and Sale. • Location: Building 72, Arboretum, CEF. • Admission and parking free. Photo by R. Hinchcliff Victorian Tea • Sunday, July 26, 2 to 4 pm. • Classic tea served on the lawns of the Arboretum. • Bring a patio chair and listen to the music. • Enter the best hat contest and don period costume (not required). • Location: CEF Arboretum. • Admission free, Formal Tea $6.00. ‘Lilian Austin’ Annual General Meeting (See Page 3) • Wednesday, September 16, 7 pm. • Come and hear Dr. Neville Arnold talk about the beautiful new roses he has created. • Location: to be announced. • Admission free. ‘Baroness Rothschild,’ one of the first roses planted at the CEF and still growing in the Heritage garden. On the Road Again… next morning, after a hearty breakfast, it’s off to see some treasures and visit a soap factory. After a leisurely lunch, we will find our way back to Ottawa, arriving in late afternoon. meander over to a local winery, Domaine du Cervin in Chesterville, for a tour and light lunch. After we inspect the elk herd, it’s on to St. Albert to sample and stock up on their cheeses and then head back to the city via a scenic route, admiring the fall colours along the way. It will be a late afternoon return to the parking lot. Cost for members is $100 and for nonmembers $115, and includes bus transportation, a tour of the orchard and lunch at the winery. Eastern Townships – September 12-13, 2009 There are 11 seats left on the bus for this exciting two-day jaunt to the Eastern Townships! On the first day we drive to Magog and partake of the Wine and Food Fair at Merry’s Point on the shores of Lac Memphremagog. There will be over 100 suppliers under a big tent to greet us and offer up the fruits of their labours to taste and sip! This harvest celebration, known as the “Vendanges,” takes place over two weekends only. After the sipping and tasting, we will proceed to our hotel for the night. The Cost for members is $245 and for nonmembers $270, both based on double occupancy, and including transportation for two days, entrance to “Vendanges,” and hotel room with breakfast. Add $110 for single occupancy. Fall Outing to an Orchard, Local Winery and Cheese Factory – September 29, 2009 There are 20 seats left on the bus for this adventurous day in the countryside! The bus leaves at 9:00 am for a fun tour of the Cannamore Apple Orchard. We will then To reserve a spot on these excursions, call 613-230-3276. Don’t delay, call today! Source: Department of Agriculture Annual Report, 1895. Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 Page 5 Edythe Falconer – Master Gardener of the Roses of five I knew the names of all the plants in my mother’s flower garden – or so she says.” She took gardening seriously when she retired. Edythe joined the North Gower Garden Club, serving as President for three years, and also belonged to the Kemptville Horticultural Society, where she looked after the Junior Gardener Program for three years, “until my work with Master Gardeners began to take up more of my time,” she adds. A chance contact with Master Gardener Polly McColl, now President of FCEF, lead Edythe to join the local Master Gardener group in 1999. Now in her 10th year with the Master Gardeners, Edythe has Advanced Master Gardener status. She looked after an online helpline in its first year, and in 2004, along with other Master Gardeners, began writing, editing and supplying photos for articles for the Ottawa Sun. This ended in December 2008, when the newspaper laid off many of its freelancers. eacher, musician, quilter, reader, writer, Master Gardener – Edythe Falconer is all of these. For five years, she has also been Rose Advisor for the Friends of the Farm, tending the Farm’s rose collection. T Edythe recalls the farm 100 miles east of Saskatoon where she grew up: “I would call our farm a subsistence farm. However, it had everything we needed. We farmed organically but didn’t have that name for it back then. Then it [organic farming] wasn’t philosophical, but born of necessity.” After leaving the farm at 18, Edythe earned a B.A. in Psychology at Carleton University and a M.Ed. from the University of Ottawa. She attended Ottawa Teachers College and acquired her Elementary Certificate. Edythe retired in 1995 after nearly 34 years in education as an Intermediate teacher, guidance counselor, librarian, vice-principal, and principal. Japanese beetles that plague the rose gardens. Then again, if she did sing, the beetles might stay to listen. Edythe has all the practical requirements for certification as an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) in vocal music. She used to sing solo, in choirs and operettas, and at one time considered becoming a professional singer. “I don’t sing any more as my voice started to give out about 10 years ago. I still play the piano - badly!” Edythe and her husband (Roy) have a son (Lance), a daughter (Rachel) and three grandchildren. Retirement has been busy, with music, exercise groups, quilting, and books. “I am a bookworm by nature,” she offers. Housebound as a young mother with a bad back, she discovered that she liked playing with pieces of fabric. Thirty-two years later, she happened upon a book on American quilts and it was “love at second sight.” And then there is gardening! At the one-room country school she attended as a child, Edythe remembers a Victory Garden during the war and nature hikes with the teacher. “Apparently at the age “The Friends make a difference” In 2004, she joined the Friends of the Farm. “I think that the Friends make a difference in numerous ways. They help to preserve one of the crown jewels of the Ottawa area, to enhance a green area of the city. They involve hundreds of volunteers in mutually beneficial activities, increasing the gardening knowledge of volunteers, honing the administrative skills of volunteers and staging various activities that not only help to finance FCEF operations but also serve to build public awareness of the Farm.” Asked to describe her volunteer experiences, she has this to offer: “Let’s just say that my background in psychology and education has been very useful! Each of my volunteer experiences has been personally enriching with plenty of opportunities to learn and work with likeminded people while contributing to worthwhile causes. I’m hoping for at least another decade of this before I need to ‘slow down.’” Text and photo by R. Hinchcliff Singing to the roses? “I haven’t tried singing to the roses yet,” she says. “Perhaps the beetles would depart?” She is referring to the hordes of Page 6 Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 T h e veritable revolution has taken place in the world of rose growers – a revolution that has changed the types of roses grown, especially in cooler climates. This revolution1 began in Ottawa at the Central Experimental Farm (CEF) as a result of research by Dr. Felicitas Svejda. E x p l o r e r s : Winter hardy, everblooming, disease resistant, easily propagated Dr. Svejda’s account of her research is found in her book, The Canadian Explorer Roses, published by NationalRoses-Canada, 2008. As well as developing winter hardy roses, she aimed to “develop roses resistant to blackspot and powdery mildew, which could be easily propagated and grown on their own roots.” Dr. Svejda’s work from 1961 to her retirement in 1987 resulted in the development of Explorer roses. Currently, the CEF’s Explorer rose collection contains 25 of the 26 varieties mentioned in Dr. Svejda’s book. All of the Explorer roses are growing on their own roots, which tends to increase their hardiness since there is no bud union requiring protection, and it also means that any root suckers that develop are true to the variety from which they come. In developing the Explorer roses, Dr. Svejda started with the old rose plantation in Ottawa, which contained a number of very hardy hybrids that, although flowering repeatedly, were not ever-blooming. She chose one of these hybrids called ‘Schneezwerg’ and obtained seedlings from it by either open pollination or pollination with another hardy hybrid. After lengthy testing of these seedlings, which numbered several thousand, she eventually selected five: ‘Martin Frobisher,’ ‘Henry Hudson,’ ‘Jens Munk,’ ‘David Thompson,’ and ‘Charles Albanel.’ The original seed parent ‘Schneezwerg’ was a hybrid of Rosa rugosa, a rose native to Japan, and a polyantha. All five hybrid rugosa that were developed are very hardy and disease resistant, and are excellent landscape roses, especially for northern regions. A Photo by Richard Conway Dr. Felicitas Svejda at opening of Explorer rose garden, 2005 In 1961, Agriculture Canada asked Dr. Svejda to try to develop roses that were both winter hardy and everblooming. According to her own account, Dr. Svejda was not sure this could be done because winter hardiness depends on cessation of growth, while continuous blooming requires continuing growth. Explorer rose ‘John Cabot’ Photo by R. Hinchcliff Explorer rose garden 1Another part of the “revolution” was the development of the Parkland series of roses in Morden, Manitoba, the Prairie series, and more recently, the Canadian Artists roses, all under the auspices of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. All these roses are winter hardy and ever-blooming. Photo by R. Hinchcliff Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 Page 7 R e v o l u t i o n a r y R o s e s Photos by R. Hinchcliff ‘AC De Montarville’ ‘Henry Kelsey’ blooming over a 16-week period from June to September. Generally, the hybrid rugosa (the first five) produce fewer flowers than the later roses (the tetraploid hybrids). Some of the later hybrids continue to flower until frost, often well into October. The hybrid rugosa are very resistant to blackspot and the tetraploid hybrids are resistant to powdery mildew. Several of the latter such as ‘William Baffin,’ ‘Frontenac,’ ‘Alexander Mackenzie,’ and ‘Louis Jolliet’ also compare to the hybrid rugosa in terms of blackspot resistance. Dr. Svejda makes no mention of rust, but in our experience, ‘John Franklin’ and ‘Simon Fraser’ have proven rather susceptible to rust. ‘Frontenac’ disease spores from over wintering on the ground and re-infecting the plants the following year. Regular fertilization is essential because a healthy rose is better able to combat disease. All of this work really pays off in summer when we see the truly spectacular display that our Canadian “Explorers” put on, starting in June. Cyril Benson ‘Champlain,’ best-selling Canadian rose For her next trials, Dr. Svejda chose R. kordesii as seed parent. It was recognized in 1951 as a new species that arose from chromosome doubling and hence called tetraploid. Although not very hardy, its seeds are easily germinated. The pollen parents were developed from seedlings from Robert Simonet of Edmonton, which were very hardy. Once again, Dr. Svejda tested many seedlings and before her retirement released eight as part of the Explorer rose series, including ‘Champlain,’ the best-selling Canadian rose, and ‘John Cabot,’ the first tetraploid rose of the series and a spectacular pillar rose. Upon retirement, Dr. Svejda sent her seedlings and materials to a research facility in L’Assomption, Quebec, for more testing, and 13 additional roses were eventually released. The latest, ‘Felix Leclerc,’ was released in 2007 as one of the Canadian Artists roses. Starting with ‘Martin Frobisher’ released in 1968, the Explorer roses were mostly named after early explorers of Canada. However, others were named for people, such as the Quebec singer and songwriter Felix Leclerc, and two for places in Quebec. The CEF does not have the ‘Felix Leclerc’ rose in its collection. As a result of the work by Dr. Svejda and others at L’Assomption, we now have a series of very hardy, long-flowering roses. Some have been tested in Kapuskasing (Zone 2a), and none should have a problem tolerating temperatures in Regina or in Saskatoon (Zone 2b). All of these roses were evaluated for their Testing for pests Dr. Svejda did some testing with two well-known, native insect pests – the spotted spider mite and the strawberry aphid – and her research showed that the rugosa hybrid was very resistant to both. We have found that the hybrid rugosa roses are especially attractive to Japanese beetles, perhaps because of their Japanese ancestry. More research is required in this area. In the Explorer Rose Garden, we try to keep all of the roses growing and showing at their best. This means constant vigilance against insect attacks, especially the Japanese beetle, which we hand pick. The strongest anti-insect spray we use is insecticidal soap. We cannot use fungicides other than an emulsion of sulphur in water to combat blackspot or rust. The diseased leaves must be picked off and destroyed to try to prevent the Dr. Felicitas Svejda at work at the Farm Photo by Agriculture Canada Page 8 Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 Cyril Benson – Super-Cool Physics and Roses hybrid tea called ‘Pharoah,’ which survived from 1974 to 2008. Along the way, he met a special woman who shared his fondness for roses. Karine Langley became his wife and together they have added other roses to their garden. His daughter Mary lives in Morden, Manitoba, home of the Parkland series of hardy roses, and Cyril is encouraging her interest in roses. His other daughter, Robin, lives with her husband and children in the Ottawa area – together, the two daughters have made Cyril a grandfather five times over. In 2001, at Karine’s suggestion, Cyril attended a volunteer information session at the Friends of the Farm and met Ludmila Gombar, who was planning the new Explorer Rose Garden. He joined her team and now leads the Explorer rose team. Austin roses are favourites Cyril has 20 roses in his own garden, including four Explorers. Favourites are David Austin’s old English roses, which are not as hardy as Explorers but hardier than hybrid teas. He has a few Austin roses, which are “gorgeous and fragrant. One is a lovely ‘Golden Celebration’ Austin rose, which I bought for my wife for a recent birthday.” As he did in Liverpool as a boy, Cyril grows trees at home from seeds he collects at the Arboretum. For a friend who has a sentimental attachment to Ohio, Cyril collected some Ohio Buckeye seeds, germinated them and presented his friend with healthy young saplings. Since he walks a lot in the Arboretum, Cyril has joined the Friends’ Bloom Time team. Accompanying him is one of his two dogs, Bubba or Sophie – “we inherited the names,” he explains. Bubba is a certified therapy dog whose “mission in life is to help people.” Sophie is a rescue dog. For Cyril, the Friends of the Farm is a “wonderful organization. I love it; it has been very important for me personally and it has done a wonderful job of persuading the government that the Farm, which is so important, should not be neglected.” Text and photo by R. Hinchcliff ow-temperature physics and winterhardy roses are part of Cyril Benson’s life. Research in lowtemperature physics brought Cyril to Canada in 1952, and since 2001, he has been helping to care for the Farm’s collection of Explorer roses. L Raised in Liverpool, England, the son of an Anglican priest, Cyril was conscripted into the army after completing elementary school in 1944 with a scholarship to university. “They must have noticed I was academically inclined because they put me into the Royal Engineers Survey, where I was for four years.” WW II was over by the time he finished training at the end of 1945, and the army sent him to Egypt to work on a survey for a civilian project to build a dam. After completing his army service, Cyril earned a physics degree at Cambridge University. The study of how properties of matter change at very low temperatures was “an exciting new field” in physics and he moved to Toronto in 1952 to work at a new low-temperature laboratory, while completing his PhD at the University of Toronto. At that time, the University of Ottawa was creating a science department. “There was good science going on in Ottawa, with the National Research Council at the forefront,” he explains. Cyril joined the University of Ottawa science faculty in 1955 and remained at Ottawa U as a Professor of Physics until he retired in 1991. First roses After a long illness, Cyril’s wife passed away in 1970, leaving him a widower with two young daughters, 12 and 5 years old. Although as a single parent and full-time professor there was little time for gardening, Cyril decided he had to do something in his back yard – his first foray into gardening was a single rose bush. The next year, he added another rose bush, a Growing trees in pots During the war, there was an air raid shelter at the back of the family home, leaving no room for a garden. Cyril’s first gardening experience was growing trees in pots on a balcony outside his room, from acorns, horse-chestnuts and seeds he found in the neighbourhood. Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 Page 9 International Lilac Society 2009 Convention in an official opening of the Preston Heritage Collection and visited the lilac rows in the Ornamental Gardens. Mary Pratte was also on hand to show the early blooming peonies and later spoke at the President’s Dinner on “Lilacs and Peonies a perfect pair.” The weekend was enriched by lectures on AAFC research at the Farm (held in the pleasant setting of the Sir John Carling cafeteria) and – of course – a walking tour of the Arboretum guided by Roman Popadiouk and Crispin Wood. On the final afternoon, delegates were joined by members of the public for an auction sale of rare and unusual lilacs, as well as a Silent Auction that included books and a beautiful handmade quilt and tea cozy. Lively bidding ensured that all lilacs were sold and that only one item from the Silent Auction went unclaimed! ILS members acknowledged the work of AAFC grounds staff in maintaining and enhancing the lilac collection, and AAFC researchers for collaborating in the study to detect phytoplasma in the Syringa villosae group. The Friends were recognized for assisting AAFC with the collection and Joan Speirs for collaborating on the phytoplasma project and for her many contributions toward making the 38th annual convention of the International Lilac Society a great success. Maura Giuliani Photo by R. Hinchcliff Michel Falardeau opening the Preston Heritage Lilac Collection, May 30, 2009 hey came from California, from Croatia and France; some were from Washington State, others from British Columbia, Ontario, New York, Massachusetts and many points in between. What bound them together was an interest in lilacs; what drew them to Ottawa was the 2009 International Lilac Society (ILS) Convention. T Each year ILS members congregate at a site chosen for its lilac collection. It has been 27 years since the convention was last held at the Central Experimental Farm. More than 50 registrants took part in a three-day program (May 28-30), hosted by the Friends of the Farm with assistance from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). They braved rain to tour the grounds of the Governor General and dodged showers while wandering through the acres of naturalized lilacs in Franktown, the “lilac capital of Ontario.” In Franktown, delegates held their annual general meeting and learned more about the history of this early settlement area. Later in the day, ILS members joined Michel Falardeau, Director of Real Property and Building Operations, AAFC, A heartfelt “Thank You” he convention was a great success, thanks in large measure to volunteers who assisted with many tasks leading up to and during the convention. Thanks to the following: T Audrey Pullan, Eileen Reardon, Joseph Slobodian, Mary Ann Smythe, Joan Speirs, Ali Stout, Roger Taguchi, Cathy Ternan. Thanks also to Office Manager Marsha Gutierrez for graciously accepting the extra work of putting together a convention. And a special thanks to the people who made it all possible – AAFC and especially the grounds staff responsible for the lilacs. Janice Bertrand, Paul Bertrand, Bev Brookes, Jean Currie, Diana Dakers-Ryan, Maura Giuliani, Carlo Giuliani, Richard Hinchcliff, Catherine Hooper, Denise Kennedy, Lyn Mackie, Bob McClelland, Kevin O’Connor, Roman Popadiouk, Mary Pratte, The Friends of the Central Experimental Farm is a volunteer organization committed to the maintenance and protection of the Ornamental Gardens and the Arboretum of the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Membership in the Friends of the Farm costs $25 per year for an individual and $45 per year for a family, $20 Seniors/Students. Membership fees support the many projects of the Friends of the Farm. The Newsletter (ISSN 1702-2762) is published four times a year (winter, spring, summer, fall) by Friends of the Central Experimental Farm. All members receive the newsletter and it is sent either by regular mail or e-mail. Editor: Richard Hinchcliff. Assistant Editor: Mary Ann Smythe. Design & Printing: Nancy Poirier Printing. Contributors: Cyril Benson, Edythe Falconer, Maura Giuliani, Denise Kennedy. Translators: Johanne Cadieux, Rhéal Gauthier, Louise Marchand and Hélène Tremblay-Benoît. Mailing Address: Friends of the Farm Building 72, Central Experimental Farm Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6 Telephone: (613) 230-3276 Fax: (613) 230-1238 E-mail: info@friendsofthefarm.ca Friends of the Farm website: www.friendsofthefarm.ca Page 10 Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 For the Love of the Farm: Celebrating Agriculture and Horticulture Through Art round of discussions and deliberation, 9 artists were selected. “For the Love of the Farm” will showcase the work of Marion L. Aitken, Heather Bale, Margaret Chwialkowska, Jaqueline Duck, Patricia Gordon, Paul Saindon, Lynda A. Turner, Michael Van der Tol, and Margaret Vant Erve. The exhibit promises fine art to suit every taste (and pocketbook), from botanical miniatures, to striking photographs, to stone lithographs, to embroidery art, and abstract expressionistic images. The show will encompass the entire downstairs of Building 72 – allowing each artist space for at least 10 pieces of work. The Friends will receive 30% of total sales. Each artist will also donate one piece of work for a raffle – so it’s a wonderful opportunity to own an original piece of fine art for little cash outlay. Admission to the show is free, and raffle tickets will be available for $5 each, 3 for $10, or 8 for $20. The show opens with a by-invitationonly Vernissage on October 9, from 4:30 to 8:30 pm. Agriculture and AgriFood Canada staff will also get a special preview on October 9 from 11 am to 2 pm. “For the Love of the Farm” will open to the public from October 10-12, 10 am to 5 pm daily. The organizing committee – Diana Dakers-Ryan, Mavis Lewis, Debbie Lyall, Polly McColl, Wilma Millar, Libby St. Louis, Cathy Ternan, and Brian Worobey – invite all friends and volunteers (and their friends and family) to come out and enjoy this spectacular visual Thanksgiving feast at the Farm. Mary Ann Smythe ‘The Red Truck’ by Michael Van der Tol hen family and friends gather in Ottawa for the traditional harvest feast over Thanksgiving weekend, they will also be treated to a visual feast created by nine local artists. W “For the Love of the Farm,” a juried fine art exhibit and sale organized by the Friends of the Farm, celebrates agriculture and horticulture through art. It is the Friends’ most ambitious art show and sale to date, featuring the work of nine wellestablished Ottawa artists over the threeday Thanksgiving weekend (October 10-12). Art shows are nothing new to the Friends of the Farm. In the past, they have exhibited the work of solo artists as a means of highlighting the value of the Central Experimental Farm and raising funds for Friends’ projects. “For the Love of the Farm” builds on past art exhibits. In March, a letter went out to Ottawa-area arts organizations calling for submissions from individual artists who have exhibited their work previously. The letter outlined the goals of the show, chief among them, to advance public awareness of the value of the Central Experimental Farm, to marry the discipline of art with agriculture and horticulture, to raise funds for Friends of the Farm projects, and to make fine art easily accessible to the general public. A five-member jury – Andrea Gumpert, David Munkhouse, and Peter Trepannier, all from the National Gallery of Canada, Debbie Lyall, a custom framer and designer, and Brian Worobey, an art history professor at Carleton University – pored over the initial submissions. The artists were asked to bring in five pieces of work so that the jurors could get a “good idea how they would look in a show.” Although each juror brought his/her own perspective to the selection, the overriding focus was on “artistic merit.” From the initial submissions, the jury choose 14 semi-finalists, and after another NEW MEMBER REGISTRATION FORM NAME: ADDRESS: CITY: PROVINCE: TELEPHONE #: FAX #: E-MAIL: POSTAL CODE: TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP FAMILY ................................................................... $45/year ADULT ..................................................................... $25/year SENIOR/STUDENT................................................. $20/year BASIC CORPORATE .............................................. $250/year NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION............................ $25/year INDIVIDUAL LIFE ................................................. $200 SENIOR COUPLE LIFE .......................................... $250 DONATION ............................................................. $ TOTAL $ Please make cheque or money order payable to: “Friends of the Farm.” A receipt for income tax purposes will be issued for all donations of $10 or more. We are located at Building 72 in the Arboretum. You can visit us or mail this part of the form with your payment to: FRIENdS OF THE CENTRAL ExPERIMENTAL FARM Building 72, Central Experimental Farm Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6 Telephone: Fax: Email: Website: (613) 230-3276 (613) 230-1238 info@friendsofthefarm.ca www.friendsofthefarm.ca INTEREST IN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES YES K NO K Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 Page 11 Caring for the CEF Roses (continued from Page 12) cannot be used in our zone as it does not persist through our winters. To become effective in controlling beetle grubs, it needs time to build up in the soil. In Japan, milky white spore is a naturally occurring control. Pheromone traps have become an unintended invitation to dine and make love in the rose gardens. The beetles love to party. If traps are set up away from the rose gardens, the beetles will simply move the party to another section of the ornamentals. The application of nematodes is a touchy process and wide-scale use in troubled areas, including the rose gardens, would be prohibitively expensive. Our teams have resorted to mass handpicking. Insecticidal soaps are still available under the new pesticide laws so this is another weapon at our disposal. Will we win this year? We’ll let you know in a 2010 edition of this newsletter. Happily, not all of these “challenges” occur at the same time. An exceptionally cold winter will destroy the larvae of the Japanese beetle, and sooner or later someone will develop more effective ways of dealing with them. The best defense of all, to insects, diseases or bad weather, is a healthy plant. spent blooms regularly to prevent disease and to encourage repeat blooming. If any of the above suggestions sound a bit much, don’t let it be. These wonderful plants have been cultivated for thousands of years, and now it’s up to us to keep up the good work! Edythe Falconer CEF Rose Gardens Japanese beetle that are zone hardy and resistant to insects and diseases. Look for plants that have been grown on their own roots. To start them off on the right foot, provide the best soil you can afford, and regularly add compost to maintain good soil structure. Water deeply once a week. Fertilize twice per season – in May and again in late July. Climbers and ramblers should be fertilized three times per season. You don’t want to encourage new growth in the fall so don’t fertilize after July 31. Monitor plants often and deal with problems promptly. Heavy pruning is best done before plants leaf out. This is a good time to cut plants back, remove spindly or old canes, and to open up the centre of each plant for good aeration. Some pruning can be done on an as-needed basis. Prune the three Ds – damaged, diseased, dead, at any time. Go for a slanted cut near an outwardfacing bud, using clean sharp pruners and don’t prune in wet weather. Remove Healthy plants A recipe for healthy roses calls for several ounces of prevention. Select plants Volunteers in the Rose Gardens, 2009 R T ose Advisor – Edythe Falconer. CEF Heritage Rose Garden – Diana Dakers-Ryan (leader), Bob Bartley, Fiona Cowell, Susan Davidson, Bernadette Garrett, Arnold Hodgins, Catherine Hooper, Andrew Keller, Peg McEwan, Margaret (Peggy) McHugh, Sylvia Mitoraj, Diane Pilon, Rosalie Robar, Susan Valiquette. Explorer Rose Garden – Cyril Benson (leader), Jerome Bower, Claudette Davidson, Linda Gibson, Bev Krogan-Donnelly, Kitty Langill, Rae MacDonald, Carol Michaelis, Josephine Stanic, Airi Trant, Jeannine Vivian, Brian Worobey. Newsletter Deadlines he Friends of the Farm newsletter is published quarterly – spring, summer, autumn and winter. Deadlines for submissions are as follows: • February 28 (spring issue) • May 31 (summer issue) • August 31 (fall issue) • November 30 (winter issue). Margaret (Peggy) McHugh, Frances McKean, Rita Paterson, Allison Randall, Margaret Ridewood, and Betty Sparham. A special thanks to our translators; Johanne Cadieux, Rhéal Gauthier, Louise Marchand and Hélène Tremblay-Benoît. Please advise the office by e-mail at info@friendsofthefarm.ca if you do not want to receive a hard copy of the newsletter. Many thanks to the volunteers on our newsletter assembly team; Marion Armstrong, Isobel Cameron, Audrey Campbell, Elizabeth Culley, Susan Davidson, Bettyanne Ellis, Sally Hill, Page 12 Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2009 Caring for the CEF Roses espite hard work, some challenges are beyond the control of even the best hybridizers. Fortunately, the CEF rose gardens have an underground watering system that ensures they receive the correct amount of moisture. Roses don’t like “wet feet.” Nor do they like them to be dry. D infection may be controlled or even prevented. You could decide to dig up vulnerable roses and replace them with resistant varieties. Less drastic measures include good garden hygiene and the application of preventative baking soda sprays starting in late spring and continuing every 7 to 10 days until late July. Some problems are four-legged. The CEF has discontinued total coverage of frost-vulnerable roses in favour of mounding soil six to eight inches around each rose. This practice accomplishes two goals – soil replacement and crown protection. The covers we were using also provided rabbits with cozy winter homes with a ready food supply. Mice can do a lot of damage, too. Even hardy northern roses can take a hit during a particularly harsh winter. In the first two years after planting when their root system is still establishing itself, it is a good idea to provide winter protection. For grafted roses, you’ll need to plant the graft joint at least four inches below the surface to ensure that they will have the same hardiness as roses grown on their own roots. Explorer rose ‘Henry Hudson’ for – a single branch that starts to become pale and unhealthy looking, and unnatural swellings on the canes. Prune at least 3 cm below the swelling until you no longer encounter the path a borer leaves. Some experts advocate applying a bit of glue to pruning cuts when you “correct” for borers. Rose resistance to blackspot varies according to plant vulnerability and weather conditions. By not planting roses too closely together and by judicious central pruning in spring, this fungus Cane borers and blackspot Cane borers can usually be controlled by prompt removal of the affected plant parts. Borers enter canes and gradually destroy the plants’ circulation systems. Two symptoms are important to watch “The beetles love to party” In the five years that I’ve worked in the CEF gardens, the most daunting challenge has been the Japanese beetle. This beautiful copper and green insect has a definite taste for roses. Milky white spore Continued on Page 11 Photos by R. Hinchcliff Explorer rose garden and ‘Champlain’ (inset)