It is Christmas Day and I sit at my desk composing this President’s message. What a wonderful season and I am enjoying every minute of it. As I listen to and watch the national weather patterns with the snowy and blistery weather elsewhere, I revel in our climate. I have roses blooming!
This is the time of the year when I take stock in my roses and begin to plan for the coming season. If, as a result of Irma, you had damage to your roses you probably have more room for roses than you ordinarily would. I find myself in this situation. So I begin to survey the stock in the different nurseries to see what is available. I did purchase some roses from Rose Pedal Nursery at the Kanapaha Fall Plant Sale. I also purchased a number of miniature plants at the fall convention.
I just ordered two hybrid teas that were hybridized by Meilland International for 2018. They are “Sweet Mademoiselle” which has a fragrant fruit and lemon blend and is disease resistant. The parentage is “Graham Thomas “and” Love and Peace.” This rose is pink with orange shading. The second is “Moonlight Romantica” which has a buttery yellow bloom. The fragrance is strong and it is disease resistant. I do hope they do well in our zone. “ Francis Meilland” does very well in my area and I am hoping for these to do the same.
If you are planning to order roses and /or supplies from vendors at our Mid-Winter Meeting, I would urge you to do so now so that they can have your orders available at the Meeting. I have had good results with the fertilizers and roses that I have purchased through the years.
We do hope you will join us at our January 14, 2018 meeting. Wayne and Lyndy Meyers will be presenting a program on their trip to rose gardens in France recently. I, too, had an opportunity to visit France in 1990. The rose gardens were just beautiful then and I will be looking forward to the Meyer’s presentation.
Images from the December Christmas Party:
Olivia and Cleon Jenkins and Mary Menoski have signed up for refreshments for our January Meeting.
Please remember to bring a raffle item for Phil to raffle off.
Yours in the Rose Garden,
Lee Kline, President
