AUTUMN 2005 PLANT SALE AND ROSE FESTIVAL
By Bea Whyld
October 29-30 was just another normal weekend for the members of the Botanical Gardens Division of The Huntington. At approximately 10:15 a.m., two buses deposited children and adults at the entrance to the Botanical Center. Kitty Connolly, Conservatory Project Manager/Botanical Education Manager, and her staff were on hand to greet these visitors.
In the meantime, much time had been spent the previous week preparing for and stocking the Autumn Plant Sale under the Jacaranda trees at the entrance. While all this was going on, in the Rose Garden, the plans for the Autumn Rose Festival were put into action. The Plant Sale and the Rose Festival shared the theme of “fragrance.”
Since the Plant Sale was the first activity visitors met as they strolled from the parking lot to the entrance, let us talk a bit about it.
Elmer Lorenz was there, of course, selling shade plants or anything else that someone showed an interest in. Elmer, now 91 (making it 92 in February), has been volunteering in the Plant Sales Propagation and Plant Sales since July 1975. When asked how he came to be an expert on shade plants, he responded, “The first time I showed up, Shirley sent me to the shade plants and I have been there ever since.” Both Shirley and I assured him we could understand how that would happen.
On Sunday afternoon, there was Mel Vargas in Herbs, Sheldon Lisker in Bulbs and Myriam Hu in Perennials. One cannot step on The Huntington grounds without learning something that is new. What I learned from Sheldon concerns ranuculus bulbs. They are native to South Africa, come in rose, white, salmon, and gold. And, surprisingly, at least to me, they are a member of the buttercup family.
Two new additions that were extremely interesting were Jon Rasmussen of The Pond Company and Larry Kelsey with his ferns. Each is a unique story.
Jon was dispensing mosquito fish and information from the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District whose pamphlet included the following: “A VECTOR is defined in the Health & Safety code as: ‘any animal capable of transmitting the causative agent of human disease or capable of producing human discomfort or injury, including but not limited to mosquitoes, flies, other insects, ticks, mites, and rodents.’” Jon was selling water lilies and water lettuce. All proceeds from his sales for the two days were to be donated to the Jungle Garden upkeep.
Larry, professionally, is an auto mechanic with quite a thriving business. Twenty-five years ago he made a friendly wager with the people at Monrovia Nursery that he could grow ferns from spores. He now grows seventy different varieties including bird nest, Boston fern, and Staghorns. Larry did not bring all seventy varieties, but he did have a display that was attracting a great many people.
The most romantic story of the weekend comes from Dick Malott. “One of my favorite moments at this plant sale, besides the wonderful help from the Rose Garden Docents, many of them new, was when I was called over to help a young couple with a rose. They wanted one that could grow in a pot because they lived in a condominium of the second floor and had the required sun. I just happened to have a miniature there with the appropriate name ‘Rainbow’s End’. Then she told me they had just gotten engaged in the Rose Garden and wanted a rose to commemorate the event. I was charmed and almost gave it to them. As I later thought, I should have. It would have been even more special.” Obviously, there were some events going on at the Rose Festival that did not come to the attention of Rose Docents or Curator!
The displays of rose water and rose petal potpourri along with our display vases of roses drew a lot of attention from both children and adults. During the two-day Rose Festival, Docents had personal contact with approximately 1,200 visitors to the garden. And, of course, there were many many more who came and walked the garden without contacting any one of the Docents who were there. A dozen Docents made themselves available for the Festival, with some doing double duty with the Plant Sale.
On Sunday, the roses on display were: New Zealand 'Aotearoa,' measuring at least 6” across the bloom; ‘Squire’ and ‘Tamora,’ both shrubs; ‘Susan Louise’ and ‘Lady Hillingdon,’ both teas; ‘Lemon Spice,’ a hybrid tea; ‘Sheila’s Perfume,’ a floribunda; and one of the world’s oldest roses, ‘Autumn Damask’ with its delightfully delicate fragrance. This selection certainly met the criteria for inclusion in a Rose Festival with the theme of “Fragrance.”
The writer, ever on the alert to increase the distribution of Subrosa was able to make a number of people aware of this publication and secure their e-mail address so they will be advised of each new issue.
All together, it would appear the weekend of October 29-30, 2005 was a tremendously successful one for the Botanical Division at The Huntington.
Bea Whyld, Rose/Shakespeare Gardens Docent
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