June 17 Column: Rose Show
Roses are truly the Queen of the Garden. And I’m pretty sure no one would disagree with me about that. After all, they are absolutely gorgeous, bloom for an extraordinarily long time, and are a favorite of just about every gardener on this planet! On June 23rd, they’ll be in the spotlight for the 71st annual Spokane Rose Show.
That’s the subject of this week’s garden column. Here’s a link to it in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Celebrate roses with lecture, show. (or you can read my garden column lower in this post)
Spokane Rose Show events:
But that’s not the only rose-related event going on later this week. On Friday evening, June 22nd, Harry Landers will give a presentation on his career as Curator for the Washington Park International Rose Test Garden in Portland, Oregon. It should be quite an enjoyable program. Admission for his talk costs $10 and admission to the Rose Show is free.
You can find the details for both events in my column so be sure to go to the link above.
And because we’re celebrating roses, I decided that this week’s “Everyone Can Grow a Garden” video should cover basic rose care. As a bonus, I added in a slideshow of some of the most beautiful roses… many of which have a home in my garden, I should add. I hope you’ll enjoy the video.
Rose Show garden column:
By Susan Mulvihill
June is the month when roses are at their peak in area gardens. This beautiful flower will be celebrated in two very special ways this week.
On Friday, June 22, Harry Landers — past curator of Portland’s Washington Park International Rose Test Garden — will give a presentation at St. John’s Cathedral about his career. And on Saturday, June 23, the Spokane Rose Society will stage the 71st annual Spokane Rose Show at Northland Rosarium. Refer to the information box for event scheduling.
During Landers’ 28-year career, he did it all.
The career of Harry Landers, Rose Show speaker
“If it was above 35 degrees, I was outside working in the garden, ordering plants, coordinating the army of volunteers it took to do the deadheading of the roses, handling public relations, and taking care of the irrigation, fertilization and weeding,” he shared in a recent telephone interview.
Fortunately, his intense love of roses made his job completely enjoyable — so much so, in fact, that he often missed taking breaks during his work days.
“What other plant can you grow that will bloom for six months or more?” he asked. “Roses are so easy to care for. Some of the older roses are high maintenance but modern roses are just as lovely and less work. I don’t even spray my own roses or prune them; I just water and deadhead them and they do great.”
As he reflects back on his career, Landers feels very satisfied.
“When I started working at Washington Park in 1989, there were about 3,500 roses, and when I retired, there were 10,475,” he said. “It’s one of the top rose gardens in the world. We’re in the top 10 urban gardens in the world and the top 10 public gardens in the nation. I’m really proud of my accomplishments.”
Rose Show specifics:
Spokane Rose Society president Andrew Smith is looking forward to helping present the Rose Show on Saturday.
“The purpose of the show is to get the community together to honor roses as well as the beauty of summer,” he said. “And it’s a chance to show off the roses you’ve grown.”
Anyone interested in showing their roses — including non-members — can take them to Northland Rosarium to set them up between 8 and 10 a.m. Members of the Rose Society are available to help with this.
“It’s less scary to enter your roses than most people would think,” Smith said. “But people can even enter photographs of their roses if they’re not feeling brave enough to show their roses.”
Rose entries will be judged from 11 a.m. to noon, after which the public can view all of the entries until 5 p.m. Spokane Rose Society members will be available to answer questions about rose culture and Spokane County Master Gardeners will respond to gardening questions.
Smith encourages everyone to attend the Rose Show.
“It’ll be a good opportunity to see what the Spokane Rose Society does and there are a lot of benefits to belonging,” he said. “And it’s a cool chance for everyone to get acquainted.”
IF YOU GO TO THE ROSE SHOW:
HARRY LANDERS PRESENTATION
When: Friday, June 22, at 7 p.m.
Where: Jewett House Great Hall, St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave., Spokane.
Details: Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased online at northlandrosarium.com/products/harry-landers-presentation-for-the-spokane-rose-show, or at the door prior to the presentation.
SPOKANE ROSE SHOW
When: Saturday, June 23, from noon to 5 p.m. for viewing the entries.
Where: Northland Rosarium, 9405 S. Williams Ln., Spokane, (509) 448-4968.
Details: Admission is free. Go to northlandrosarium.com for directions and information on how to enter your roses.