July 2003 Newsletter

Vol 1/Issue 4 July 2025

To Contact: WCFRS

C/O Patti Hartzell

217 Salt Brick Court

Wilmington, NC 28411-7855

Welcome! to the Wilmington Cape Fear Rose Society (WCFRS) newsletter, The Costal Rose with articles about growing and enjoying roses in the coastal North Carolina area.

Suggestion and questions are welcomed. We encourage you to submit them to us using the e-mail or postal address listed above.

Check out our web page at: http://carolinadistrict.org/WCFRS/index.htm

President’s Message

Hi there Rose Buds!

July has arrived faster than I needed it to, and as I look at my calendar it seems to be ending faster than it arrived. Summer has taken many of you on your special vacations or if you are like us, it has brought your vacation friends here to Wilmington. We have been busy passing out pillows and cleaning beach sand out of the bathtub. I am sure the heat has taken a toll on your roses but don't give up. Give them lots of water and TLC. Don't wander off your spray schedule and remember to deadhead. We have been giving our bushes an afternoon shower with the irrigation sprinklers to keep them hydrated. I do hope your roses are blooming! We have no roses here, they are about as short as this month's message! We have been on constant battle with the neighborhood deer that seem to think this is the Hartzell buffet every night. They come just when the new growth starts, eat the shoots and then whatever else looks appetizing in the gardens. We have put up a fence but they jump it. Tried sprays but they must have cast iron stomachs because it doesn't bother them. We have heard that a 2-3 foot electric fence smeared with peanut butter works and we are going to try that. A lick of the irresistible pate' gives them a slight zing. If you have any suggestions, let’s share! Anything short of a high-velocity metal injection would be welcomed.

Ann Lees from the English Garden is giving a seminar on old roses. Most of her roses can be grown here in Wilmington with little upkeep. Her seminars are very interesting so come join us on Saturday, July 26, 2025 at the Arboretum auditorium, 10:00am - noon. Bring your friends too!

Start thinking about your arrangement container for the Saturday August 16, 2025 meeting at the Arboretum auditorium. Note the early start time, 9:00am - noon.

John Dunn from Charlotte, NC, is coming to teach us arranging. He is one of the top rose arrangers in the country. This is a wonderful hands-on class, so bring your roses, pruners and a container.

Enjoy the summer!

See you at our next rose meeting, "Ann Lees Old Garden Roses" on the 26^th!

Patti

PS: Rose bushes are the ultimate gift for anniversaries, “Get Well” and birthdays or a simple "I Love You". We are now offering annual WCFRS membership gift certificates for purchase. Combine this with a rose bush for that special rose lover in your life. Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a gift certificate.

Note from the editor--if you don’t want to get a depredation permit to take care of deer, you can use an electric fence, but it must be high enough. The height must be over four feet tall. The most effective fence is two strands with the first strand three feet up and a second strand at five feet and then put flagging on it.

We now have an official checking account, so all checks from this point forward should be made out to the “Wilmington Cape Fear Rose Society”.

American Rose Magazine

Anyone interested in joining the American Rose Society (includes the American Rose magazine subscription) should mail or hand our treasurer, Kim Landis, their subscription request along with a check made out to "Wilmington Cape Fear Rose Society" so that Wilmington Cape Fear Rose society will receive $5.00. If the subscription is sent directly to ARS, we will not receive the donation from American Rose Society.

Mail to:

Treasurer: Kim Landis

108 Stonehead Court

Wilmington, NC 28411-7855

Phone: 910.686.3025

"Urgent SOS"

Our Rose Garden at the arboretum is in need of volunteers. This will involve pruning, weeding and gentle rose love & care twice a month. I am requesting that at least 4 couples or 8 or more people volunteer to commit themselves to help take care of the gardens from this point on because their curator and our valued society member, Barbara Hardison, is moving out of the Wilmington area. Please notify me as soon as possible so that our rose gardens at the arboretum will not be neglected. You will be requested to help in the rose garden twice a month. This will be a great way to learn about roses and have hands on experience! Please consider this because this is a very urgent need.

Contact me as soon as possible at 910.686.1871.

--Patti

Tetanus - The Silent Killer

By Mary Peterson, Consulting Rosarian, Horseheads, NY

How many times have you pulled a weed or walked barefoot in your garden, 'for just a minute' without adequate protection? Shoes, gloves and a tetanus shot are vital tools to do the job right and do it safely.

Tetanus is an extremely serious disease of the nervous system caused by an exotoxin (bacterial poison) produced by Clostridum tetani bacteria. Although tetanus is preventable through safe and effective immunization, nearly 1 million people die each year world-wide. In the US, there are about 200 cases reported annually.

Most of these cases are newborns who contract tetanus through contamination or infection of the umbilical cord. Emil von Behring developed a vaccine against diphtheria and tetanus in 1890 and outbreaks of tetanus in the trenches in 1915 were controlled through serum injections. In 1925 a Canadian pathologist James Collip obtained an extract from the parathyroid gland for treating tetanus.

So who is at risk? Anyone who has not received an immunization; anyone working in a garden who comes in contact with thorns or sharp tools; anyone who has allowed their immunization to lapse.

You get tetanus by having a cut or deep puncture wound that receives little oxygen and becomes infected with C. tetani. Wounds that are deep, jagged, dirty or have gone untreated for several hours carry a high risk of tetanus. Worldwide, tetanus is estimated to kill 1 million people annually, mostly in the third world countries where people haven't been immunized.

While this bacteria is wide spread, it is most commonly found in soils contaminated with animal or human feces (solid waste). Horse manure is often the source of this bacteria. The tetanus bacteria produces spores that are resistant to drying and therefore can survive for long periods of time in soil, street dust, dried fecal material and in injectable street drugs.

Clostridium tetani infects human cells at the wound site, and causes them to produce the tetanus toxin. This toxin is poisonous to nerves. Tetanus causes painful muscle spasms usually starting with the jaw and neck and can affect the muscles required for breathing. Symptoms include headache, depression, difficulty in swallowing and in opening the mouth. Stiffness of the neck and spasm of the facial muscles gradually spreading to other muscles of the body.

There is no microbiological or blood test to confirm the diagnosis. Clinical physical evidence confirms the diagnosis along with the history of a contaminated injury. In addition to antibiotics respiratory support using a ventilator may be required along with muscle relaxants.

Aside from keeping your tetanus immunization renewed every 10 years, all wounds should be promptly and carefully cleaned with soap and water.

Fortunately there is an immunization against tetanus. It is routinely given during childhood, but immunity is not permanent. Boosters are needed at least every 5 to 10 years. A tetanus booster is only effective if given within 72 hours of a wound.

The usual period between boosters is 10 years. Any serious, contaminated puncture wound should receive a booster shot of tetanus toxoid and a doctor may order additional antibiotics to prevent any further infection of the wound.

Left untreated, symptoms usually start 10 days after the wound is contaminated by the bacteria, but the onset can range from 3 to 21 days. Even with aggressive treatment, tetanus kills between 10 and 20% of the people who develop it. If left untreated approximately 60% of all cases are fatal.

Rosarians, especially those who have not had their tetanus booster in the last ten years, are at risk. Those over 60 are most vulnerable.

While you are looking over your catalogs for new roses for the coming season, review your immunization record too and if your last shot was 10 years ago, schedule an appointment to have your tetanus immunization upgraded. There could be a killer lurking in your garden, so you want to be prepared.

Rose Genealogy

By Louise Garland-Ramsdell

Consulting Rosarian

Old Garden Roses - Damask

By Amy Padgett

This is the third in a series of articles about Old Garden Roses (OGR), which are generally considered to be roses hybridized or introduced prior to 1900. The 1900’s marked the beginning of the era of the Hybrid Teas, which are the most popular rose today.

OGR’s have been around a long time because they are worth growing and are survivors. The majority are intensely fragrant and extremely attractive when in full bloom, and the Damask roses are no exception.

Damask roses are another ancient and fascinating class. There is speculation that the Crusaders brought back Damask roses from the Middle East and Persia. Some researchers even give credit for bringing the Damask rose to Europe to Robert de Brie, who is said to have brought the rose to his castle in Champagne around 1254-1276. Today, Bulgaria grows vast quantities of Damask roses for the production of rose ‘attar’.

Damasks are often further divided into Summer Damasks and Autumn Damasks. The Summer Damasks bloom only once, in spring or early summer, while the Autumn Damasks repeat in the fall. The Autumn Damask is reported to have first been mentioned in the Greek island of Samos, at the end of the 10^th Century, B.C., and used in the cult of Aphrodite. Even Virgil, in the 1^st century B.C., mentions the rose that flowers twice a year--the Autumn Damask.

The Damask class of roses consists of large shrubs with bluish gray leaves that are slightly downy on the undersides. The leaves are long and pointed. The flowers are almost all pink. Damasks bloom once, generally in summer, and are probably the most richly fragrant of all the roses. When my specimen of ‘Celsiana’ blooms in late April/early May, that single bush can fill the air with an intense perfume that can be detected nearly an acre away.

They do not need to be sprayed and do not suffer from blackspot. They are a toughest and very easy rose to grow. In fact, they are also one of the easiest to grow from cuttings. I have grown several by simply sticking my “trimmings” into the ground around the base of the parent bush. They are extremely tolerant of imperfect growing conditions.

The most common characteristics of the class are:

Somewhat lax growth.
Soft, bluish gray leaves that are generally long and pointed.
The leaves have downy undersides.
The bushes are generally quite large (average 6’ tall).
Hips produced tend to be long and thin.
Colors are generally warm, medium pink, often held in sprays.
They require no pruning and will flower well, year after year, by only removing the dead wood.

A few Damask roses include:

‘Celsiana’ 1732. This is one of my favorite roses and is a gorgeous clear pink. I love this rose so much, I could not resist adding a picture.

The glorious flowers are semi-double with the consistency and translucency of crumpled silk. The flower will gradually fade to pale pink as it ages. Very rich fragrance.

Rosa damascena ‘trigintipetala’ (aka Kazanlik) ancient. ‘Trigintipetala’ grows to about 5-6 feet tall. This is the rose often grown in Bulgaria for the production of rose ‘attar’. It has medium pink flowers, semi-double, with a rich scent.

‘La Ville de Bruxelles’ 1849, grower: Vibert. This rose can grow up to 6 feet tall in good conditions. It has very large blooms of a clear, rich pink color. The flowers form a slightly domed shape as they open, since the petals tend to curl back.

‘Leda’ 1827. This rose stays about 3-4 feet tall, so it may be easier to place in moderate-sized gardens than some of the larger Damasks. The rose is extraordinarily beautiful as crimson buds open out to full white flowers edged with red. As the flowers age, they reflex back to form a ball. The roses are fragrant with a clear “rose soap” perfume.

‘Madame Hardy’ 1832, grower: Hardy. This white Damask is praised as one of the most beautiful white roses. Bushes are tall and vigorous, reaching 7’ tall. It has a very strong, heady Damask rose fragrance.

‘Quatre Saisons’ (aka Rosa damascene bifera, ‘Rose of the Four Seasons’) Ancient. This is the repeat flowering Autumn Damask mentioned earlier. The flowers are clear pink and double, with long sepals and a powerful fragrance. It has typical lax growth and generally reaches 5’ in height. I grow this rose and find it ridiculously easy to grow and it never needs spraying.

These are just a few varieties. All the Damask roses are exceptionally fragrant and for that alone should be considered for any rose garden.

Special Feature: Pot-pourri

By Louise Garland-Ramsdell

Types of Roses

From the Memphis Rose Society

Species Roses, Wild Roses, and their Hybrids (Sp) The original roses, hardy species are mostly large shrubs or climbers with mainly single flowers (5 to 12 petals) and big, bright red-orange rosehips. Probably the best known, Rosa rugosa is known for hardiness, wrinkled foliage and showy hips.

Modern Roses The era of modern roses began in 1867 with 'La France', a rose with the general habit of a Hybrid Perpetual and the elegant, shapely buds and free-flowing character of a Tea rose. Breeders were quick to realize that planned parenthood could result in all sorts of new flower forms, habits and colors. By the late 20th century, 10,000 new Hybrid Teas had been welcomed into gardens.

Hybrid Teas (HT) The most popular garden roses, Hybrid Teas are loved for their fragrance and their beautifully proportioned flowers in various vibrant colors. Hybrid Teas usually produce one spectacular flower per stem, from a long, pointed bud on plants from 3 to 5 feet tall.

Floribundas (F) Roses such as 'lceberg' produce quantities of flowers singularly or in clusters of several flowers. They're only 2 to 3 feet tall and relatively compact, so excellent for bedding displays, and they blend well into a mixed border of flowers and shrubs. They're especially valuable for their ability to adapt to a wide range of temperatures and soil conditions.

Grandifloras (G) When the hybrid beauty 'Queen Elizabeth' was introduced in 1955, there had never been a rose like it, and a whole new category was created. They're bigger and hardier than Hybrid Teas, sometimes 8 to 10 feet tall, and bear flowers, usually double, on long stems, singularly or some in clusters.

Polyanthas (P) These are generally smaller but sturdy, compact re-bloomers that form bushy shrubs with many small (1-inch), delicate flowers in large sprays.

Miniature Roses (Min) Many of these are tiny replicas of full-size Shrub roses, reaching a mere 6 to 30 inches tall; they are ideal for growing in a container, edging a walkway or as a low hedge. Others are 'mini' in size of leaf or flower only, and can reach heights of 6 feet!

Mini-Flora (Min Fl) This is a new classification adopted the American Rose Society in 1999 to recognize another step in the evolution of the rose a rose intermediate in bloom size and foliage, falling between Miniatures and Floribundas.

Shrub Roses (S) This is a diverse group ranging from sprawling, low-growing ground covers to tall mounds. What they have in common is toughness and prolific bloom. Excellent choices for hedges and landscape plantings, they grow as wide as tall are very free bloomers. (While David Austin's English roses strictly belong in this class, I've given them their own topic area.)

David Austin's English Roses David Austin's English roses are on their way to being considered a category by themselves. They have won tremendous popularity in the garden world in the past decade by combining old-fashioned charm and fragrance with a modern re-blooming habit. British rose breeder David Austin has developed many of these roses and given the group his name. They range widely in form and color; some of the best are 'Abraham Darby' and 'Gertrude Jekyll'.

Groundcover Roses As their name suggests, these are trailing or spreading low-growers, mostly rebloomers with small leaves and clusters of 3 to 11 small flowers.

Old Garden Roses (OGR) Old garden roses are quite hardy, often fragrant and usually bloom only once. In 1966, the American Rose Society defined old garden roses as those types that existed before 1867, the year the first Hybrid Tea was introduced. They vary greatly in form and include the following types.

Alba Often known as "white roses," these are large, branching shrubs with clusters of 5 to 7 usually white flowers and dense, bluegreen foliage that's disease resistant.

Bourbon Vigorous open, repeat-flowering shrubs with fragrant double flowers, often borne in threes; plants grow 2 to 15 feet tall.

Centifolia Literally, "one hundred petals," these Dutch hybridized roses are thorny shrubs with arching canes bearing clusters of large, fragrant, many-petaled blossoms; they are also referred to as "cabbage roses."

China Small to medium Shrub roses with a loose spreading habit and small, mainly double flowers, single or in clusters, with a spicy fragrance. Sometimes re-blooming; not hardy.

Damask Loose, graceful shrubs bearing clusters of 5 to 7 very fragrant blooms on plants 3 to 6 feet tall.

Gallica Compact, upright shrubs with brilliant, often fragrant blossoms; the oldest class of garden roses. Once blooming.

Hybrid Perpetual Vigorous, often re-blooming shrubs with flowers borne singularly or in threes; upright, about 6 feet tall, color range usually pinks and reds.

Moss Named for the mossy growth on the stems and calyx, usually fragrant, many-petaled blooms; 3 to 6 feet tall, generally winter hardy.

Noisette Re-blooming, graceful climbers up to 20 feet tall that bear large clusters of up to 9 small fragrant flowers. Long, slender canes; thrives in warm climates.

Portland Upright, dense bushes, usually re-blooming with fragrant, double flowers on straight stems.

Sempervirens Semi-evergreen climbers; very free-flowering.

Tea Re-blooming shrubs and climbers with loose, sweetly scented, usually double flowers, single or in threes.

Climbers (Cl) and Ramblers Climbing roses are just roses that have a very vigorous growth habit. Roses do not actually "climb" in the sense that other plants do; they do not twine, have tendrils or stickum. Instead they sometimes hang onto something because of their prickles (thorns) catch and dig in.

Large Flowered Climbers (LCl) Most often have tall stiff canes and blooms both singularly and in clusters, and generally repeat bloom.

Ramblers Flexible canes requiring support and most often flowers with small blooms in clusters which ususally do not repeat.

Sports (Mutations) Sports of hybrid teas, floribundas and others, which resemble their bush counterpart except for their climbing growth habit. They usually have an outstanding spring bloom, then only scattered bloom with more blooms in the fall.

Common Words and Abbreviations

From the Memphis Rose Society

AARS. All-America Rose Selections, an association of commercial rose growers and sellers that Sponsors a nationwide program of rose trials each year.

ARS American Rose Society. An association of more than 20,000 rose enthusiasts; dues include a subscription to The American Rose magazine. Contact P.O. Box 30,000, Shreveport, LA 71130.

Bareroot Any plant presented in a dormant state without soil on its roots. The traditional means of selling a rose plant.

Basal Break A cane that grows out of the 'graft union.' These are very desirable as they yield the biggest flowers, present lots of new bud eyes for later growth, and will replace older, worn out canes.

Bud The swollen portion at the end of a stem that will mature into a flower.

Bud Eye The swollen area found near the union of the leaf with the stem that will grow into a new stem.

Bud Union On 'grafted' roses, this is the swollen area at the top of the shank from which new canes (basal breaks) emerge. In climates with extreme heat or cold, it is best to protect the bud union by planting it below the soil level and mulching over the top.

Calyx The leaf-like, outer protective part of a flower. Individually, these structures are called sepals.

Cane The supportive branches of a rose bush. Canes are distinguished from stems in that they have hardened and are thicker.

Cuttings A form of assexual plant reproduction. A stem is cut about 6 inches long, all but the top 2 leaflets are removed, and the 'cutting' is then planted. If successful, new roots form and the 'cutting' grows into a copy of the parent rose bush.

Cultivar (aka: variety) A cultivated variety selected for propagation based on specific characteristics; such as form, fragrance, color or disease resistance. Wild or species roses are not cultivars.

Deadhead A means of encouraging a faster repeat of bloom by removal of the spent blooms just above a 5-leaflet set.

Double Flowers having 25 or more petals.

Graft Union See 'Bud Union.'

Grafted A grafted rose is one where the 'bud eye' of a desired variety is attached, or 'grafted', onto another variety that is used to supply the roots. Many roses sold are grafted because grafting allows the grower to produce many more plants more rapidly than by 'cuttings.'

Hips The pod of seeds that may develop if a spent bloom is not removed. Not all roses will readily cross- or self-pollinate. Hips can be a valuable source of food for overwintering birds. Allowing them to develop will reduce subsequent bloom.

Hybridize To create a new rose cultivar by selectively fertilizing one rose with the pollen of another one in the hopes that the progeny will carry some of the traits of each.

Leaflet One section of a compound leaf. The leaf begins where the leafstalk attaches to the rose cane. Leaves can have from 3 leaflets to more than 15, but usually have only 5 to 7.

Modern Rose Any rose belonging to a class that came into being after 1867.

Old Garden Rose Any rose variety or cultivar belonging to a rose class that existed in 1867.

Once-blooming A rose that has one annual bloom over an extended period in late spring or early summer. Most species and many old garden roses are once-blooming. Most modern roses are not.

Own-root A rose that is grown directly on its own roots rather than by budding onto a rootstock. In severe winter areas, own-root roses offer the advantage of being able to regenerate directly from their roots.

Patented Rose A rose for which unlicensed propagation is prohibited for a period of up to 20 years under Federal regulations. Plant patents, which will be granted only for new roses determined to be unique, are secured through the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office after considerable paperwork and expense.

Pegging The act of encouraging the long canes of a rose to bloom along their length by arching the canes outward or looping them inward toward the base of the bush.

Pistil The female organ of a flower, comprised of the stigma, style and ovary.

Pruners An essential tool for the rosarian. The best design is the bypass pruner, which has two blades that cut like scissors. The anvil pruner uses a flat plate to push the cane against a single blade, which often results in crushed canes.

Rambler A long-caned rose that can be trained to grow on a trellis or other support.

Remontant A rose that blooms continuously throughout a season.

Repeat Blooming Flowering more than once a year.

Rootstock A variety whose vigorous roots are used as the foundation for a 'grafted' rose. Many roses sold are grafted because grafting allows the grower to produce many more plants more rapidly than by 'cuttings.'

Sepals The tough protective 'petals' that protect the flower bud.

Semidouble Flowers with more than 11 petals but fewer than 25.

Single A flower with a single row of 5 petals. Some consider roses with up to 10 or 11 petals a single flowers.

Species A group of plants that shares many characteristics and can interbreed freely.

Sport A spontaneous mutation that generates new characteristics in a rose stem. Many climbing roses are sports of bush roses. Other common sports include changes in color and petal count. Some sports are stable and can lead to the introduction of a new rose. Others are fleeting and will quickly revert back to the parent.

Stamen The male portion of a flower's reproductive system, comprised of a filament that holds the anther (pollen pad).

Stigma The female portion of the flower that receives pollen grains for fertilization.

Sucker Stems that grow spontaneously from the roots of a 'grafted' rose, generally in an unwanted manner. Suckers on 'grafted' plants can be distinguished from the rest of the bush by differences in foliage and should be removed below the soil level to preserve the integrity of the plant.

Very Double Flowers having 75 or more petals.

Rosey Events

July 26, 2025