Richard Plain wants to reassure everyone the roses are doing just fine after the hard rain and fast winds from the storms of the last several days.
“Most of the roses … are pretty sturdy,” he stated. “Most of them are hardy shrub roses so they came through it pretty well.”
That’s good news too, especially since the St. Albert Botanic Park will be the centre of the world of roses this weekend. The 14th annual rose show is the only one in the metro Edmonton area and it’s a major highlight for the flower enthusiast and former mayor. It promises to bring dozens of local horticulturalists out for both the roses’ visual and olfactory delights.
While it is a competition, he urged all St. Albertans to come down with their own roses, especially if they don’t know anything about them.
“It’s meant to be something for the residents to take their shrub roses in and to show it if it looks pretty decent.”
There are enough experts on hand, Plain included, who can even tell you the name of it if you don’t already know it.
He also strongly encouraged prospective attendees to make sure that they cut their roses reasonably long, leaving two or three sets of leaves with the stem cut at a 45 degree angle.
Plain ended by responding to a question about the potential of fixing a wind-broken rose with Scotch tape.
“Well,” he hesitated, “you learn something every year hanging around roses. Most ‘rosarians’ – when that happens – mournfully look at their rose and cut it off and start again.”
The 2011 St. Albert Botanic Park Rose Show takes place on Sunday, July 17 with entries being accepted starting at 8:30 a.m. and judging at 10:30. There are seven special awards to be handed out for 26 different classes of rose. There’s no entry fee and everyone is welcome to exhibit. Admission to the park is free.
The park is located at 265 Sturgeon Rd., just east of Legion Memorial Ball Park. For more information including categories and rules, call 780-458-7163 or visit www.stalbertbotanicpark.com.
