A story all but done . . . But not done

I wrote the introduction. The body of the story was sketched out. An epilogue was completed in my mind. I was only waiting for the actual even to occur. I already knew what was going to happen. All that was left was to fill in a few details and this month’s blog was done. Easy Peasy – no fuss no muss – I was about to meet one of the greatest rose hybridizers of our time, Ping Lim, recap what he had to say about his roses, and then on to the next blog.

No so fast there, Kemosabe. I should have known better to think that I could predict what would happen before I met Ping and got a chance to speak with him. I had waited many years to do so. Once we met, any preconceived notions about who (or what) he was about were out the window.

An 80th Anniversary Founder’s Day to celebrate

Back in early 2020. Ping was scheduled to be in New England to speak at the New England Rose Society Celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the founding of Society. Preparations were well under way. Anticipation was running high. It was early in 2020. The year had just begun, and there was a lot to look forward to. Little did we know what was to come a few short weeks later?

2020 the year that did not happen in roses

2020 was the year that did not happen in the world of roses (and in many other areas). Partway through the year, the decision had to be made to postpone the event to 2021. We regretted having to make this decision, but we felt as though it was too dangerous and best for our aging society members and for all parties involved to postpone. Ping agreed and rescheduled his presentation to 2021. He also cited the fact that his family was concerned about his health if he were to attend. We all agreed to have a combined 80th and 81st Anniversary Founder’s Day Celebration once things returned to “normal” and the pandemic was no longer a problem.

Preparations, preparations, preparations

Preparations for the 80th and 81st Anniversary Founder’s Day were slow. For many reasons: social distancing, busy work schedules, not meeting as a group, etc. all took its toll on getting ready for the event. However, the New England Rose Society and its members persevered, and as the time came closer to the day of the event, we started to meet again in person.

Then things started to fall into place. First it was the preparations for the Bronze Award. A worthy candidate from our Society who works tirelessly in the background was recognized for her efforts. Then it was on to the Lifetime Achievement Award, where we honoured our Past President, who, among a plethora of other things that she has done for the Society, was instrumental in organizing the Founder’s Day Celebration and getting Ping here safely to the Bay State from the Golden State and back again.

We made the necessary signage and certificates. A cake was baked and decorated. Floral arrangements were made. Raffle items were readied. Airline tickets, hotel reservations, and Uber preparations were made. Once we had these things ready (as well as many other preparations), on to the event.

Friday night at Fuller Gardens and a senior recital

As the day drew closer and closer, my excitement rose to meet and speak with Ping. Our first meeting was to be Friday at Fuller Gardens with other Society members the day before our main gathering on Saturday. But, sometimes the best laid plans don’t always work out.

My son had his senior recital the same day and time as the Fuller Gardens gathering. I decided to change plans and go to the recital instead. I was extremely excited do go and hear him. My son plays the oboe (like his sister and me in my younger years). Friday was going to be one of the last times that we’d be able to hear him play alone in front of an audience.

He played the Sonata for Oboe and Piano in D Major by Camille Saint-Saëns, and it was beautiful. I have now heard both my son and my daughter play this song in front of a live audience. I have played it as well some 40+ years ago, but only for my oboe teacher and anyone who was listening to me practice playing it. The song is one of the songs that brings tears to my eyes whenever I hear it.

My son did a great job with the piece, and we are all extremely proud of what he has accomplished. I had the added privilege to have my wife and mother with me to enjoy it as well. After the recital, we all went out to eat and had a great time being with family.

While I was with the family, I received periotic texts from Society members who were with Ping. They were having a great time being with him and touring the gardens. Things were appearing to be going well, and I wished I was able to be there with them, but family is more important.

And now, on to the main event

While I did miss the opportunity to be with Ping that Friday, before I knew it, the Saturday combined 80th and 81st Founder’s Day Celebration was here. Ping was there, as well as other dignitaries from the region. I was seated next to him. We engaged in some small talk before his presentation and spoke about what else? His hybrid roses. I found Ping very laid back and approachable. We discussed his hybrid roses as well as my own. We both shared pictures of our rose “babies.” I saw a smile on his face when we were looking at some of his seedlings.

Before long, he questioned my line of breeding, and I told him I was using the Abigail Adams Rose. Before I knew it, he had looked up the Abigail Adams Rose online and discovered that its mom, The Gift, was a rose that he had previously used in his breeding program. He further explained how seedlings with small blooms were hard to get to market.

I pointed out that one of his roses, Chi, had small blooms about the size of the blooms on the seedlings I was getting from Abigail. He replied that it took some 10+ years for Chi to get to market – much longer than his other seedlings. Chi kept getting bypassed for other new roses. He noted that it was much easier to get larger-bloomed roses to market.

When East meets West

During Ping’s presentation, which was titled “When East Meets West,” he spoke about the history of the rose and how the rose made its way from China and Asia to Europe and later on to America. He discussed the evolution of the rose and the importance of the Chinese and Asian species in the creation of the modern rose. An inaccuracy that I had for the origin of R. gallica was corrected by Ping during his presentation. He discussed the American species roses and how using these underutilized species in the modern rose hybridizing can benefit us all.

Ping further demonstrated how difficult it was to get a rose to market because of the various constraints that we (the rose-growing world) expect from any new roses. Any new rose not only need to be disease-free here in New England, but also in California and Oregon and Florida and everywhere in between. They must also be shade tolerant as well as perform in extremely hot and dry climates. Any new rose needs to be able to be propagated in their own roots, and have a very high take rate. They must have good plant architecture and, of course, repeat bloom in profusion. They can’t be too big and must be hardy. Fragrance and novelty are good additions as well in any new rose to be introduced.

In the center of all of these demands is chi – an inner energy or being that Ping exploits when creating his roses. Chi is that central force radiating outwards that guides Ping towards his hybridizing goals as he creates new roses for us to grow and enjoy.

After the celebration

At the conclusion of the 80th and 81st Founder’s Day Celebration, Society members met up with Ping. We had a couple of drinks together, and later went to a restaurant for dinner. I was asked to bring Ping from the bar to the restaurant a short distance away, and back again. I was seated directly across from him at the restaurant, and we continued our discussions in the car and at the restaurant. But, we expanded these discussions to include many other topics, not just roses. We discussed politics, family, where he grew up, how he came to America, his favorite rose, and how he went from an interpreter to being one of the top hybridizers in the world, etc.

Vietnam – there’s more than one side

One of the things that I discovered about Ping is that he grew up in Laos during the Vietnam War. The country of Laos was a major part of the Vietnam War, and is still reeling from the results today. Here in America, we remember the War from the American perspective. This perspective changes depending on your family involvement.

Thousands of families had loved ones that were willing and unwilling participants in the Vietnam War. Many of these same loved ones never returned home. And, many of those who did return, were often never given the respect that they deserved for fighting for our country. The atrocities of war were seen first-hand by all who were involved. Those of us who have never been to war will never be able to fully understand what these atrocities bear to the minds and bodies of those who did.

Ping and his countrymen saw the War from the victim’s standpoint. They did not have a neatly-packaged nightly summary delivered by Walter Cronkite on what was happening. They lived the War and all of the atrocities brought upon them. His people saw family and friends die. They saw their beautiful country being destroyed by outsiders. They were caught between those who were fighting, and the only way out was to escape to another country. Ping and his family were able to go to Taiwan where they were able to rebuild their lives. Not all of Ping’s friends and family were so lucky. Many of them did not make it. I can’t even begin to imagine how one can cope with this knowledge for their entire lives.

We are thankful that Ping was able to survive the Vietnam War and make his way to America. We are further thankful for his lifetime dedication to the education and betterment of the rose. The world is a better place because he is in it, doing the work that he does best. His family and inner chi are major reasons that he is able to do what he does.

My early rose growing and sustainable roses

Ping’s hybrid roses are a major part of my rose-growing exploits through the years. My first experience started when I first joined the Rhode Island Rose Society back in 2004. The Society was teaching a different way of growing roses than the traditional way. It was moving towards sustainable rose growing and growing roses that are able to thrive without a chemical spray regimen that kept them healthy.

Recommended roses from consulting rosarians and other society members always seem to include roses hybridized by Ping Lim. I took notice and started growing many of them. Most of Ping’s roses were as advertised – sustainable roses that didn’t need constant spraying and coddling to look good and perform well. Many also had the added bonus of being hardy here in Southern New England and survive the harsh winters without any protections added.

A rose called Chi

I had my first chance to grow Chi during the Yankee District online auction back in March of 2020. Little did I know what I was getting? At first glance, it didn’t seem like something that I wanted to grow. However, the description on the Bailey Nurseries website describes the rose as “the most amazing clusters of truly red flowers.” Now that description made me think twice. An actual true red-colored rose from my favorite hybridizer, Ping Lim. I am a printer by trade and color is very important to me – especially red. Chi is also a member of the Easy Elegance^®Series. O.k. – I’m in. I decided to purchase the rose and plant it in my yard.

Along the way, I decided to look up what the name Chi meant. Meriam-Webster defines chi as “vital energy that is held to animate the body internally and is of central importance in some Eastern systems of medical treatment”. They literally define it as “air or breath.” Further definitions online define it as “the circulating philosophy inherent in all living things – vital force or energy.”

My inner chi

Unfortunately, online definitions left much for interpretation and Chinese Philosophy and traditions are not my strong suit. I didn’t quite understand why Ping would name a rose after air. But, I accepted that Ping had his reason for naming the rose as Chi, and I must respect it.

After being with Ping a few weeks ago, I have a much better understanding of the word chi. I do understand why he would name a rose Chi. I thank Ping for teaching me the real meaning of chi. My inner chi (along with my family) is what drives me to be the best that I can be. While I knew about chi, but I forgot the name. My inner chi not only exists with my work with roses, but with the work I do for a living, and with my writing. I shudder to think of where I might be right now had I not had a strong family and inner chi to support me.

Epilogue

This story was originally written with my go-to fountain pens that are almost always at the ready. When we had a major wind storm the other day, I was still able to work on the story even though there was no power at work or home. The pens got so much use during this time, that I ran out of ink with three of them. Yikes! That’s a lot of words being written in a very short time.

During Ping’s presentation, he brought up some old friends and acquaintances from New England that made an impact on him during previous trips here. He even added a new experience with our Past President and her new book, How Roses Touch Our Lives, that she shared with him a day or two before his presentation.

The two times that Ping seemed the happiest were when we were talking about his two daughters and his rose babies. I know this feeling all too well. While I don’t know if I have made a similar impact or not on him during his short visit to New England this month, but I can assure you that he has made a huge impact on me. And, if I have done my job correctly through this blog, his visit will have made an impact on you as well.

Well, now it’s time to get ready for the holidays. The growing season is nearing its end. Soon there’ll be snow on the ground and nothing in bloom until next year.