An Introduction

It’s the middle of winter, and I received a phone call from my great friend in roses, Marci Martin. She told me that she is no longer able to continue contributing to the Everything Roses blog on Planters Place, and asked me if I was interested in contributing. I was initially hesitant to extend my already busy schedule for the next year or more. However, the timing worked out to where I would be able to contribute for 2020 and early 2021 (and hopefully, beyond).

I’d like to thank Marci for thinking of me, her kind words about my writing abilities, and for all of the great articles, experiences, and knowledge she has shared with us these past ten years through Planters Place. I’m hopeful that I will be able to continue at the same high level she was at.

So, who am I? And, how do I fit in the world of roses? I was born a half dozen months or so after the assassination of President Kennedy during the often tumultuous 1960’s. The Vietnam War was ongoing throughout most of my childhood. I have seen the fall of the Soviet Union, and the rise of our country to be the greatest nation in the world. I have seen transistor radios turn into boom boxes, and later into Walkmans, that became ipods, that morphed into ipads and smart phones, that boggle one’s mind as to their nearly unlimited capabilities.

My Other Hobbies

My other hobbies include letterpress printing, old cars, writing (both fiction and non-fiction), and vintage fountain pens. I enjoy reading and learning about history, and live in a house that was built in 1800.

I have a 1967 Dodge Dart and a 1928 Model “A” Ford. The Dart has been with me since before I was married back in 1990. It is in need of another restoration. My 1928 Ford is a station wagon, that my dad painstakingly restored and gave to me a year before he passed. The old cars reside in a Quonset Hut that was once the Post Office at the Airbase at Quonset Point. Someday, I plan to update the mechanics in the old Ford. I want to turn her into a “Rose Wagon” to match her fire-red color. But, that will probably be in a few years when I have more time to devote to her.

What I do in the World of Roses

In the world of roses, I am currently the Vice President of the New England Rose Society as well as the co-editor of the society newsletter, New England Rose Petals. I am a Horticulture Judge and a Consulting Rosarian for the American Rose Society.

In the Yankee District, I am the Consulting Rosarian Chair, and the editor of our District newsletter, The Rose Window. Nationally, I am on the National Consulting Rosarian Committee, The National Consulting Rosarian Advisory Committee, the Ad Hoc Registration/Reclassification Committee, and I chair the Combined Classification/Reclassification Committee. I am also the Eastern Director of the Rose Hybridizers Association and currently have six roses commercially available at High Country Roses in Colorado.

What Types of Roses do I Grow?

I grow all types of roses from species roses discovered growing wild here in Southern New England, to old garden roses that have been in existence for hundreds of years, to modern roses introduced during every decade of the 20th and 21st centuries, to seedlings that germinated this morning. I enjoy all aspects of our great hobby, and I am excited to start sharing my experiences with you.

How My Stories Get Created

Every article that I write will start with a plain old ordinary fountain pen and a pad filled with lined paper. I do it this way, because it works well for me, and I feel that I get better articles this way, than those that are composed directly on the computer. I feel the words as they are written, and become one with my writing using this “old school” method. Also, I am able to write anywhere that I want to, as long as I have the time, a pen to write with, and my pad to write it on. I do not limit my ability to express my thoughts based upon the electricity available to power/not power my electronic devices.

And Now . . .

Now that you have a better idea who I am, I hope you will enjoy my journey blogging about roses and other happenings in my life. This time of year is usually a slow time for most rosarians here in the northeast. Excitement often runs high as we wait for spring to push winter into the past and usher in the start of another growing season. When will it be time to go outside and be in the garden?

Many of us here in Southern New England can’t wait to get out there and work in our gardens. However, it is best to wait until the time is right. Soon my rose-growing friends, soon. The forsythia will be our calling card. Until then, we must wait. I know we see our neighbors to the south and west on social media already out in their gardens. Many of them are already getting blooms on their roses. Soon it will be our turn . . . patience . . . patience . . . patience . . .

Epilogue

This story was originally composed with a Waterman’s Ideal Striated fountain pen with a 14K nib. The pen was made a few years after the end of World War II. This is the first story I have written with this pen. She’s a “keeper” and the ink flows really nicely from her. 🙂