REQUEST FOR CLEARING HOUSE REPORTS

 

The Clearing House, part of the CRS Annual since its inception in 1955, has long provided rose gardeners with information about the performance of new rose varieties. Your reports, because your gardens represent a large range of growing conditions, help our members to evaluate a new variety and decide whether it is a rose they ‘just must have’. In the end it is your personal comments: ‘it’s a keeper’, ‘great exhibition form’, ‘will shovel-prune it’ or ‘all the neighbours ask about it’, that make the Clearing House the good read that it has always been

 

All members and especially new members are encouraged to submit at least one report of how a recent introduction performed in your garden in the 2004 season to the Editor (Deadline Jan 1. 2005):

Richard Chambers,

157 Pinewood Ave.

Toronto, On., M6C 2V6

Reports from the 2004 season will be published in the 2005 Canadian Rose Annual.

 

Guide to the Form

Please report on roses introduced in the past 7 years plus the current year (1997 to 2003 plus 2004).

If you are not certain, please send it and I will determine the date of introduction.

 

Contributor: Include your name and address. If your garden is in a significantly different location include it also.

Variety: Name by which the rose is known in North America. If it is known by another name elsewhere, please include that name as well.

Type: HT (Hybrid Tea),G (Grandiflora), F ( Floribunda), LCl (large flowered climber), S (shrub rose & ground cover), Min (Miniatures).

Hybridizer and Year of Introduction: Please state, if known.

Colour: In the Annual the CRS Colour Classification is given in the introductory description of each variety, usually followed by a colour description taken from Modern Roses 11 or a rose catalogue. However, I particularly want your description of the colour as it appears in your garden - colours in a blend, shadings, markings, reverse or edges, and appearance (velvety, clear, dull, bright, rich, glowing etc.). This brings the letters ‘MP’,’OP’,’RB’,etc. to life!

No. of plants and years grown: i.e., 2 pls. 2 yrs. First year is 1 yr.

Height: Its maximum height in your garden in the current year.

Bloom: Size; double, semi-double or single; petal count if known; borne as singles, clusters or both; its floriferousness; frequency and the amount of repeat bloom.

Form: Exhibition or decorative; shape of bud & bloom; confused centres, etc.          

Substance: Your assessment: excellent, good, fair, poor; heavy, thin etc.

Growth Habit: Shape of bush, vigour, strength of stem, basal breaks etc.

Foliage: Size, colour, texture, appearance, abundance (or scarcity), etc.

Diseases: Resistance or susceptibility, to what kind (black spot, mildew, rust etc.).

Hardiness: How it wintered in your garden; is extra protection needed?

Your Personal Comments: This is the most valuable part of your report _ your assessment of its fragrance is particularly important, and any other comments – lasting-quality on bush or as cut bloom; rain-resistant or does it ball in wet weather; use in the garden for bedding, border or background, suitability for pots on deck or patio; value for exhibiting or flower arranging; do you like this rose or is it a dud!!?