On The Road Again

I am attending a fantastic conference in California to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the historic rose garden at the Sacramento Old City Cemetery.  My husband tells me, when I do things like this, that I'm "conferring with my brother wizards".

I'm so excited to be here!!

Staunton's Thornrose Cemetery Roses

With a name like Thornrose Cemetery, one would think that this place would be full of roses.  I have heard that it was like that years ago, but this is definitely not the case today.   Rose Rosette Disease made an appearance in 2002, and most of the roses that once grew here are now gone.

 

 

 

 

As I entered the cemetery's main gate, I saw three roses ... two tall white Noisettes and one pink, cluster-flowered shrub.

 

This is one of the Noisettes.  I didn't photograph the pink shrub.

 

 

I cruised slowly through the cemetery, and it took a while for me to find any more roses at all.  The first one I saw was probably a wild Multiflora ... perhaps planted by a seed dropped by a bird.  The next one (two, actually) were pink Rugosas.  One, pictured above and below, is probably 'Pink Grootendorst'.  It was about four feet high, and is very healthy and vigorous.

 

 

 

 

 

Beside 'Pink Grootendorst' was another pink rugosa.  The foliage is very similar to 'Pink Grootendorst', but the flowers were different ... much more delicate and not fringed like PG.

 

 

 

 

 

The final rose I found is one of my favorites ... one I can identify just about anywhere, even without flowers (which is a good thing, since it only blooms in the spring) ... Banshee.  Banshee's growth habit varies, depending on location, but her distinctive foliage gives her away every time.

 

 

 

 

 

This Banshee was growing in the shade of a large tree, and it appears that its leaves were beginning to shut down as fall arrives.  Banshee in my garden, planted as a sucker from a plant in growing in a cemetery in King William, Virginia, is growing in full sun and has happily reached eight feet high.  (Here's a photo of a flower from my Banshee, so you can see how lovely she is.)

 

 

 

I came away from Thornrose Cemetery feeling a bit lost.  I know that there were once many more roses growing there, but those are but a memory. 

 

Isn't that what a cemetery is, after all ... a place for memories.  In this case, we have memorials to memories of loved ones ... and memories of roses that once were.

 

 

Angels in Heaven, and in Stone

I have been racing through projects, being productive and getting things done around here for a couple of weeks now.  On Monday, I felt I deserved a day off ... so I loaded up the dogs and headed two hours west of here to Staunton, Virginia (pronounced STAN-ton, not STAWN-ton), to visit Thornrose Cemetery.  I had never been there before ... and ya'll already know how much I love exploring a good cemetery.

According to information on their web site, Thornrose Cemetery was designed in 1849, because the only other cemetery in town, at Augusta Parish Church, was full.  The first burial at Thornrose took place in 1853.  Old cemeteries like this contain a wealth of beautiful monuments with wonderful sculpture.  What I noticed most at Thornrose were the Angels.

 

 

Vickie Louise  /  daughter of

S. & E. P. Campbell

Aug. 12, 1943  /  Sept. 25, 1950

Budded on Earth  /  to bloom in Heaven

 

 

Each of the angels is unique.

 

Patricia Ann  /  daughter of

Jack & Beulah Peterson

Sept. 4, 1955  /  Mar. 26, 1970

 

 

(I didn't photograph the inscription on this one ... rats!)

 

 

Standing before these statues, and seeing the names and the dates, I can barely imagine the grief of the families who commissioned these angels in memory of their children.  It is strangely uplifting to see that these children are memorialized in such a beautiful way and that they will be thought of by all who see these angels.

Liggan H. Cox  /  Died Nov. 9, 1883  /  Aged 2 Mos.

Everett S. Cox  /  Died Aug. 15, 1887  /  Aged 2 Yrs. 6 Mos.

Mamie Corina Cox  /  Died Aug. 3, 1889  /  Aged 10 Mos.

 

 

Frederick  /  Feb. 8, 1907  /  July 15, 1907

Randolph  /  May 10, 1909  /  July 6, 1909

Virginia May Serrett  /  May 10, 1903  /  Oct. 21, 1918

 

 

Plot sales and burials continue at Thornrose Cemetery.  I found one relatively-modern grave with an angel statue.  The carving is just as fine as on the older angels, though the color of the marble is still white and new looking.  This lovely little angel will develop a beautiful patina with the passage of time and the effects of weather.

 

Brenda Lee Ayer

March 16, 1960  /  August 31, 1976

 

 

 

 

There are other statues at Thornrose besides angels.

 

It is common to see lambs on the memorials for children.  Never before have I seen a lamb like this one, sleeping with his head down.

 

 

 

 

 

The most unusual monument I saw was this one ... a statue of a dog, waiting patiently for his mistress.

 

 

 

 

 

I went to Thornrose Cemetery in search of the roses that I was told were once there.  Tomorrow, I will show you what I found.

 

 

The Annual Lynchburg Garden Symposium!

Gardeners within commuting distance of Lynchburg, Virginia, are going to want to mark their calendars to attend the Old City Cemetery's annual "Ready, Set, Bloom!" garden symposium, Friday and Saturday, March 25 and 26, 2011.  This year, the rose speaker is one of my favorite people ... Rev. Douglas Seidel, who is probably THE most knowledgeable rosarian I know (no offense is intended toward all of the other knowledgeable rosarians I know, of course.). 

'Dublin' climbing on the porch of one of the Cemetery museum buildings.

According to the brochure I received in the mail yesterday, this year's theme is "Extending the Life of your Garden".  The schedule is as follows:

Friday afternoon, we will take a walking tour of Diamond Hill and experience period architecture, old plantings, and stories of those who made Lynchburg one of the South's wealthiest cities.  Light refreshments in a period home will finish the tour. 

Here is a beautiful Diamond Hill Victorian.

Does the style of this Lynchburg beauty look vaguely familiar?

Friday evening, symposium guests will mingle with the three speakers in the Old city Cemetery's new reading room and conservatory, and enjoy drinks and light hors d'oeuvres.

'Climbing Souvenir de la Malmaisson' on the brick wall beside the Pest House Museum.

Saturday is for the presentations.  At 9:00am, Peggy Singlemann, director of horticulture at Maymont in Richmond, will present a program titled "Flowering Shrubs to Spice Up Your Garden".  We will learn how mixing in flowering shrubs will add bursts of color, wonderful fragrance, and fall color to our gardens.

The Brick Wall in the cemetery's Confederate Section, where most of the historic roses are planted.

At 10:45, Cherie Foster Colburn will speak about "Fireflies and Four O'Clocks:  Ingredients for a 24-7 Landscape".  This program is intended to help us extend our enjoyment of our gardens into the evening hours.  Cherie's web site is HERE.

The cemetery has a spectacular collection of trees!

After a box lunch (which is always delicious!), at 1:30 Doug Seidel will present a program called "Final Resting Places", a brief history of cemeteries and why people grew certain plants on and around the graves of their loved ones.  He will also demonstrate unique ways we can use these items as inspiration for our home landscapes.  After his presentation, Doug will lead a walk through the Cemetery gardens for a hands-on walk and talk.

Here is Doug Seidel, seated, and Dennis Whetzel doing their annual Antique Rose Show ... a rose identification workshop at Monticello's Tufton Farm open house every May.

I have attended this symposium every year, and last year I was honored to be the featured rose speaker.  I did blog posts from Lynchburg about it last May, which can be found  HERE and HERE.

This is Stephen Scanniello during the first Symposium in 2008, demonstrating how to divide and replant over-crowded colonies of rose suckers.

The Lynchburg City Cemetery is very unique, and it is one of my all-time favorite places.  It is owned by the city of Lynchburg, who still actively carries out burials in the Potter's Field, and it is managed by the Southern Memorial Association.  It is a rosarium, an arboretum, a museum, a park, a wedding destination, and a beautiful place to spend the day.  Proceeds from the symposium will benefit the Horticulture Endowment of the Old City Cemetery.

Interested in attending?  Be sure to let me know, and we can meet up and do something while we are there.  There is a WONDERFUL deli downtown!!  You can buy your Symposium tickets HERE.  The cost for all activities is $125 ... Friday tour $15, Friday night reception $30, Saturday workshops $70, Saturday box lunch $10 ... it's definitely money well spent!

Will I see you there?

Hollywood Cemetery in the Heat

I was in Richmond on Monday, I had my camera with me, I was close to Hollywood Cemetery, so I made a quick side trip to see how the roses were faring.  Most of the ones I saw were not good.

Remember Mama Rose?  The unknown rose I use as my profile photo?    (I first introduced you to her in THIS POST from January)  See how horrible she looks now?  Two successive summers of drought have all but done her in. 

I think I have identified her as 'Autumn Sunset', which is not historic or rare or unusual, so her loss (if the cemetery chooses to remove her) will not be tragic.  I will always have a huge affection for her, since she is the 'mama' of two very nice seedlings that I am currently evaluating.

This rose, whatever it is, is in even worse shape than Mama Rose.

This statue appears to be mourning the condition of her beloved roses.

Some of the roses are in pretty good shape.  This is Safrano, close to Mama Rose, and it looks great.

So does the Tea rose near the grave of Jefferson Davis.

It even has buds!

While we're at Jefferson Davis's grave, let's take a look at some pretty graphic storm damage.  I can't believe that this enormous tree took out the light pole when it fell, but left the statues untouched!

This thing is HUGE!!

The base of it is completely hollow!

I found other roses, too ... ones that are not affected by the heat.

They just don't make markers like this anymore.

I'll leave you with this photo, my favorite one of the day.  It's a viburnum, not a rose.  I love the light, the way the shrub cascades over the monument, and the composition of the crosses in front and behind.

It's going to be hot again today.  Is it September yet?

Wednesday Wanderings (My 200th Post!)

I am working on a new program, to present to a couple of rose societies and garden clubs next year.  My subject (I think) will be Roses in Cemeteries.  It's a subject that's near and dear to me, and one that I think my audience will enjoy.

Today's weather was beautiful!!!  I decided to take my camera and go to Warrenton (about 45 minutes from here) to photograph some roses in the Warrenton Cemetery.  Most of the roses were suffering from our recent heat and lack of rain.  This pink one is in a spot that gets afternoon shade, so it is in pretty good condition.

I spent about an hour and a half in the cemetery, planning the photos I would need for my program.  It was wonderfully cool and breezy (temps only around 80 degrees), so I took my time and enjoyed my stay.  (Look at that blue sky!)

After I finished at the cemetery, I had a wild hare idea ... Warrenton is only about an hour from Lucketts (with one of the BEST junk/antique/decorator stores EVER).  I had time, so I hopped in the Jeep and headed that direction.

I love this store!!  While I was there I found the perfect step-back cupboard for our basement bathroom renovation.  I had planned to build one myself, but this one is perfect (and the price was less than materials would have been), so I bought it on the spot.

It's too big to fit into the Jeep.  I maybe could have forced it ... but I can't do that to my new car.  Not yet.  I've only had it for three weeks.  The husband and I will go back to get it with the pick-up on Saturday. 

This cupboard is the last piece of the puzzle that is our basement bathroom.  I will show you the finished product real soon ... I promise.

(Written by Hartwood Roses.  Hartwood Roses blog.)