Rose Rustlers Exchange

[jimtx]

If you ever get the chance to attend a Rose Rustlers Exchange .. do .... Christmas ... came early.

Must have been at least 100 different .... old rose cuttings. Ramblers, climbers, bushes ... and it didn't matter if u had trades or not ... take what u could use.

Now ... if they will root ... will have a lot .. a whole lot ... of new roses .....they are already in pots and under the lights.

Rose Rustlers are very friendly folks ... very helpful ....

Was a very good day.

Jim

[Kathy in GA]

Wow Jim,

Sounds like you got Luck of the Draw! I wish your rustlins' to do well for you!
"Ann'llbesewjellus!"

How great!
Kathy in Joja:D

[jimtx]

Kathy .... if u or others like the idea .. u should consider starting a similar group in ur states. Keeps the old roses alive and it is really a lot of fun.

Jim

[Ann B.]

Color me green! I want to know more...

Jim, when you get time from your busy schedule (rooting all those cuttings), can you tell us more about how the rose exchange was set up?

Were the roses named varieties, and if so, how did you tag them to make sure you don't get them confused?

Did everyone bring containers of water with rose cuttings in them, or how did this work?

One of our Master Gardeners (already completed the course) tells me that she has collected over 40 varieties. She taught our class on shady gardens AND she invited us to visit her gardens and bring zip lock bags and clippers, but of course, we have to call first.

I checked with her later and she already has Mrs. BR Cant, Climbing Coltilde Soupert and Climbing Cecile Brunner which are a few of my favorites.

Enjoy and Don't Forget!

[jimtx]

Ok .. here is how it went......

We were told to bring ... gal. baggies ... water ... paper towels.. and permanent markers.

when we arrived (about 10 min late) .... we found baggies .... with the names on them .. spread out all around the ground ...tables .. brick walls .. etc. All of the cuttings were surrounded by wet paper towels ... the whole bunch .. not individually.

we were told to take what we wanted ... no trades were needed... we placed cuttings in our baggies .. which were labeled and we used our wet paper towels.

We picked ... Caldwell's Blush .. pink --- Gene Barner ..... Kadi Road ---- Lady Banks yellow (for a friend) --- Old Blush --- Vanity ----- and Bercant tea. We could have picked a lot more but we stuck with what we knew and what bloomed all summer . All were named types.... probably somewhere between 75 and 100 different types.

We were also given tickets for a plant "lotto" ... u got choice of rooted bushes .. if ur number came up... most were in at least gallon pots and large plants .. these were donated by individuals in the club. We were on a tight schedule and had to leave before they got around to the drawings.

The dues to the club were $7 /yr and this included 3 or 4 newsletters.

I believe they have these exchanges several times a year in different locations (cities).


They also gave an "hands on" demo on propagation using the baggie method.

Then there was a tour of the grounds for this "little" ...one city block square ... estate ... with multiple gardens ... which is located in downtown Waco.

We had a great time .... my wife loved the fragrance that was everywhere .... they had a lot of roses .... and most were blooming. Those present were great folks and very helpful.
we will be going back.

Jim

[jimtx]

For those of u that know old roses ... I have the following corrections t make.

We picked up a Mrs. B.R. Cant ... not a Bercant

and a Cecile Bruner (shrub) and not a Gene Barner ..

I won't tell u whose writing that I "tried" to read but it wan't mine.

;)

Jim

[Ann B.]

Well, Jim!

At least I have 3 of those, although my Cecil Bruner is a climbing version. Mrs. B. R. Cant has the prettiest bloom of all the named old fashioned that I have and Cecil Bruner has a great fragrance.

Be sure to take a look at the second set of pictures from the botanical gardens. The 'Purple Lady Banks' intrigued me, and yes, I had to have it and bought one. Now, I just have to figure out the best place to put it.

You did great!

[Kathy in GA]

Hi Jim,

I'm so glad you got lots of good things! I hope these will root easily for you!

I love all the details about how the Rose Rustlers Exchange went!
I'll look for one in our area,, or something similar to it.

If there isn't anything like that around here, then you are right maybe I should start one!
That will be sometime down the road though!

What pretty roses you got!
Kathy in Ga.
;)

[jimtx]

Ok Kathy .... it seems I have no trouble finding the roses or plants .. but running out of room ... may need u to send me a little of ur land ... couple of ac .. will do ... got a good place to add it to mine. May have to do payments on the postage.

It really was a great way to share roses .... if u like roses .. u would have gone home very satisfied ... and with the amount of land that u have ... u could have used the larger roses .. we went for the smaller type.

I wish I had taken my camera .. that estate was one BIG rose garden .. they were everywhere .. and all blooming and all old roses .... some bushes bigger than an SUV

Great to hear about ur success with the cuttings ....gives me hope on mine ..... maybe my "black" thumb will eventually turn green.

Jim

[Kathy in GA]

Jim,

Aaahhh I'm sure your "black thumb" is greener than you think!
Bigger than an SUV huh???? That's one BIG ROSE BUSH!

About the land. Well, we've found that we do have enough cleared out for now, but but but, i'm gonna start working hubbie over, for clearing out small areas little by little. I just want more places to do the landscaping. I hope to have a Mystical Garden land by the time I'm (we're ) done! a rock garden, little tropical oasis with waterfall pond, rose garden, a maze, a sitting area, hammock spot, chinese garden, succelent spot, a wood garden, a large pond, with lighted pathways, and cobblestone paths, (colored, rust, dark grey, light grey, burgandy, and tan.) Can't wait! How long do you think that will take? YEARS, and years I'll bet!

Really though, only using about 1/20 of an acre so far for the plants I've been fixin'
Havin' a Blast!
Kathy in Ga.

[jimtx]

Kathy,

Going to let u in on a Texas special ... land clearer. It will be the easiest ... clearing ur husband ever did.

Find someone rasing goats .... any kind ... put a "hot wire" around the area u want to clear ..... and then put in the goats. They will eat everthing but the large trees ... down to the grass tips. When they finish in one place .. move them to another.

It takes less than a month to clear a fairly large area. The will eat anything including poison ivy and oak ...and sticker bushes, that would probably drive ur husband crazy. The owner of the goats .. gets free feed .. u both come out.

When ur hushband sees how well it works .. he may go into "mowing" business.

Jim

[Kathy in GA]

Jim,

Hi, I've been begging him for years! We've already got the electric fence, (bought it for the dogs, but they didin't care if they got zapped, the were more interested about what was on the other side of their barrier.

I've always heard about goats, doing a good job thinning, suggested it many times. I'll just have to let him read your post!
With any luck that will convince him!

I just never knew they would clear so quickly, a month huh? How many goats? for a 20'x20' area?
Thank You! Now I've got Proof!
Kathy in Ga.:D