It is not
easy to explain just how we ended up growing roses on the Oregon Coast.
Suffice it to say that we both come from generations of farmers and
gardeners and that such tendencies run deep. Both of us have memories
of grandparents with a much different life and lifestyle than is prevalent
today.
This
life we have chosen presents many challenges, but we strongly
believe
in protecting the future we all share by preserving the part of our
past most important to us. The collecting and propagation
of
old varieties of roses is just as important as preserving antique
varieties of fruits and vegetables. The narrowing of
the gene pool is something
we must all be very concerned about. The necessity of maintaining
bio-diversity includes all living things - the ones that nourish
our bodies
as well
as the ones that nourish our souls. It is the old "Bread and
Roses" concept - a balancing act between the necessity to survive
and the desire to be surrounded by beauty.
As a nursery, we are doing
our best to preserve and propagate old varieties of roses. We join
a very select group of nurseries, which are doing the same thing.
Some of them have been at it for years and years, which is why we
are able to do it today.
We
began our nursery in 1996. The 2-3/4 acres had been clear-cut in
1991.
It was an example of the worst type of logging and harvest possible.
We started by raking all of the slash and debris into piles. It
was then ground up and left to compost for later use in the gardens.
We left certain stumps for future plantings and as an example of
what had been
here
just a few years ago, trees over 125 years old.
From our "dreaming
plans" we had already decided where the access road would
be, the pole barn, greenhouses, the placement of the pond and
the garden
areas. Once these areas were roughed out, the rest of the land became
gardens. Fencing was important for deer protection, so that took
next
priority. Because of a normally high water table, addition of tractor
load after load of the composted ground-up debris built up the
soil
level so that the roots of the newly planted roses would not be in
soggy soil. Once these tasks were completed, the actual planting
of
the roses could take place.
One of our original goals
was to have mature examples of all the roses we intended to sell
in
a garden setting. Roses sold in one-gallon pots or less do not give
the new owner an accurate idea of what a particular rose can do
in
one or two growing seasons. Some of our ramblers can
put on 20 feet in one season after they are established,
maybe not the best choice for the entry way to your front door.
We preserve roses for each
other and we preserve roses for you.
