Mother Nature giveth, and she takes away.
The rose gardens at Coquitlam’s Dogwood Centennial Pavilion are looking better than ever, says Theresa Krause of the Fraser Pacific Rose Society.
That’s just in time for her group’s annual exhibition on June 24 and 25. And less than a year after many of the bushes had to be cut right back to almost the ground following a cold, wet spring that diminished their blooms.
Krause said the new, young wood on the bushes, combined with warm, dry weather through much of this spring, has resulted into bountiful blossoms bursting with colour, a veritable carnival of roses.
Which just so happens to be the name for this year’s show that runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Krause said members of the society tend to more than 100 varieties or roses in the garden at Dogwood, providing a colourful backdrop for the lawn bowlers next door. Some of the bushes are more than 30 years old.
That’s part of the enduring appeal of roses, Krause send.
A little work can go a long way.
As long as the weather cooperates.
Krause said the increasing peril of extreme weather events like drenching rain storms, extended droughts and heat domes is stressful to the plants.
“With climate change, it’s tough,” she said, adding that so far at least, nature still has the capacity to find balance, even if it occurs over several years.
In addition to strolling the outdoor gardens, visitors to the exhibition will be able to bring their own roses, or even photographs of roses, to display or compete.
There’s also opportunities to learn about floral design and about the best roses that grow well in the Lower Mainland and other parts of the province.
The Dogwood Centennial Pavilion is at 1655 Winslow Ave. in Coquitlam.
Admission to the rose show is $3.50, while kids under 10 are free.
For more information, including a link to rules and competition categories, go to the Fraser Pacific Rose Society’s website.
