For rose fanatics, Morgan Hill has arrived. The Morgan Hill
Historical Society (MHHS) learned two years ago that the town has
its own rose – the Morgan Hill Red – and took steps to bring it
back to town.
For rose fanatics, Morgan Hill has arrived. The Morgan Hill Historical Society (MHHS) learned two years ago that the town has its own rose – the Morgan Hill Red – and took steps to bring it back to town.
Two young plants, propagated from original stock, which will grow to approximately five feet tall and three feet wide, were planted on Nov. 2 at historic Villa Mira Monte at 17860 Monterey Road during a Master Gardeners’ rose class.
The Morgan Hill roses will fittingly make their home at the end of the walkway, one on each side, leading to the front door of the old Morgan Hill House, also called Villa Mira Monte.
“Because it’s the Morgan Hill Rose and the Morgan Hill House, we thought they should be together,” said Jennifer Tate, board member for MHHS.
Frances Grate of Pacific Grove found the hearty, red rose in 1989 or ‘90. At the time, Grate belonged to a club called the Heritage Roses group. These dedicated gardeners are passionate about saving “classic roses.” It was this passion that caused her to find the rose in the back of an old motel on Old Monterey Road.
A group of club members was traveling to San Jose to attend a meeting and, according to Grate, on these occasions would frequently stop and canvas old sections of town and out-of-the way places for unique and different roses that would catch their trained eyes.
“I remember seeing it in bloom in a neglected area,” said Grate, who has gardened since she was a child in North Carolina. “I could identify it as a Hybrid T (classification of rose) and a repeat bloomer. It was disease-free and the flower was exquisite and fragrant.”
“I said, ‘That’s a good classic rose,’ ” added Grate, who sent the rose to Vintage Gardens, a nursery that specializes in propagating old roses, in Sebastapol to be identified.
Detective work
They couldn’t identify the rose, which doesn’t make the rose any less valuable, according to Grate, so the study name – Morgan Hill Red – became official. Grate said most of her found treasures have been named after the place they were discovered.
“Gregg (Lowrey) of Vintage Gardens liked the rose and it was unusual enough for him that he remarked, ‘This is a great rose,’ so he propagated it,” said Grate.
Word traveled and board members of the historical society eventually heard about the rose. Board member Mary Malech contacted a friend, a member of Heritage Rose Society, and the trail led back to Vintage Gardens. It takes nearly two years to propagate a rose and Malech and the society patiently waited for their order of three, two for Villa Mira Monte, and one for the new Community and Cultural Center, to arrive last week.
But Councilman Greg Sellers and his wife Suzie may have been the first to discover that Morgan Hill had its own rose on a trip north more than four years ago. The couple was browsing through Vintage Gardens trying to identify older roses that were growing in front of their house when they stumbled upon the city’s namesake rose – a bright red beauty, which turns crimson as the petals age.
Grate was delighted to hear of the society’s interest in the rose. According to her, most vintage roses are lost to commerce.
“A lot of stuff gets introduced to the market and very few are classics,” said Grate, who believes that plants more than anything else, allow us to keep our humility.
“If we’re not attuned to their needs, they’re not attuned to our wishes.”
If roses had wishes, the Morgan Hill Red might be thrilled to be coming home and establishing roots on the grounds of the beautifully restored 1886 Victorian, the original home of Hiram Morgan Hill, one of Morgan Hill’s founders, and his wife, Diana Murphy Hill.
Caring for roses
The small but interested group attending the class on Nov. 2 witnessed the planting and also learned a great deal about the tough shrub known as the “Queen of the Garden.”
Four master gardeners, Jim Sleznick, Bob Stannard, Dennis Roath and Shirley Asplund, presented information divided into four categories: an introduction to roses and quality reference books; soil type and management; selecting and planting a rose and disease and pest control.
There was much discussion of soil, composting and mulching. Enriching the soil with humus material or compost is important. Compost goes in the soil to enhance and mulch goes on top of the soil to protect and maintain moisture.
According to the experts, mulch can be anything – grass trimmings, leaves or pine needles. Mulch and compost can also be purchased but a dedicated gardener would never admit to not making his or her own compost.
“Anything will decompose,” said Roath, who spends at least four hours every day in his garden. “Don’t throw anything away, nature has been doing this for years.”
According to Stannard, moderate soil is fine for roses.
“They’re a very rugged shrub,” said Stannard, who gardens not only for the sense of accomplishment, but also for the feeling of self-sufficiency.
Roses are tough, but it’s important to select the right type of plant for the location. Stannard and Sleznick discussed considerations when selecting a rose. Stannard said purchasing a rose often amounts to four things: replicating something previously seen; space in the garden; triggering an emotion and location.
Does the spot get wind? If so, a delicate blossom will not work. How big does the rose get? Is there room for it to grow amongst the other plants? Answering questions like these will make browsing through a nursery or a catalogue much easier.
Roses may be resilient but they aren’t immune to disease and bugs. Anyone who’s battled aphids, the most common rose pest, can attest to that.
Asplund is an organic gardener committed to integrated pest management (IPM) and wants people to “start thinking of a balanced environment.”
According to Asplund, there are thousands of bugs and 80 percent are beneficial, including hover flies, many types of wasps, lacewings and ladybugs. Asplund agrees that aphids are the worst offenders, but they’re also a meal for good bugs, she said.
Those who dig into the earth, battle bugs, and celebrate the fruits of their labor, know that gardening is about so much more. It’s about being outdoors, connecting with nature, being in tune with the rhythms of life – and for many – sharing successes, and failures with others.
“The part I like best is you go through the whole cycle of spring, summer, fall and winter – the rhythm of nature – and then you do it all over again,” said Roath, who owns a landscape maintenance company in South County.
“You care for it all year and the one time it blooms makes it all worthwhile,” added Roath. “And to be able to share that with someone makes it even more worthwhile.”
Sleznick gardens partly because it’s an ongoing learning experience.
“My wife asked me, ‘Why do you water by hand? Why don’t you fix up a watering system?’ ”
“I like to stand in the garden and water so I can see what’s going on – the set of dynamics that are going on all the time,” said Sleznick.
“I enjoy growing things but Gail (his artist wife) puts it together in a presentation,” added Sleznick. “She’s got that knack, she gives the garden style, that wow.”
The “wow” was what Gregg Lowery, co-owner of Vintage Gardens, saw in the rose cutting Grate sent him 12 years ago. According to Lowery, the nursery propagated the Morgan Hill Red because the owners were personally smitten with the rose.
“The fragrance is really lovely and it’s a nice bright red and more crimson as the flowers age,” said Lowery.
“It most likely goes back to the 1900-30s, maybe 40s,” said Lowery. “ Because we’re a collector of old roses, we’re interested in the older roses because they’re most likely to disappear. They have qualities that are lost in modern rose breeding.”
• To order a Morgan Hill Red, contact Jennifer Tate at 779-6992.
• For information on the Master Gardeners’ South County Roundtable group, contact Jim Sleznick at 831-623-2964.
• Villa Mira Monte is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for tours. The site is available for event rental. Call Daryl at 778-3643.
