ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, September 19, 1996 TAG: 9609190094
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETSY BIESENBACH STAFF WRITER
A rose is a rose is a rose - at least to those who don't grow them for shows.
In the back yard of Roy and Flora Lee Forbes' home, a rose can be tall or short, big or small, and range in shade from the palest pink to the brightest orange.
Roses have been a passion for the Roanoke couple throughout their 47-year marriage. Two of their three children and several of their grandchildren grow roses, too.
This weekend at Valley View Mall, they and 25 other exhibitors will get a chance to display the fruits of their labor at the Roanoke Rose Society's annual show.
The judging will be held near the fountain, and the flowers will be on display from 1-9 p.m. on Saturday and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday.
Roy Forbes, president of the Roanoke Rose Society, said the show is not limited to club members. Anyone with an interest in roses is welcome to enter.
Forbes grew up around roses, he said. His father had roses, and one of his neighbors, Dr. Allen Kirk, had such a spectacular garden that people often asked to hold their weddings there.
As a boy, "I didn't appreciate roses," he said. Forbes was more likely to be found running around and through the beds, rather than admiring the flowers. But after he and Flora were married, they began raising them as a hobby.
"We have a love for the flower," Flora Forbes said.
Thirty percent of all varieties produce that well-known pleasant scent, Roy Forbes said, but the main attraction, they agreed, is that roses can provide color for more than half a year. There are 20,000 to 30,000 varieties of roses, Roy Forbes said, and many of them can bloom from mid-May until mid-November.
The Forbeses started with one bed, but today, half of their back yard is taken up by the roses. Flora Forbes said she won't let her husband plant any more, and he hasn't, but that's mostly because the rest of the yard is too shady.
One of the things that sets rose gardeners apart from other flower enthusiasts is that there are almost as many men involved as women. The Roanoke Rose Society has 85 members of all ages, Roy Forbes said. The group meets on the first Sunday of each month at Fairacres, the headquarters of the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs.
The members discuss problems and new developments in rose growing, and they are willing to help anyone who would like to start a new garden.
In fact, The American Rose Society, the parent group of the Roanoke organization, appoints qualified members as "consulting rosarians."
They are available free of charge to assist and advise on rose culture and problems. Roy Forbes is one of five consulting rosarians in the Roanoke Valley.
Roses need plenty of sunshine, water and good drainage, Roy Forbes said. He advises those who are just starting a rose garden to choose tried and true varieties, and to talk to someone in the neighborhood who is growing roses to find out what works in that particular location.
When selecting a plant, it's best to order from a catalog, or to buy from a respected local nursery. Some home improvement, farm supply and department stores have good roses too, Roy Forbes said. Buyers should look for plants with healthy, strong canes, not necessarily those with the most flowers.
Because much of their resistance to disease has been bred out of them, growing roses takes time and effort, Roy Forbes admitted, but "the more work you put into them, the more roses you get, and they're better quality."
The Forbeses estimate they spend about six hours a week with their roses. Roy Forbes does the spraying, fertilizing and planting. Flora Forbes does the weeding and pruning and takes cuttings every day. The extra flowers are given to their church, friends, family and patients in nursing homes, she said.
"There's always someone who would like them."
Winning awards at shows "is mostly luck," the Forbeses agreed. No matter how good your blooms are, producing a perfect specimen often depends on the weather, on catching a bloom at just the right stage, and on preserving the cut flower until exhibition time.
The judges "look for perfection in a rose," Flora Forbes said.
Roy Forbes has one final bit of advice for anyone contemplating starting a rose garden:
"Don't plant any more roses than your wife can weed."
Anyone wanting more information about the upcoming show may call Roy Forbes at 366-4583 or Rita Matthews at 982-0724.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: NHAT MEYER STAFF Roy and Flora Forbes of Roanoke standby CNBbefore several varieties of the roses they have grown in their back
yard for more than 40 years. color