Experience the beauty and passion of a community of enthusiasts who come together to share knowledge, preserve heritage, and celebrate the timeless charm of these exquisite blooms.
Did you know the Midlands proudly hosts one of South Africa’s five largest rose societies? Known as the Midlands Rose Society, its roots were established in 1987 by Norman and Val Yeats from the comforts of their nursery, Spurwing Roses, in the Albert Falls area.
Norman was the Chairman and Val the Secretary, and made Spurwing the base for Midlands meetings until 1990, when they moved to Pietermaritzburg. Along with other members were Anne Cadman, and 22 people who also became members representing areas like Underberg, Albert Falls, Otto’s Bluff, Estcourt, and Eston. Currently, there are over 190 members.
The growth of the Society can be attributed to the members’ public appearances, such as the Sunday Tribune Garden Show, where they became well-known. Established in 1998, their rose stands have won gold medals and the Best in Show award. The society has also hosted a Rose Show for several years, with recent events taking place at Blackwoods Home of Gardening at The Avenues in Hilton. Additionally, they hosted two ROSA National Conventions. One was in 2006, called “A Rose Affair”, which was in conjunction with the Sunday Tribune Garden Show, and another in 2014 with the theme “The Mystery Magical Midlands Tour” in Hilton.
In 2017, Gail Birss, Gill Wilson, and Jackie Kalley founded the Heritage Rose Garden at Garlington Estate in Hilton, with a mission to collect and preserve historic Old Garden Roses. The beautifully designed garden features wheelchair-accessible paths, allowing all visitors to stroll and admire the roses from all sides. “Over these last eight years, we have collected over 145 different varieties from all over the country, and we have quite a few roses planted that we call ‘Found Roses’. These roses still need to be identified. We are always on the lookout for heritage roses and swap cuttings with other heritage gardens in Bedford and Cape Town, as well as others interested in these old beauties. We are proud of our rose garden, and we hope it will bring joy to our members and to all who visit it in the future,” shared Gail.
From their inception in 1987 to the present, the Midlands Rose Society has always been focused on teaching as many people about roses as they can. “In the words of a past chairperson, Thelma Austin-Smith, ‘We are not an elitist organisation, but we are here to learn, we give and share ideas’. It is wonderful to meet with other people who love roses, who give tips and have words of wisdom to share,” said Gail Birss, the current chairperson.
The Midlands Rose Society wishes to share that growing roses is not as difficult as it seems. The rewards of picking your own roses, smelling their sweet perfumes, and decorating your home with them far outweigh any efforts required to plant and maintain them. The Midlands climate is ideal for growing roses because it provides sufficient rainfall during the growing season and ample cold winters for dormancy, allowing the plants to thrive. The most common roses you will find here are the Knock Out and Iceberg varieties, but members grow and cultivate a wide range of types.
The Midlands Rose Society will be hosting its third convention in October this year, named “More Magic in the Midlands”. Sushil Prakash, the President of the World Federation of Rose Societies, will be travelling from India to join the convention, which is a great honour for all the Rose Societies. There will also be a Speaker’s Morning with Sally Earl, Sandra Trethewey, and Tanya Visser as the guest speakers, where members and the public will be able to attend. Anyone can join the Society, from younger members to older ones, men and women, and from newbies to experts. Members gain exclusive access to various specials, garden visits, and more (Annual membership is R150). If you’re not a rose fundi but appreciate their beauty and would like to get more involved or attend any of the functions, be sure to find out more about the Midlands Rose Society.
We leave you with some rosy inspiration:
“I don’t know whether nice people tend to grow roses, or growing roses makes people nice.” – Roland A. Browne
Did you know?
Roses were brought to South Africa by European settlers. All roses bred before 1945 are classed as Heritage Roses or Old Garden Roses. Commander Jan van Riebeeck reportedly picked his first Dutch rose in the Cape on 1 November 1659. During the 1820s, British settlers also brought roses with them to the Eastern Cape.