MRS 2004 Garden Tour: August 8, 2004

Gardens: Clarence Rhodes, Soren Christensen, Branda and Wayne Peterson

Members present: Ed Bergen , Kay Buffum, Soren Christensen, Jerry Cinnamon, Sherman & Charlee Curtis, Robert & Norene Dyer, Margaret Edwards, Joan & Roger Gotlibson, Claire Homan, Sari Hou, Brenda & Wayne Peterson, Clarence Rhodes, Marion Stevens

Friends of MRS:Sari’s parents and Soren’s sister (Margaret Christensen)

August MRS Meeting Report:

The August Three Garden Tour was a resounding success. Starting from the Barron Center we quickly arrived at the home and garden of Clarence Rhodes. Clarence is famous in New England for his award winning roses of exhibit quality and within Portland as the man with all the roses in pots in front of his house. Many have learned from and copied his growing techniques. Clarence’s roses were in full floral splendor at a time when few other gardens have rose blooms. Hundreds of flowers in multi-colored hues filled our eyes while Clarence, with exuberant animation, told everyone the secrets of how to grow them.

From Clarence’s garden we traveled to the garden of Soren Christensen. In the garden Day Lilies were in colorful bloom arranged neatly in recently manicured gardens. While the roses were mostly not in bloom everyone was impressed by the size and vigor of species roses and older hybrids such as Bobbie Burns planted neatly along the side of the garden. Towering over this side of the garden was a hundred foot high oak tree planted by our host as a sapling 50 years earlier. Soren and his sister Margaret were perfect hosts during the sudden downpour that blacked the sky and drove everyone into his garage where refreshments were served as we waited out the deluge.

When the sun appeared again we caravanned to Brenda and Wayne Peterson’s home and garden. Our first impression was of the garden setting and expansive view of Sebago Lake. The entrance drive is lined for hundreds of feet with granite rocks, each place with precession by Wayne using his backhoe. Even more massive granite blocks form the garden terrace adjacent to the house entrance, while providing a backdrop to the eatable/ornamental mixed garden below. Mature fruit trees, older than the house, fill the near landscape below the entrance terrace. Wayne grew and tended these plants as saplings in pots for many years before he transplanted them to landscape the hillside where they now thrive. Brenda, at home in the garden, was a perfect host showing off her roses on the terrace, exploring the hardiness of roses and the perfect size plant for the location, and “planning” a new garden for very large roses inspired by the just concluded visit to Soren’s garden. Refreshments served were augmented by the near as well as far panorama of plants and scenery.

In a near perfect tour members and hosts created a great time seeing three very different but equally wonderful gardens. The day ended with a rainbow over Sebago Lake, and the observant among us saw a true wonder of nature in a waterspout over the Lake. We already anticipate our tour next year!

Jerry Cinnamon

Comments from Members:

"I joined the Maine Rose Society over 30 years ago and have always wanted to attend a garden visitation. Wow! Sunday was a real treat and a joy to attend. A thanks to those who organized it and high honors to Clarence, Soren and the Petersons for sharing their gardens and expertise so we could continue our quest for improving roses each at our own level. As a special footnote: I believe we saw the waterspout on Sebago Lake just before we left that beautiful setting at the Petersons' home. They showed a picture of it on Channel 13 news. It took place about 5:30 Sunday. It looked similar to one I saw in Florida. Thanks again for providing such a wonderful experience."--Bob Dyer

"It was a perfrect day. .....The memory of that beautiful house, huge green lawns and beautiful gardens kept popping up in my mind all day today." -- Kathleen Buffum

"WOW! What else can top this in regard to my rose fix this season!"--Sari Hou

"Loved the photos. Thanks for sharing!! They helped to brighten our day." -- Beverly Ramee

"That was a wonderful day and I enjoyed seeing the three gardens, all were so beautiful."-- Marion Stevens

"My comments on the garden tour is on a scale of 1 to 10 the whole day was a 10! As always Clarence has beautiful roses, and he is always full of information to help us all grow better roses. Clarence can tell you all about each rose, from the name to whatever history this particular plant has! There can be no doubt in anyone's mind that he loves growing roses, and he loves being with fellow rosarians, discussing and solving rose growing problems, trials and errors. His yard is a gardening experience from the roses to the large vegetable garden, his compost system and manicured lawns!

This was my first experience at visiting Soren's garden. This is a very comfortable and well constructed garden with many mature Old Garden Roses and plants. We would love to visit again when all those OGR are in bloom! We liked all the other plants Soren has also, he has a magnificent collection of named Daylilies and Hostas as well. Soren was very informative and explained the age and history of each rose. He also knows the names of all his plants, and is so helpful with whatever questions we had. If you happened to be looking at the garden on your own, he has all the plants well labeled.

Now the last place on our tour, was just fantastic. Brenda and Wayne Peterson have the most wonderful view of Sebago Lake from high on a ledge which you first see as you enter the driveway. Most of the lake was visible from their porch as was the grounds in front of and to the sides of their back porch . The grounds are landscaped in the most tasteful and wonderful way. It looked like we were entering a horticultural park when you entered their property. They have such a wonderful mix of plants from Roses, to perennials, annuals, grapes, blueberries, fruit trees, Rhododendrons, and a vegetable garden too! Everyone just looked in awe! Brenda and Wayne were great hosts and were happy to tell about their plants, and to share the nearly seven year process of clearing the land, blasting and getting the wonderful huge rocks they have used in their landscape, to the construction of their gardens. Wayne did all the landscaping with the help of his trusty tractor. Oh, I want to mention their very clever use of "beach stones" as rose markers, this was the most interesting idea in plant markers I have ever seen! Brenda wrote the name of each rose with permanent marker, and they varnished each one with Spar Varnish. Great idea!

Rog and I want to thank Clarence, Soren, Brenda and Wayne for a wonderful, informative and fun day." -- Joan Gotlibson

MRS Car Pool

Ended with Peterson's excellent refreshments