The Morden Research Station seemed the perfect place to officially launch Canada Post’s series of four stamps, featuring Canadian rose varieties.

     Held August 1 at the Morden Research Station in Morden, Manitoba, and organized by Canada Post, the media launch for this stamp collection was symbolic for many reasons: one of the selections, the Morden Centennial rose was developed at the station, it is located in the centre of Canada, in a landscaped and park-like setting spectacular at that time of year, and it served to promote the Morden rose breeding program, as well as other programs and services undertaken by Morden staff.

     Canada Post handled the logistics for launch day, with plenty of support from the Town of Morden and research station staff, who provided tours of Morden’s grounds and facilities. Presentations were made under a huge tent, erected on the grounds, with representation from the research station, local and provincial governments, as well as some of the breeders themselves.

     The Honourable Peter Liba, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, opened the festivities, which also included speeches from Vivian Albo, chair of Canada Post, Gerry Gabler, Mayor of Morden, Manitoba, and Dr. Campbell Davidson, manager of the Morden Research Station. Breeder George Mander of Coquitlam B.C., made the trip to Manitoba to attend the launch. He is responsible for the ‘Canadian White Star’.

     Also in attendance were Eva Marshall, widow of the late Henry Marshall, breeder of the Morden Centennial; and Lynne Collicutt, a former ornamental plant breeder at Morden, who also contributed greatly to the rose breeding program.

     Dr. Davidson received a framed collage that includes photos of the stamps. He, in turn, presented the special guests with Morden Centennial rose bushes. Backgrounds of the featured roses follow:

‘Agnes’
In 1900, William Saunders crossed the wild Asian rose, Rosa rugosa, which is generally deep pink in colour, with the ancient double-flowered, cultivated variety ‘Persiana’ of Rosa foetida, a yellow-flowered rose native to the Middle East. This cross produced the hybrid, which Saunders named after his wife Agnes. ‘Agnes’ is a yellow-to-pale amber, double-flowered rose with glandular leaves like its parent Rosa foetida. It has arching stems, reaching 1.5 m and crinkled lime-green leaves that are seldom affected by disease. Its flowers are delicate, repeat flowering and have a fruity fragrance. This hybrid was introduced in 1922.

‘Morden Centennial’
Developed at the Research Centre in Morden, Manitoba, this pink rose in the Parkland series, was released in 1980, the year of Morden’s centennial. A hardy shrub rose, it flowers repeatedly throughout the season, with main flushes in June and August through to September. Plants reach a height of 0.7 to 1.0 m and bear lightly scented, medium pink blooms in clusters of one to four. Flowers are 7 to 8 cm across, with about 40 petals. ‘Morden Centennial’ has good resistance to powdery mildew and moderate resistance to black spot. Plants survive winters in zone 2 and propagate easily from stem cuttings. In 1996, ‘Morden Centennial’ was honoured with the Outstanding Cultivar Award, presented by the Canadian Society for Horticultural Science. This award is presented to a plant that has made a significant contribution to industry and has been widely accepted as a standard in many parts of the country. The cultivar originated from a cross between ‘Prairie Princess’ and a hardy seedling, developed from ‘White Bouquet’, ‘Assinboine’ and Rosa orkansana.

‘Champlain’
This hardy rose, introduced in 1982, is outstanding for its free and continuous flowering habit, through­out the summer and fall. ‘Champlain’ has good field resistance to powdery mildew and moderate resistance to black spot. Flowers are a velvety dark red and slightly fragrant; they are 6 to 7 cm across and have 30 petals. Softwood stem cuttings root easily. ‘Champlain’ has been tested at Ottawa since 1974 and at other locations in Canada and the northern United States (U.S.). In Ottawa, it survives winters without protection but requires regular pruning of deadwood in spring. It is generally hardy to zone 3 and reaches a height and diameter of 1 m in Ottawa. ‘Champlain’ is a complex hybrid originating from a cross between Rosa kordesii and ‘Max Graf’, and a hardy seedling originating from a cross between ‘Red Dawn’ and ‘Suzanne’. It is a cultivar in the Explorer Series and was named in honour of Samuel de Champlain, cartographer, explorer and governor of New France. He is credited with being the first person to cultivate roses in North America, bringing roses from France to plant in his Quebec garden.

‘Canadian White Star’
This rose was privately developed by George Mander of Coquitlam, BC, and registered in 1980. A popular rose that can be grown across the country, the ‘Canadian White Star’ won well over 50 trophies and awards in rose shows in Canada, the U.S. and England. The ‘Canadian White Star’ has been featured on the cover of a limited edition publication handed out at the residence of the Governor General.