Thursday, January 3, 2008

Chart Farm

There's this prime real estate in Constantia where one can pick one's own roses. They cost R3/stem. I'm not sure - no: I have no idea - when the roses were planted. They seem stuck in the early 80's. Kind of neon when they aren't pastel. My two unfavourite colour-qualities. 


But! There are some redeeming rows: this is Rosa 'Janine Heroldt' (a popular, warbly Afrikaans singer in her day [Edited 2008 : as Guy has pointed out in the comments, Sonja Heroldt was the singer. So who was Janine Heroldt? Edited: 2012: see comments!], an appealing saturated apricot; Marijke pointed out 'Double Delight', a cream and magenta soft-serve number with a strong, delicious, lemony scent; and a very prickly lady, 'Elina', saucer-sized, and white with ideas about being pale yellow.

'Elina'

Rosa 'Marie' -  good for cutting, rather leggy, holds its scent, very thorny, so should be handled with gloves, must be fed well. 

Rosa 'Marijke'- long stems, excellent cut flower, responds poorly to over-feeding but is partial to liquid fertilizer, lasts very well in the vase, does not like to be crowded and is best planted with a carefully chosen companion.

Rose-picking tip: put straight into a bucket of water as each stem is cut at an angle from the shrub. At home immerse stems in 1-2 inches boiling water for ten minutes before putting them in their vase.

17 comments:

  1. Was the Afrikaans singer not Sonja Herholdt?

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  2. Yup! Got me again Guy!

    So who was Janine Herholdt???

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    1. Wow its amazing what nonsense is written on the net. Meet Janine Herholdt. My and grandfather (1948)and father (1969) were both rose growers. The rose Janine Herholdt was cultivated by my dad and named after me. This rose has nothing to do with Sonja Herholdt to whom I am not even related. Other roses developed by our family are Julias Rose, Southern Sun and Super Iceberg to name a few. I am continuing the tradition and currently grow roses in the Western Cape in South Africa. Thank you

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    2. My name is Janine Herholdt. The rose was named after me by my dad. Herholdt's Roses started with my grandfather. He started growing roses in 1948. My grandfather also breeded other roses like Julias Rose and Southern Sun to name a few. Sonja Herholdt isn't even related to me. She just sings. I am currently growing roses in the Western Cape in South Africa aswell. Cheers

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    3. Hello - Janine! Your comment four years after the post written was missed by me. But I did make the correction almost immediately. And you won't see my reply nine years later! Funny. But thank you so much for clarifying the rose name. Your rose is very beautiful. And I hope you are still growing roses.

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  3. Rosa "Marie" - Yes this rose, good for cutting, rather leggy, holds its scent, very thorny, so should be handled with gloves, must be fed well.

    Note taken. :-)

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  4. I don't know who Janine Herholdt was, but there is a bright yellow rose named after her.

    The sangpoppie, Sonje Herholdt, sang to us troepies when I was on the border in South West Africa (now Namibia) in 1976

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  5. Jeepers. 1976 on The Border. What was that like??

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  6. Marie, my stint on the border was more of a circus than an army manoeuvre. When Hennie and I complained about the kak food, we were promptly chucked into the kitchen to relieve the previous "chefs" who was selling off the chops and fresh veg and pocketing the proceeds. Needless to say the meals improved dramatically!

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  7. How did this post start with roses and degenerate to my lowly cooking skills? I will definitely not post any of the recipes that eminated from the Nkurenkuru kitchen on the Okavanga River on this Gourmet Blogg!!

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  8. Well, perhaps you can recreate one soon?

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  9. Janine Herholdt was the daughter-in- law of Jan Herholdt, the rose breeder of Herholdt's nurseries, who created both roses, Janine Herholdt and Rina Herholdt, named after his daughter, Rina.

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  10. I am Janine Herholdt, my father Folkers Herholdt discovered the sport from Johannesburg Sun, named it after me in 1989, not my grandfather. Oh and Sonja Herholdt has nothing to do with roses. And I am the daughter not daughter in law. Thank you. Stil growing roses in South Africa

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  11. Replies
    1. Um, yes. Click the title to refresh and for the latest post. Or peruse the blog archive for every year, in the left hand column (scroll down).

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