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Roses add charm to City Hall
By Sherry Archie - Special to The Lancaster
News October 31, 2006
The Lancaster
Council of Garden Clubs has designated Lancaster City Hall as the Yard of
the Month for October. This lawn is so pretty that some city residents
make a special trip here each month to pay their water bill instead of
mailing it.
This beauty is not by accident. The large rose gardens surrounded by
thick brick walls were planned by one of Lancaster's own master
gardeners and self-educated rose experts, Jo Williams.
This petite woman has spent the last five years caring for the roses
that she selected for the gardens.
At first, no one was sure what the brick walls should hold, Williams
said. Some thought a fishpond would look nice, but then the walls
were filled with good rich soil and a ground cover called St. John's
Wort. Then Williams got involved.
She shared her love of roses with the
city. This love began about 70 years ago. |
Jo Williams tends to
the roses at Lancaster City Hall. Williams, who started learning about
roses as a child, has been caring for the roses at City Hall for the
past five years.
Photo by Aaron Morrison
Staff photographer
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"I've been around roses
most of my life," she said. "I grew up beside (the late)
Susan Connelly. Susan's mother was a rosearian, and I remember
following her through her yard as she tended her roses," Williams
said. "That was a most precious time for me."
Williams' own mother then began to grow roses, so they learned about
roses together. One of the best things they learned about rosearians
is that they love to share their own bushes.
"In fact, I still have three rose bushes that Ms. Minnie Craig
Jones gave me," Williams said.
For the gardens at City Hall, Williams carefully selected 33 rose
bushes. They are mostly red (in honor of the city's heritage).
They are repeat bloomers that typically bloom from mid-March
until after Thanksgiving, depending upon the temperature
variation.
"I chose repeat bloomers so there would be more flowers
for everyone to enjoy," Williams said. "They bloom
one time, then rest a few weeks before blooming again."
Each bed includes several varieties of roses.
The tallest rose bushes are climbers called Dublin Bay. The
centers of the beds include ground cover roses called red
ribbons. Sevillana and red Meiland, shrub roses, display
mounds of color while florabundas, such as Europena and
Linda Campbell bloom nearby.
In the spring, the roses are framed by white bearded
irises. In the summer, daylilies donated by Dan Robinson
add continuous color.
Three special rose bushes are displayed in the left
garden.
Two hybrid tea rose bushes called Firefighter were
planted in memory of local firefighter William
Robinson. Only one rose variety displayed in the
garden varies from the others in color. A deep pink
hybrid tea variety called We Salute You honors fallen
law officers.
The building's drive-through window is probably the
prettiest in Lancaster. A beam arbor laden heavily
with yellow jasmine covers the driveway. This adds
Southern charm to City Hall. A single Linda Campbell
rosebush stands nearby.
Asked how long she plans to tend these roses,
Williams smiled and said, "As long as I can
climb over these walls, I'll be here...they have
offered to build some steps to help me get to them
when I get older."
If you would like to nominate a yard of the
month, please contact Joanne Sachs at 286-0229.
Article © The Lancaster
News, reprinted with permission.
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