There's a National Flower?

Yes, siree, though it's officially called our National Floral Emblem, and it's the ROSE, given that exalted status in 1986 when Ronald Reagan signed it into law.  I learned this at the press opening of the new National Garden on the Mall and of course I wanted to know - as you do, I know - WHY???  (What's so American about roses, anyway?)  Well, it happened at the urging of a few senatorial wives and - wait for it - the American Rose Society.  Who knew they even had lobbyists!  And if you don't like it, it could have been worse - it was originally going to be the MARIGOLD.  No lie.  That's what so riled the wife of a Louisiana senator that she set out to champion the rose instead, so I guess we should be grateful for her intervention. Now I want to know who the hell was pushing the damn marigolds.  Park Seeds perhaps?  I'm afraid  I'd have to do some actual legislative research to find the answer and what do you expect of me, readers?

But stepping back even further, why would there even BE a national flower, since we're a nation of - what, 30 different climatic zones?  Seems counter to good plant education.  But if we HAD to have one, what do you think would be chosen today?  My vote - black-eyed Susan, of course!

THE ROSE GARDEN
For rose-lovers, winning the National Floral Emblem title didn't go far enough; they decided we needed a Rose Garden right here in D.C. - on the Mall with the monuments and museums! - to "showcase it".  Which idea morphed into the $11 million National Garden, containing not only the roses but a First Ladies Water Garden and a large Regional Garden.  Money concerns resulted in the Environmental Learning Center sought by Teresa Heinz being scratched - too bad - and what opened this weekend after a 20-year odyssey is an odd patchwork indeed.

WaPo diplomatically referred to the Rose Garden as a "horticultural period piece rooted in the 19th century and the notion that stiff modern rose bushes needed to be grown in isolation."  But thankfully, it's 2006 and these roses will be grown without chemical intervention.  The rosarian (Takoma's own Margaret Atwell), told me if a rose needs coddling, she'll just pitch it. 

Another departure from the usual pitiful-looking rose garden is that this one includes companions.  You know, like nepeta.  So maybe all along roses have just been lonely for friends to help hide their legginess, and this garden will convince us they're actually good garden plants (all eight types are represented in the 100+ varieties).

REGIONAL GARDEN
Okay, you native plant nuts, you're going to like this part because most of the three-acre site is reserved for plants native to the Mid-Atlantic, and cultivars thereof.  And the horticulturist in charge did something pretty daring for a public garden - he used small plants on purpose.  You read that right.  Seems that native plants especially can't be yanked around full-grown and expected to respond like they like it, so the first lesson this garden will teach is patience.  (WaPo suggests the first lesson taught is that young gardens are meant to look "raw and callow," so that tells you something - that it won't look like a garden to most observers for at least three years, maybe five.  So plan your visit accordingly.) 

Also, there's no irrigation system and plants are grouped according to their "moisture gradient" - how much water they need.  So kudos to the folks at the U.S. Botanic Gardens for making the most of a difficult assignment.

THE DONORS
All $11 million for the garden has come from private sources and you might wonder who'd cough up that kind of money.  Well, the list starts with our old friend Scotts Miracle-Gro, plus Lowes, John Deere, HGTV, and the Heinz Family Foundation.  So as much as we grouse about Scotts, at least they put some of their profits to good use.  The National Garden Clubs and their 230,000 members also raised big bucks and their members were everywhere at the press opening.  You couldn't miss them in their matching blue pantsuits and blue-trimmed straw hats.  I didn't take a poll but my guess is there wasn't a gardenblogger (or a liberal?) in the bunch. 

[Photos: Floribunda 'Gold Magic; the plan; a gorgeous rose I forgot to get the name of; the regional garden; bigshots against a world-class backdrop.)

Comments

[Annie in Austin]

Susan, actually, the reasons for nominating the marigold as national flower were not that goofy, and the man who proposed the marigold for the honor was Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois, who was trying to get the Senate to get civil rights legislation on voting passed back in the sixties when the national flower debate reared its head. Maybe roses were too high falutin' for this down-to-earth, long time member of congress. His wife Louella even wrote a book called "The Honorable Mr Marigold, My Life With Everett Dirksen".

Following is a quote from the website, Solly on Line.
"In 1965,the Senate became tied up in a heated debate over the national flower. Realizing it was an issue with the potential to split and divert the Senate's attention -- as well as an opportunity to gently parody the ceremonial aspects of the job -- Dirksen took up the cause of the Marigold. In impassioned grandiloquent discourses, he waxed about the flower's qualifications, noting that the Marigold not only "beguiles the senses and ennobles the spirit of man," but is inexpensive, easy to grow, cheerful, and will not be nibbled upon by rabbits. His efforts helped forestall the momentous decision (until two decades later when Ronald Reagan signed legislation making the Rose the national flower. In the meanwhile, later that year, the Senate passed the Voting Rights Act."

http://www.sollyonline.com/content.cfm?copy=article&header=portfolio&portfolio=yes&SID=27

[Sandy Saunders]

Hi Susan,

This morining while sipping my tea before work, I was thumbing through my Canadian Gardening magazine that came in the mail last week. Low and behold under the clippings section a nice little write up on Garden Rant and a link. Congratulations!!!!! Canadian gardeners are embracing Garden Rant. Way to go!!!

[M Sinclair Stevens (Texas)]

I seem to remember that the sunflower was also in the running, even though it is already claimed by Kansas as its state flower. The sunflower is decorative as well as edible. A very populist flower...unlike the aristocratic rose, which was already England's national flower (War of and all). At that time sunflower seeds were just becoming popular in this country as a healthy alternative snack.

[blackswamp_girl (Kim)]

Great info, Susan and Annie!!!

And as for the black-eyed-susans... ugh. Let's stick with the roses.

[firefly]

"In 1965,the Senate became tied up in a heated debate over the national flower."

Hmm. Reminds me of something recent ... something to do with pommes frites, only that isn't what they called it ... they spent plenty of time and tax money on that particular "heated debate," though. Kind of makes you wonder how they relax -- maybe by amiably discussing matters of habeas corpus and the Geneva Conventions and all that other unimportant stuff?

As for the regional garden, I feel better knowing that someone else besides me will be living with little native sticks in the garden until the seedlings mature in a couple of years, though ;-)

[Annie in Austin]

There is something so fresh and daring in using small plants in a public place, isn't there? To actually invite one to witness the process, rather than just applaud the transformation?

I remember a visit to Chicago's Botanical Garden - maybe early 90's? There were trees with root balls the size of an average bathroom, lined up and waiting to be installed on the new Japanese islands. Now that was instant gratification.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

[Pam L]

That's why I like going to our Botanic gardens in the spring. The small emerging plants look like mine not some instant installation job at on office building or something. They are not afraid to show some dirt and you can come back later and see what it's become, just like my garden, I wish.