A few years ago, I was traveling by automobile from Knoxville to Nashville where I was going to catch an airplane back to San Antonio. Since I had some free time, I took a back road (Hwy. 70-N) and found myself in the vicinity of Cookeville, TN --- surrounded by interesting roses. Some were in yards and some were on the roadside. When I found a rose that I wanted, I stopped at the nearest house to ask for permission to take some cuttings.
The conversations that day went something like this:
| KNOCK, KNOCK ..... | |
| ME: | Good morning. I am sorry to disturb you, but I was driving by and saw your beautiful rose. Do you know what kind it is? |
| ROSE OWNER: | (with a big smile) You know, I really don't have any idea what kind it is. I dug it up from an old home near my church and set it out a year or two ago, and it has just grown and grown. |
| ME: | It really is beautiful. Does it bloom all year? |
| ROSE OWNER: | No, it just blooms for a few weeks in the spring, but it is really nice. You are welcome to take a root if you want to--- take all you want. (Notice that the owner gave me permission to take a cutting before I could ask for it) |
| ME: | Oh, thank you. That is very kind of you. My name is --------, and I am a member of the Texas Rose Rustlers. We are always trying to find beautiful old roses like this so we can make cuttings and be sure that these wonderful old roses survive. So many of the roses from the last century have become extinct and we are trying to save as many as we can of the ones that remain. |
| ROSE OWNER: | Well help yourself. Take all you want. Do you need a shovel or some scissors? |
| ME: | (reaching for my clippers): Thanks, but I have my clippers here. We normally give these roses a study name until we can positively identify them. Could I name it after you? |
| ROSE OWNER: | (With an even bigger smile) Oh, sure---you bet. My name is ----------. When the owner of the plant follows me out to the rose bush, I explain how we take cuttings and tell him or her how to root some more roses. Often, after a quick lesson on making cuttings, I can get the owner to take a few cuttings for the neighbors. It never hurts to infect another unsuspecting person with the pernicious rose rustling bug. That is when he or she usually tells me where to find more roses. (smile) One thing leads to another and pretty soon the owner is offering me cuttings of really neat companion plants or even giving me plants that he or she has already rooted. |
| When you finish taking the cuttings and bagging and labeling them, be sure to express your gratitude again to the owner of the plant. Then leave before you take too much of his or her time. | |
Good luck, and - "Keep on smelling the roses".
Last updated 03/23/2001