Roses are a labour of love
For Lyn Eastwood, roses are a passion.
The Matamata resident of 12 months moved to town from Te Awamutu, or Rosetown as it’s also known. Lyn shifted into a house 30 years ago that had roses. It was here her passion for the sweet smelling plant began.
‘‘I just kept adding roses and then it got to the stage I didn’t like the ones that were there originally.’’
A number of those original roses remain in Lyn’s garden today.
She then found herself looking into what was involved in showing roses.
Her first show was in Te Kuiti and the rest as they say, is history.
Lyn’s sister says roses are no longer a love, but rather a passion for Lyn. ‘‘It is me.’’ But Lyn also likes irises, gerbera and is currently re-doing her delphiniums and also has a love of fuchsia.
‘‘Everything else that goes with that is what I use in the floral art arrangements that we do.
‘‘It’s what I grow and always keen to grow more.’’
A bit of time is spent pruning and Lyn has help from partner Lloyd, who is in charge of carting away the rubbish the mulch.
‘‘He does all those other jobs
and
bringing
in
I’m which lets me simply get on and garden,’’ Lyn said.
Lyn said all plants are expensive but she feels roses gives you more flowering than anything else you can buy.
‘‘Any other flowers are seasonal, but roses come and go and come and go and will flower for nine months of the year.
‘‘Are they hard work? Well, what you put into them you get back.’’
There are a number of roses these days that don’t require spraying, Lyn says, and she would love people to know anyone can grow roses.
‘‘You can love roses and you can grow roses but you don’t have
to be controlled by your garden.’’
Matamata Rose Society’s annual rose show is at the Matamata Memorial Centre on Thursday, November 26 from 12.45pm to 5.30pm. Entry is by gold coin donation and intermediate and primary school aged children are free. unit, is also very excited to see progress begin on the build.
‘‘From the Foundation’s perspective, we’ve been raising funds for a number of years. It’s very gratifying to be able to see this first sod turned,’’ Foundation chair Lady Margaret Spring said.
She said the Foundation was also very proud of everyone in the community who had contributed to the project. ‘‘This all proves that it really is happening,’’ she said.
Expected completion for the palliative care wing is the end of March.
‘‘It’s going to be excellent to be able to deliver top class palliative care right here in Matamata,’’ Pohlen Hospital general manager Greg Parker said.