See Roses, Ohio History at OARDC Rose Garden Open House

WOOSTER, Ohio — Life in Ohio in the 1700s might not have been a bed of roses. But people still managed to grow them. And on Saturday, June 12, you can learn about both.

The third annual open house at Ohio State University’s Garden of Roses of Legend and Romance will feature not just old-time roses but a look at pioneer living.

Some 1,500 heirloom roses — kinds developed hundreds of years ago — grow in the three-acre garden. They’ll be in full bloom for the program.

And for the first time, a group of living history interpreters, the Kill-um-Buck Longrifles of northern Ohio, will be there as well. They’ll have an 18th century encampment next to the garden.

“We’ll share a glimpse of life in the Ohio territory in 1765, the French and Indian War era,” said Ken Chamberlain of Shreve, a member of the group.

“We’ll have authentic clothing and shelter, cooking over an open fire, spinning and sewing demonstrations, and period pottery and woolen crafts available for purchase.”

They’ll demonstrate period weapons from time to time too — flintlocks and a swivel gun, a kind of small cannon, all using powder only, no projectiles.

The garden is part of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster. It features 500 kinds of heirloom roses — also called antique, or old-fashioned, roses.

The open house runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is free. Come in the main campus entrance, then follow the signs about 1.5 miles to OARDC’s Secrest Arboretum. The garden will be on the right.

Also slated are a pruning demonstration at 11 a.m.; tours, including one at noon led by rosarian Kent Krugh of Cincinnati; and, throughout the program, a children’s craft activity (making paper roses), dulcimer music and food sales by a local Boy Scout group.

For more information, call 330-263-3612 or e-mail king.1364@osu.edu.

Wooster is about 30 miles west of Akron, 60 miles south of Cleveland and 100 miles north of Columbus.

OARDC is the research arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

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Caption: Amelia Chamberlain of Shreve, dressed in clothing typical of Ohio's pioneer past, tells visitors about the history of roses at last year's Garden of Roses of Legend and Romance open house.

Links:

Garden of Roses of Legend and Romance, http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/rosegarden/

OARDC, http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/

Previous press releases: http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=5698, http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=5676