The
ELIZABETH PARK CENTENNIAL ROSE

Order Form

The long awaited (for some people) rose is here. Elizabeth Park Centennial is in the Rose Garden. It is a beautiful, pale pink, with a raspberry or deep pink picotee edge, hybrid tea. The form of the bush is upright and it is of medium height. It has a fairly fast repeat and it seems to always be in bloom.

Elizabeth Park Centennial was hybridized by John Mattia of Orange, Connecticut. John is an amateur hybridizer, but he is no amateur when it comes to roses. John is one of the top three rose exhibitors in the United States, having won all of the top national awards including the prestigious McFarland and Nickelson trophies. John is one of the founding members of the Connecticut Rose Society, he is both a consulting rosarian and a master consulting rosarian for the American Rose Society, as well as being a Horticultural Judge. John is also a member of the Board of Directors of Friends of Elizabeth Park.    

In 1998, John accepted the challenge of hybridizing a rose to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the Elizabeth Park rose Garden. He met the challenge well and Elizabeth Park Centennial was chosen out of all his seedlings. The original introduction of Elizabeth Park Centennial was unfortunately delayed because of production problems with a small commercial grower. Luckily, John still had a few bushes in his garden. He contacted Tom Carruth, the head hybridizer for Weeks Wholesale Roses, who agreed to produce Elizabeth Park Centennial. The Friends knew that they would have Elizabeth Park Centennial, we just had to wait. The stock or mother plants would be available for planting in the 2006 garden and the orders would be ready for purchase in May, 2007. John has exhibited his blooms of Elizabeth Park Centennial this spring in two New England rose shows and has won the coveted Best Seedling award in each show.

This rose, planted in pots, is a limited edition and will be available for pick up in May of 2007. If you would like to have a commemorative Elizabeth Park Centennial rose, you may reserve it by sending your check and the order form to the Friends.

The order form is available in the information Center in Elizabeth Park, the Pond House or on the Elizabeth Park web site www.elizabethpark.org.

 Text: Donna Fuss

	Click to view larger image

Centennial Rose Photos: John Mattia

ELIZABETH PARK CENTENNIAL

ROSE ORDER FORM

Elizabeth Park Centennial is a Hybrid Tea rose hybridized by John Mattia of Orange, Connecticut to commemorate the centennial of the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden in 2004.

The rose is pale pink with a deep pink picotee edge. John has donated all of the royalties to the Friends of Elizabeth Park. This is a limited edition rose that will be available for pick up at Elizabeth Park in May of 2007. To be sure that you don’t miss out, reserve your rose today.

            One bush is $20.00

            Three of more are $18.00 per bush.

            Or order ten or more for a group rate of $15.00 per bush.

Make checks payable to Friends of Elizabeth Park and mail to Friends of Elizabeth Park,

P.O. Box 370361, West Hartford, CT 06137.

Please reserve the Elizabeth Park Centennial rose(s) for

NAME_______________________________________________________________

ADDRESS____________________________________________________________

CITY________________________________________________________________

PHONE___________________________   email_____________________________

Number of bushes ______________  price per bush_____________ total__________

The roses, which are in pots, will be available for pick up at the Information Center in Elizabeth Park from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on the following days in May, 2007.

Please choose the date that you will pick up your rose(s).

Saturday, May 5 _______________            Saturday, May 12 _________________

Saturday, May 19 ______________