Southern Gardens Project - January 2006
Aren’t new beginnings a wonderful thing? Here we stand on the threshold of a brand new year, one filled with possibilities for accomplishing our various goals. Reaching those goals requires research, dedication, hard work and personal discipline…and sometimes a helping hand.
This year my primary goal, and hopefully that of the Riverside Rose Society, will be the implementation of our far reaching project of providing roses to homeowners who have been adversely affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The vision of “Restoring Roses to Southern Gardens” is beginning to take on a life of its own. Right now it’s somewhat akin to a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that the cat just ran through. There are so many things to consider and co-ordinate in an endeavor of this magnitude.
Last month I informed you that I was in a holding pattern waiting for a call from the corporate office of Habitat for Humanity. I have since heard from a representative of that office and been told that the international office is unable to accommodate us. However, I was referred to the local offices in the states that sustained storm damage and am presently in the process of contacting the individuals who head up those chapters.
Bonnie and I spoke recently with Carole Spiers at the ARS headquarters in Shreveport, Louisiana. Carol is very enthusiastic about the project, but since she is not the one to make the final decision regarding the level of involvement of the American Rose Society, she has taken the information we have sent her to the desk of ARS President, Marilyn Wellan, where it is being carefully considered as I write. We should be receiving an answer in the very near future. The ARS’s status as the premier rose authority in the nation, and its relationship with the rose growers of America, will no doubt help facilitate the accomplishment of our project.
I will keep you informed as the puzzle pieces begin to fit together and the positions of opportunity open for all who would love to lend a helping hand to this worthy cause.
