AMBUSH
An Englishman named Henry Kelsey arrived in Canada as a young man and apprenticed to be an explorer and tradesman. He was part of the Hudson Bay Company which was opening trades with tribes of the region and as far away as men like Kelsey were willing to explore and make business partnerships afar. He is honored in many ways. One honor of primary interest to me is through rose selection and production and the naming of a hardy northern climber marketed as “Henry Kelsey”. One of the producers gives this description of the rose.
“With long limber canes and a trailing habit, this rose forms an attractive informal shrub but as a climber its beauty really shines. The disease resistant foliage is a dark glossy green tinted with burgundy to complement the large clusters of vivid red flowers. As they cover the plant from early summer until frost, the blooms are brightened by golden stamens and the air is filled with a rich spicy fragrance. The addition of small orange hips at the end of the season just add to our appreciation of this rose.”
In the natural world exist bits of information and exciting facts that don’t normally intersect with the general gardening population. I have discovered over time that there lives in close symbiotic relationship with the rose a white spider, the crab spider. I have witnessed several occasions where the crab spider lies in wait in the center of the Henry Kelsey cleverly camouflaged. The rose has an occasional white streak that resembles the leg of the crab spider. A pollinator or harmful insect becomes used to seeing that white streak against the red of the rose petals. Sometimes the white streak turns out to be a real leg of the crab spider. The pollinator or harmful rose chewing insect wanders, crawls into the center of the rose and is grasped expertly and devoured. Such is life.
The Henry Kelsey that adorns my rail fence here at The Castle is wonderful. I can sit for long periods near it and get whiffs of perfume delicately carried on the air. The color is brilliant red with bright yellow stamens in the center. The foliage is beautiful as well. I wish you could join me.
G.M. Goodwin
June 26, 2020
Playing Fair and Being Kind 