Heritage Rose Garden

In 2003, the Saskatchewan Perennial Society received a grant from the Saskatchewan Lotteries Fund to assist in the creation of a Heritage Rose Garden. This new garden takes up the remaining two thirds of the space that was set aside for development in 1997. Grace Berg was again called upon for the design of the garden. The gardens were created in honour of Prairie Breeders and features roses, shrubs, trees and ornamental grasses that were created by them. Strong structural elements were incorporated into the garden from the beginning, with tall trellises and repurposed telephone poles to support vining plants.

City staff assisted in laying out the bare bones of the garden by rototilling, moving soil and laying out pathways, but the remaining work was completed by volunteers. The grant money was used to buy plant material, but many roses and other plants on our wish list were donated by Society members.

Some Prairie Breeders Represented in the Garden

Georges Bugnet (1879-1981) Legal, Alberta

Dr. Frank L. Skinner (1882-1967) Dropmore, Manitoba

Percy Wright (1898-1989) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Les Kerr (1902-1989) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Robert Erskine (1914-2003) Rocky Mountain House, Alberta

Robert Simonet, Edmonton Alberta

Stanley J. Zubrowski, Prairie River, Saskatchewan

Dr. A. J Porter (1901-2000), Parkside, Saskatchewan

Stan Dunville, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Morden Research Station, Morden, Manitoba

The Explorer Series of Roses Developed in Ottawa and Quebec

Other hardy roses are also part of the collection at the gardens. One person of note in the development of these roses is Dr Felicitas Svejda the Mother of Canadian Roses.