|
|
Article: A fairy tale ending for gardeners?(Gardening)(Viewpoint essay)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- March 27, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: Lynn Hunt Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
Once upon a time in a land far away, a revered rose-breeding company took on a gigantic, seemingly impossible challenge: to create a line of plants that could stay healthy throughout the growing season without the aid of chemical sprays.
So it came to pass that in the early 1990s, Kordes Roses of Germany stopped spraying its young plants.
For several years thereafter, many of the bushes in the fields were afflicted with diseases. The hybridizers may well have wondered if their 100-year reputation as king of the Queen of Flowers might be in jeopardy. And there was sadness throughout ...