FIRST REGIONAL CONVENTION OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF ROSE SOCIETIES For Eastern and Central Europe - Ljubljana June 11-14, 2017

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FIRST REGIONAL CONVENTION OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF ROSE SOCIETIES For Eastern and Central Europe - Ljubljana June 11-14, 2017 POST TOUR LJUBLJANA: Celje Rogaska Maribor VIENNA June 15-18, 2017

We travelled east of Slovenia, along the mountainside and through tunnels, passing large fields of hops, vineyards, corn, wheat and buck wheat and wooden haystacks typical of Slovenian architecture.

This was once a private estate, but taken from the owners and a school established there in 1946 at the end of the Second World War.

1 FIRST REGIONAL CONVENTION OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF ROSE SOCIETIES For Eastern and Central Europe - Ljubljana June 11-14, 2017 POST TOUR LJUBLJANA: Celje Rogaska Maribor VIENNA June 15-18, 2017 Thursday June 15 th, 2017 We bid a sad farewell leaving a number of our Rose friends behind as a bus load of us left for this tour. We travelled east of Slovenia, along the mountainside and through tunnels, passing large fields of hops, vineyards, corn, wheat and buck wheat and wooden haystacks typical of Slovenian architecture. Our first stop was at the Celje School for Horticulture and Visual Arts. This was once a private estate, but taken from the owners and a school established there in 1946 at the end of the Second World War. We were met their by the Director Stefanija Kos Zidar and the head Teacher as well as the Head of the Rose Garden. There we were given great hospitality and divided into two groups to have alternate visits to the rose garden and an experiential walk with blind folds so we could experience something of what a tour of a garden could be for the visually impaired and blind. This is an important component of the training for the past 10 years for the Horticulture students so they can be prepared to understand the needs of this population. The Rose Garden is 40 years old, but in its present state for 20 years with three major floods affecting the area over the past decade. Melka our guide on left and Director- Stefanija Kos Zidar Feeling plant material while blindfolded Wandering through the rose garden From here we travelled to the Castle of Celji- a place of great historical significance as we heard of the story of the time the area was ruled by the three Counts of Celje (14-15 th Centuries) who are represented by the three yellow stars on the Slovenian flag. After some vigorous step climbing we enjoyed a great lunch at a restaurant across the valley from the castle.

Castle of Celji After this a ride to the Old and historical Spa Town of Rogaska Slatina.

high levels of magnesium, then a visit to the Old 1912 resort with its beautiful chandeliers and murals, then a visit to a museum within the

Day 2 Friday June 16 th Leaving Rogaska Slatina we travelled to Maribor the second largest city and the capital of the northeastern part of

This is a well-known wine region and we just missed out by a week too soon, their very popular open air cultural festival known as the Lent

In Maribor visited the very impressive Botanical Garden of the Maribor University Agricultural Faculty.

They no longer use chemicals/pesticides and use soil ingredients particularly algae and organic matter to improve cell structure to avoid

2 Castle of Celji After this a ride to the Old and historical Spa Town of Rogaska Slatina. We took a tour of the amazing hotel resort, the Medical Centre where we were introduced to the health benefits of the mineral water which has high levels of magnesium, then a visit to the Old 1912 resort with its beautiful chandeliers and murals, then a visit to a museum within the resort. Day 2 Friday June 16 th Leaving Rogaska Slatina we travelled to Maribor the second largest city and the capital of the northeastern part of Slovenia. This is a well-known wine region and we just missed out by a week too soon, their very popular open air cultural festival known as the Lent festival to which artists come from all over the world. In Maribor visited the very impressive Botanical Garden of the Maribor University Agricultural Faculty. There has been an ongoing program at the University to ensure an ecologically friendly approach to growing plants including roses. They no longer use chemicals/pesticides and use soil ingredients particularly algae and organic matter to improve cell structure to avoid disease and improve nutrients. They took out and removed all contaminated soil as part of this program, and had even worked with local farmers to for a 2 years planned change from chemicals to organic methods in their horticultural practice. The Gardens are 15 years old and are very well laid out following a taxonomic ordering of the plants. The garden is especially utilised as a teaching tool for students of all ages. The rose garden was rejuvenated 3 years ago, and the roses were of many varieties, well labelled and in top condition so that our Rosarians headed to them and buzzed around like bees.

After the Botanic Garden we travelled into the city of Maribor to the site of the oldest Grape vine.

After this a lunch in a vineyard at the top of the mountain.

We arrived in Vienna, found the hotel then a long walk to the Old City of Vienna to a restaurant for dinner.

3 After the Botanic Garden we travelled into the city of Maribor to the site of the oldest Grape vine. It was located on the wall of once was the town hall. Here we enjoyed tasting the excellent wine from this region, which mostly is white. After this a lunch in a vineyard at the top of the mountain. After lunch as we travelled we waved a sad goodbye to a Slovenia as we crossed the border to Austria. We arrived in Vienna, found the hotel then a long walk to the Old City of Vienna to a restaurant for dinner. We were somewhat exhausted but nevertheless in awe at the magnificence of the architecture. Day 3 Saturday June 17 th Today we visited the Schonbrunn Castle and the park, learning something of the history and life of the ruling Hapsburg Dynasty. We had time to roam the geometrically shaped gardens, the sculptures and fountains as well as enjoying a tour through the palace.

Looking towards the Memorial at the back of the Schonbrunn Castle After the visit to the Schonbrunn Castle we travelled on to the town of Baden south of Vienna to enjoy

We were introduced to the garden during the lecture given in Ljubljana, which informed us of the effort by the administration to ensure organic methods are used to

The roses look very healthy - there being many floribunda, Pillar and climbing roses, old garden and heritage roses as well as spectacular ground cover roses.

4 Looking towards the Memorial at the back of the Schonbrunn Castle After the visit to the Schonbrunn Castle we travelled on to the town of Baden south of Vienna to enjoy both lunch and the exploration of the garden of Baden. We were introduced to the garden during the lecture given in Ljubljana, which informed us of the effort by the administration to ensure organic methods are used to maintain the garden including the roses. This is the largest rose garden in Austria and employs 100 gardeners. The roses look very healthy - there being many floribunda, Pillar and climbing roses, old garden and heritage roses as well as spectacular ground cover roses. The mass planting of same type provides a vibrantly colourful spectrum to the garden. We all so much enjoyed wandering through this wonderful garden, enjoying the variety of roses and keeping our cameras very busy so as to take home as many photos as possible of these magnificent roses. Beautiful standards at the entrance at Baden Looking across the small lake at Baden

Landscaping is beautiful at Baden This was the last tour together other than dinner at the wine growing suburb of Grinzing which marked our final time together with sad partings of many new and old

5 Landscaping is beautiful at Baden This was the last tour together other than dinner at the wine growing suburb of Grinzing which marked our final time together with sad partings of many new and old found friends the next morning. On Day 4 Sunday June 18 th many of us who were either heading back to homelands, extending time in Vienna, travelling back via the Danube park to or travelling on to Prague with the Post Post tour organised by Kelvin and Melanie Trimper. We said goodbyes at the hotel in Vienna and set off on our various ways. Our thanks to the Slovenian Rose Society for such a memorable Convention.

POST POST TOUR Rose Garden of LIDICE On the last morning of the post post tour organised from Australia with Kelvin and Melanie Trimper, we paid a sad farewell to the many friends we had made over

It was a half day visit before being dropped at the airport in Prague, and we visited the most poignant and memorable rose garden of all.

6 POST POST TOUR Rose Garden of LIDICE On the last morning of the post post tour organised from Australia with Kelvin and Melanie Trimper, we paid a sad farewell to the many friends we had made over this tour and the other tours and days of the Rose Convention in Slovenia. It was a half day visit before being dropped at the airport in Prague, and we visited the most poignant and memorable rose garden of all. It was a memorial garden at the site of the village of Lidice where the inhabitants, including children were executed by the Nazis in 1942, and the village then bombed and razed to the ground so that only rubble was left. This was an act of revenge on this village and another in the vicinity because of the assassination by Czech patriots of the Nazi leader, Rheinhard Heydrich in Prague. About 340 people from Lidice died, because of the German reprisal- (192 men, 60 women and 88 children - by immediate execution or in concentration camps). The Centre and heart of the garden A most heart wrenching sculpture the children of Lidice and walking down towards it how it conveyed the sense of the children being separated from their parents in the open field

the great suffering of the people over many decades since the invasion by the Nazis in the 1940s and then the Soviet take-over of their independence as countries after the

7 The rose garden was awarded the title Rose Garden of Excellence by the World Federation of Rose Societies in 2015 in Lyon. There are twenty thousand roses in the garden dedicated to the people of Lidice In many ways this was a fitting end to our tour of Eastern Europe as we came face to face with the great suffering of the people over many decades since the invasion by the Nazis in the 1940s and then the Soviet take-over of their independence as countries after the Second World War. It was so wonderful to be able to celebrate with a spirit of peace and hope for the future with our Rose Friends from Eastern Europe and beyond at the WFRS Regional Rose Convention in Slovenia, the first in Eastern Europe

The Gardens of England - 19 th May till 23 rd May 2019 (incl. Visit at the Chelsea Flower show in London)

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