HARRY MCGEE: EDITOR, PUBLISHER

PRESENTS

PUBLISHED IN 2008

Dr. Felicitas Svejda's personal account of how she created a fabulously successful stable of attractive hardy roses for Canadian gardens. She came to Ottawa from Vienna in the fifties with a doctorate in genetics and Agriculture Canada (Central Experimental Farm) put her to work on Roses. From a financially secure base, she developed rose after rose and to show her appreciation of her adopted country, she named them after our earliest explorers, people like Champlain, John Cabot, George Vancouver, Henry Hudson and Quadra.

When Dr, Svejda retired in 1987, the hybrids she was working on were moved to L'Assomption, Quebec, where they continued to be tested and introduced by others. She celebrated her 95th birthday in the nation's capital in November 2015.

Her account of her breeding program was first serialized in Roses-Canada, the bimonthly journal of National-Roses-Canada (the federation of independent rose societies across Canada). Her writing was consolidated in this book edited by Harry McGee who contributed mini biographies of all the legendary explorers after whom she named her roses. National-Roses-Canada published the work, including genealogical charts of all the roses in Dr. Svejda's own handwriting.

The editor invited Roses-Canada subscribers to contribute photos of the subject roses and the invitation had an enthusiastic response  with 30 photos of Explorer roses appearing. The editor also included the citation composed by York University when it conferred an honorary doctorate degree on Dr. Svejda in June 2000. As well, a complete list of all her scientific publications was included.

Todd Boland of St. John's NL contributed

this photo of Explorer rose 'Henry Hudson'

The book is 8 1/2 x 11 inches, flex cover with spine, 58 pages, printed on coated stock. It is identified as ISBN 978-0-9686988-5-3 and two copies are in The National Library in Ottawa. It is priced at CAD or USD $23.00 including shipping and handling to anywhere. To order, please provide your return address and your cheque made out to National-Roses-Canada. Mail them to the National-Roses-Canada head office, 41 Outer Drive, London, Ontario, Canada  N6P 1E1. [If bank cheques are not available in your country, the good offices of Western Union have proven effective to transfer funds. In this case, the transfer must be between persons. Transfer the money to Harry McGee, the editor, who will forward it to the federation.]

If you love Explorer roses, you will enjoy this book. Stay tuned for other publications on subsequent pages.