First and Foremost

First and Foremost, 2010, Frank A. Benardella.

For a number of years I've been attending the "Mid-Winters" rose convention put on by the Penn-Jersey District Rose Society. There I had the opportunity to meet and get to know Frank Benardella. A lovely man, avid rose breeder, active and a pleasure to be around. He passed away this past February.

When I realized I wanted two more miniatures, I looked at the varieties that I didn't have and decided on the very last one Frank had put into production before his death. First and Foremost is turning into a very lovely, strong, active rose reminding me of him. I'm very pleased with this rose so far. How it takes my winters will tell me how strong this little rose really is. I have two of these, one on each side of a stepping platform from the garden to the patio.

Oh, if you're wondering about the cage. Bratley, my dog, seems to have issues with the stepping platform and runs through the bed to get on the patio. The cage is around the tiny, baby roses to keep him from crushing them. Once they're established and have some size, the cages will come off.

I find the cages help for a number of reasons, mostly animals. I use the cages to keep rabbits and mice away from very young trees that still have green trunks. Especially over the winter, rabbits and mice will chew on the trunks of saplings, hence killing them. Larger scarfs or wraps around the trunks of larger trees will help keep bucks from rubbing on them, again killing the trees. Once the saplings have the thick bark on their trunks the rabbits and mice will let them be, while the deer seem to like the trees between the rabbit and the "mature" stages. At least this has been my experience.

I do have to admit to really liking First and Foremost. I think it is a very lovely rose.