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 'Tarja Halonen'. R. blanda x californica?
This rose was found growing in Bengt Schalin's garden some years after his death, but its origin and identity remain a mystery. Schalin is known to have made experimental roses crosses, of which this one may be a well chosen outcome. On good soil it grows into 2m (7ft) high shrub with arching branches. The stems are reddish brown with slightly hooked thorns. The leaflets are light green, pointed and slightly crinkled. The mid-pink, slightly double and faintly mottled, mid-pink flowers are 7-8cm (3") wide, showily borne in an elegant wild rose style throughout July. The orange, rounded hips ripen from mid-September. It is very hardy in southern Finland, but sometimes suffers light to moderate injuries further north.

In 2002, the Finnish Rose Society decided to name this rose after the Finnish President, Mrs Tarja Halonen. On the basis of morphological characters, the Russian taxonomist Dr Buzunova has opined that 'Tarja Halonen' is a hybrid of R. blanda, possibly with R. californica.

 
 'Tarja Halonen', part of Bengt Schalin's legacy, was recently named after our President, Mrs Halonen.
Photo: Sirkka Juhanoja.

 

"Toukoniitty". R. blanda hybrid?
Seemingly another part of Schalin's legacy. The working name of this rose denotes the Helsinki park where this rose has suckered into an extensive and luxuriant thicket. The almost thornless, well branched reddish stems grow to nearly 2m (7ft) on good soils. The medium-sized flowers are light pink, loosely double; many of the petals have a pale central stripe. The foliage colours to a splendid orange in autumn, and the dark red hips are produced in abundance. This rose is extremely hardy, and seldom suffers winter injury as far north as Oulu.

This rose was previously thought to be 'Betty Bland' (Skinner, Canada 1925), but "Toukoniitty" is distinguised in several respects, including its good crop of hips.

 
 "Toukoniitty" also displays showy hips against bronzy autumn colouring.
Photo: Sirkka Juhanoja.
   
 Conclusion  
 There remain considerable gaps in our knowledge of Finland's foundling roses. DNA analysis of morphologically similar forms and comparison with accessions in well documented collections will go a long way to clearing up confusion in the origins of our roses.  
   
 Acknowledgements  
 The author particularly wishes to thank the Chairperson of the Finnish Rose Society, Mrs Pirjo Tuura, for her revision of and comments on the text and Mrs Pirjo Rautio for her considerable time and patience in collating these pictures from her photo gallery.  
 Literature  

 Alanko, P., Joy, P., Kahila, P. & Tegel, S. 2002. Suomalainen ruusukirja (The Finnish rose book). Gummerus, Jyväskylä 2002. 344 pp.

Alanko, P. & Tegel, S. 1989. KESKAS-tutkimus. Kestäviä koristekasveja viherrakentamisen tarpeisiin (Hardy plants for constructive planting). SITRA, Series B no 98. 111 p. Helsinki.

Gustavsson, L-Å., 1998. Rosor för nordiska trädgårdar (Roses for Nordic gardens). Natur och kultur, Stockholm. 544pp.

Joy, P., Kauppila-Laine, M. & Urhonen, E. 2004. Pimpinella: kylämaiseman ruusu (English summary: Finland finds her Scotch Roses). The Santtio Foundation, Uusikaupunki, Finland, 2004, ISBN 951-98907-2-6. 112 pp.

Korhonen, A. 2002. Juhannusruusu ja muut pimpinellat ('Old Finnish White' and other burnets). The Finnish Rose Society, Ed. Pirjo Rautio. 54 pp.

Nummi, A. 2001. Ruusuja vanhojen hinnastojen lehdiltä (Roses from the pages of old catalogues). Vantaa, Finland 2001. ISBN 952-91-3168-2. 54 pp.

Ruoff, E. 2000. Merkintöjä entisaikojen ruusuista (Some observations on roses of bygone times). Ruusunlehti (Bulletin of the Finnish Rose Society) 2000 (4): 4-12.

Several other articles in the Bulletin of the Finnish Rose Society provided information for this account.

 
   
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