Pickering Nurseries Fall 2008 Spring 2009 Season

(Reprised from the introduction in our 2008/2009 Catalog)

August 1, 2008

Dear Rose Friends,

We have added about 200 new varieties this season including many older varieties like rugosas Marie Bugnet and Wasagaming and the
hybrid spinosissima Frühlingsduft. Some varieties are re-appearing in our catalog after a few years absence such as the H.T.’s American
Heritage and Valencia and the bourbon Gypsy Boy. We have numerous new varieties hybridized by Poulsen including the beautiful HT’s
Courage and Wonderful, the graceful floribunda Rosendal and the tremendous Landscape roses Linnaeus Cottage and Salt Lake. We
have excellent new varieties from Weeks such as the grandiflora Dream Come True, the pretty climber Candy Land and the hardy shrub
Cape Diamond and have added a lot of varieties hybridized by Ralph Moore including the rugosas Moore’s Striped Rugosa and
Roundtuit and the miniature Love and Peace.

With changes to the Sudden Oak Death import restrictions we are again able to receive budwood from England. As such we have several
newer Austin roses, including Queen of Sweden and Scarborough Fair and the rugosas Mrs. Doreen Pike and Wild Edric. We also have
some nice new ones from Fryer’s such as the glorious H.T. Keep Smiling and the great new floribunda Free Spirit.

Finally we are most excited about the new varieties we have from Kordes in Germany, most of which have been specifically hybridized for
disease-resistance (primarily black spot) . Varieties such as the landscape rose Escimo, the shrub rose Caramel Fairy Tale and the rugosa
Rugelda.

It was brought to our attention by one of our friends that the Poulsen hybridized variety we were selling as “Rosenholm” was in fact their
variety “Pirouette”. After some investigation we determined that she was correct and have corrected the name to Pirouette.

Some of the new varieties are fairly limited in their availability in this their first year so it’s best to order early. There are a few varieties we
have that will only be listed on our website, as their availability was so limited we didn’t include them in the catalog.

We believe disease-resistance is taking on a greater importance in the rose business. Here in Ontario consumers will face greater restrictions
on the application of pesticides for “cosmetic” purposes from 2009 onward. In light of this we decided to review our varieties and their
descriptions and make some changes. In the description line we have noted varieties that have received ADR recognition. German ADR
(Anerkannte Deutsche Rose ) trials test rose varieties for esthetic qualities, and most significantly winter hardiness and disease-resistance.
While the varieties are trialed they receive NO TREATMENT WITH CHEMICAL PESTICIDES. Hence, these varieties can be grown suc-
cessfully without synthetic pesticide application. In addition to these varieties we have identified other varieties that we believe can be also
be grown successfully without synthetic pesticide application. These extremely disease-resistant varieties are marked with B between the
code and the name. It should be remembered that any rose can be grown successfully in a well tended garden, it’s just a matter of how much
“tending” you’re willing/able to do.

We have also added a new category to answer a frequently asked question. Landscape Roses—for ground cover, bedding and borders
consists of varieties that share a spreading habit, are continuous blooming and are low growing. As the title says they are ideal for ground
cover, bed planting and borders.

As has always been our practice we don’t list any varieties in our catalog that we don’t have growing in our field. This allows us to assess
the qualities and deficiencies of each variety and provide accurate variety descriptions to our customers. We encourage those interested to
come and visit our fields. Eight acres of roses in bloom is a spectacular sight.

Finally this will be the last season of availability of the following varieties: Amalia, Ave Maria, Caramba, Nightengale, Stainless Steel,
Alberta, Calliope, Canyonlands, Chihuly, Constance Finn, Grand Canyon, Irish Hope, Rhapsody in Blue, Scentimental, Tawny Tiger, Lady
of Megginch, Rose-Marie, Rosemoor, Wisley, Be Bop, Bubbles, Cambridge, Heidesommer, Julia Renaissance, Moore's Classic Perpetual
and Sandra Renaissance.

Thank you for your interest in our roses.

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