One of the talks scheduled for our symposium is Fred Boutin, talking about roses yet to be discovered. He is going to focus on Bloomfield Abundance, which was confused with Spray Cecile Brunner. DNA testing showed that SCB is very similar to the other forms of Cecile Brunner, and most likely a sport. That left people thinking that Bloomfield Abundance was extinct. Fred kept looking, and looking, and thinks he has found it. He will be telling about the search, and bringing a couple of plants along (if the deer don't eat them first). He plans to give one to a woman named Meredee, who is the great-great-granddaughter of the breeder - Capt Thomas (who also bred Dr. Huey, but don't hold that against him). He also is giving us one that will be auctioned off by Stephen Scanniello. Meredee is bringing some of Capt Thomas' rose medals and books and photos, too, which is pretty cool. She lives here in the Sacramento area and we've had fun getting acquainted.

If anybody wants to bid on this or other roses remotely, I really don't have a way to ship them. However, if you can arrange pick-up by yourself or somebody else, we will figure out how to consider bids.

Fred's hoping at some point to get this rose into public gardens, such as the Sacramento cemetery, and into commercial distribution, but the conference is the rose's first public unveiling!

Anita