ROBERT  ERSKINE 

1914-2003

 


 

In the above photo Robert Erskine  and  John   Holmes

 are inspecting a superior dark red Lily called 

 "Man - A - War"

 

In the above photo  Robert Examines 
his " Prairie Peace Rose"

Please note that this article was written about Mr. Erskine in 2001.

 

On a small ranch in west central Alberta, Robert Erskine has spent most of his life contemplating and theorizing about the various crosses of various plants that have not yet been developed.   He has spent years working to develop those crosses.  He is now well into his eighties.   Not only has he developed different varieties of hardy roses & apples, he has also developed new improved varieties of Asiatic and Martagon Lilies,  cherries, currents, peas, potatoes, "LeafLand" gooseberry, and a superb yellow raspberry that he called the "Honey-Queen."

Though the winter months his days are spent, partly outside feeding his herd of cattle and horses, and partly sitting in a comfortable chair by the fire reading his gardening books and seed catalogues.  The other three seasons he spends as much time as possible in his garden.

Through the years Mr. Erskine had regular correspondence with Percy Wright, Robert Simonet, John Wallace and Bert Porter.  Mr. Erskine says that they were co-operative not competitive, and encouraged one another in their developmental ideas.  Often they shared samples of their developments with each other.  This enabled the new varieties of plants to be tested in other areas for hardiness, and quality.
 
Robert comes from a family of 7 including one brother and three sisters.  His interest in raising plants dates back into his early childhood.  As a boy growing up in Oyen, Alberta, he would sometimes sow pea seeds that he was given at school.  He also recalls finding a dime on the street and he decided to purchase flower seeds with it.

He recalls that at the age of fourteen, (1928) searching for a spring on his father's homestead, near Oyen Alberta.  He stopped and dug some holes with a post hole auger, on a hillside that sloped to the north-east.  He found favorable black loam, and stopped awhile to dream of a plant breeding experimental plot.  However that dream spot was not to be.  For although 1928 was a good year with good rains. The dry years on the prairies were yet to come and times were hard for everyone in the early thirties.

Robert came with his family in 1934 to the Rocky Mountain House area.  He said, "That at the time it was hard enough to make a living let alone buy trees and plants to experiment."   Any gardening that was done was to grow food for the family.  However, when World War 2 ended he was able to purchase a hilly quarter section hoping apple trees would grow and produce on the hillsides.  In those days there were only a few varieties of hardy apples that were worth growing; now there are many hardy apples of good quality.

Robert is fortunate to have been blessed with an exceptional memory and the ability read and study from books.  He learned from a book how to graft one variety of apple (or other fruit trees) onto another.  Robert has had great success with both bud and stem grafts.   This enabled him to grow, sample and cross pollinate many varieties of apples.  He has developed several of his own apple varieties such as Carlos Queen and Beauty of Leafland, and Al-ma Sweet  which is an apple-crab.

Apples and some other species of plants did well for him but he had a constant battle with native wild life.  In the past bears and moose have broken down his fruit trees, and pocket gophers have done a lot of damage over the years.  Rabbits, mice, voles, (a small rodent related to lemmings and mice) caterpillars, ants and porcupines have repeatedly caused damage to his garden and nursery stock.  Mr. Erskine said, "One year rabbits wiped out everything."    In the last few years, an over population of deer and elk in the area are a constant threat.   His has also had times when his own live stock broke into his gardens, and either trampled or devoured what ever was in their path.

Robert had the goal of improving the quality in hardy roses.   He has done this by crossing the Alberta wild roses (Rose Accilaris and Rosa Woodsii) with various other species.   Through the years he has developed over 20 superior varieties of roses.  Unfortunately some of those have been lost over the years, usually because of predators.  However the majority have survived and samples of some of them are growing in the gardens of various friend, family, and other interested gardeners.   A Historic garden is planned for Rocky Mt. House, and Robert has been asked for a sample of some of the plants that he has developed.   Robert considers his "Prairie Peace Rose," developed in the early 1970"s, to be his most worthwhile development.   It is hardy in Zone 2, is an Altai hybrid, the parent planets were Beauty of Leafland X Hazeldean.  It has semi-double to double, bicolor flowers, is recurring and a strong fragrance.

Some of the Asiatic's that Robert has registered with the Royal Horticulture Society in England,  include  Pink Cheer, Percy Wright, Simonet's Jewel, Palomino Queen, Appaloosa Queen, Antares, Candace, Apricot Pie.  In 1999 he had one more Lily registered.    It is an up-facing very dark red, (same color all over) named Man O' War. He has one he would like to name Bert Porter.  Erskine says that it is a good bright orange, it’s very fragrant and grows easily.

He has also registered several Martagon, Lilies; they include such names as Devon Dots, Maroon King, and Beryl Layton, Caroline Rollison, and Madeline Holloway.  He has also developed many other Martagons, including a beautiful white one that has yet to be named.

Through the years there have been many others Lilies as well as other species of plants that he has developed or raised from seed, some he has lost for various reasons.  Some he has named but not registered, because they are similar to varieties already available.   There are numerous that he hasn't even named because they are not up to his standards.  Robert says he had lots of Lily seedlings start in 1998, but hot weather and slugs killed most of them.

Robert is not easily discouraged; if he was he would have given up long ago.  He says,   "I'll keep trying as long as I'm able.   Lilies offer great opportunities to develop ones that will be better yet than the wonderful varieties developed in the last few years.  The LA-Hybrids seem the most promising Lily to work with at present.   I think pears will improve so we will have hardy ones as good as Bartlett, someday, and there is a lot of room yet to improve roses. "
 

2002 update

 

Robert has had the inconvenience of Arthritis for the last few years.   It is especially bad in his hands, which has made it extremely difficult for him to do the planting and pollinating that he enjoys.  He is hoping to feel better for this up coming 2002 gardening season.

2004 update


Robert Mackay Erskine passed away April 14, 2003 in Rocky Mt House, Alberta.   Bob had a wide variety of interests and infinite wisdom on many subjects; including cattle, horses, and plants to politics, current events and history. Bob always enjoyed animals.  He enjoyed their companionship as well as the opportunity to observe and analyze them, always noting the individual differences and potential within different breeds. He will be greatly missed by us all.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Martagons Lilies

More information about Robert Erskine

Robert Erskine's   Roses page 1

Robert Erskine's   Roses page 2

Roses For Sale

 

 Last Updated March 2008 by Sheila Holmes