Nate Fisher of Bethlehem knew he wanted to join a chapter of the American Rose Society, but he figured it wouldn’t be until his retirement, when he had ample free time.
“I’m 29,” Fisher says. “I’m a ways away from retirement.”
But in April, Fisher was looking for things to do once the COVID-19 pandemic kept him from teaching piano lessons full time.
He dug around and learned the closest chapters of the American Rose Society were in Philadelphia and Reading. Upon further investigation, Fisher discovered that the Lehigh Valley had a chapter for roughly 50 years before disbanding in the late 90s.
Fisher took it upon himself to apply for reinstatement, and the Lehigh Valley Rose Society became official once again, on April 3.
The group, which has roughly a dozen members right now, dove headfirst into cleaning up the Bethlehem Rose Garden, which will soon undergo a $400,000 upgrade.
Fisher, the interim president, explains that most American Rose Society chapters are responsible for upkeep of their city’s respective rose gardens, and it was something he planned to take on — eventually.
“We expected to take over maintenance of the Bethlehem Rose Garden when we had more members, but the garden had to be cleaned up for the Rose Garden Farmers’ Market,” Fisher says.
So on short notice this past spring, Fisher and his team, alongside City Councilman Adam Waldron, started weeding. Fisher noticed that many of the roses had rosette disease — the Allentown Rose Garden lost roughly 700 roses to the disease. Those have since been removed and new roses will be planted with buffer plants to mitigate further spread of the virus via mites, Fisher says.
“The roses need to be socially distanced,” he says, laughing.
The resurgence of the Lehigh Valley Rose Society has been rewarding for Fisher and its members, especially during a time of incredible uncertainty.
Lehigh Valley Rose Society member Mike O’Hare, 65, an HVAC technician at Moravian College, remembers how beautiful the garden was years ago and has been saddened by its decline.
He met Fisher during the first garden cleanup when he was volunteering with the Mount Airy Neighborhood Association and was impressed with Fisher’s vision and knowledge.
“This is an opportunity to give back to our city and become involved with a project that can bring lasting joy and value to our community,” O’Hare says. “Nate has a vision to restore the garden to its former beauty and beyond.”
Aside from cleaning up and replanting the Bethlehem Rose Garden — planting will begin in early spring 2021, Fisher says — the Lehigh Valley Rose Society will hold demonstrations (how to dead-head a rose!) and other educational opportunities for its members and the general public. Eventually, the group hopes to hold rose shows, a popular activity for American Rose Society chapters.
“It’s nice that we’re building up with so many members,” Fisher says. “A lot are retired so they’re able to share my responsibility.”
O’Hare sees the group and its efforts in the Bethlehem Rose Garden as a silver lining amid the pandemic.
“The pandemic has forced us all to slow down and stay put,” he says. “This has helped me to more clearly see all of the opportunities and beauty in my own backyard.”
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Once-thriving Lehigh Valley group blossoms again after 22-year hiatus, amid pandemic - lehighvalleylive.com
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