Rose cultivation is said
to be booming, mainly among women in their 30s and 40s.
It doesn't strain the imagination too much to surmise that
what may attract them even more than the fragrant flowers
is Kosho Ono, the "prince of rose cultivation."
Armed with good looks and a gentle, elegant manner of speaking,
Ono is gaining fans as a charismatic rosarian.
Recently, Ono was surrounded by female admirers and staff
at the Akao Herb and Rose Garden in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture,
as soon as he began tending to the white roses there, with
red, light purple and yellow varieties in full bloom nearby.
The slender man with shiny, curly brown hair was treated
as if he were an idol or a character from a girls' comic,
and some women asked him if they could have their photo
taken with him.
Ono gently spoke to each of them, saying, "Please don't
forget to take care of your rose bushes to help them flower
a lot," and, "I hope you will keep up the good
work in the coming seasons." He then shook their hands,
as if he was a rose missionary.
Ono came to prominence after he appeared on the NHK gardening
program Shumi no Engei in 2004, wearing neither apron nor
work clothes but ungardenerlike fashionable attire. The
handsome gardner was hailed as a rare bird in the botanical
world and was featured in gardening and other magazines
with large photos not only of his flowers but also of the
rising star. He began to be known as the "rose prince,"
and became a new pinup.
Ono has since become a frequent guest on the NHK gardening
show. Despite the serious educational content of the program,
humorous "glinting" sound effects accompany him
whenever he hits the screen.
Ono was born into a rose-growing family in Gifu Prefecture
in 1972, but was not enthusiastic about the profession.
During his high school and university years, he was busy
instead with singing in a rock band and ratting up his hair.
When Ono was a university senior, he came across a book
called Les Roses, written and illustrated by French botanist
and artist Pierre-Joseph Redoute (1759-1840). The tome left
a strong impression on him.
"I was shocked to find a great number of floaty roses,
as they were varieties of flowers I had never seen before.
I became fascinated with them as I realized flowers like
those seen on European tea sets, wallpaper and furniture
really do exist," Ono said. "I became interested
in trying to grow them myself."
Redoute's works are now being shown at an exhibition at
Bunkamura Museum of Art in Shibuya, Tokyo, until June 15.
(For details, visit www.bunkamura.co.jp/museum/.)
Around the time Ono became fascinated with Les Roses, his
father, Hiroaki, introduced to Japan a new variety of the
English Rose, a hybrid of traditional and modern roses.
The flower, just like those depicted in Les Roses, proved
popular and Ono found himself cultivating roses.
Ono is now the executive director of the family firm, Rose
of Roses, which produces and supplies rose varieties, including
the English Rose and cultivars developed by French breeding
company Delbard.
As a former singer, Ono dedicated a new variety of rose
to singer Misato Watanabe. "I showed her the flower
because it is her favorite color--pink. She gave the rose
its name, Chante Rose Misato," Ono said.
Chante Rose Misato is among the fragrant rose varieties
that Ono selected when opening an indoor field of roses
and herbs inside the Pasona 02 building in Otemachi, Tokyo.
Working with rose adviser Kaori Arishima at Chelsea Garden
in the Mitsukoshi department store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo,
Ono opened the subterranean garden in March last year. The
temperature is kept at 23 C-24 C to allow low-bush roses
to bloom under artificial light.
"There are many roses named after something,"
Ono said. "A variety of rose called Saint-Exupery,
for example, was named after the author of The Little Prince.
The name Nahema comes from Guerlain's perfume. Among English
Rose varieties, there also are many roses whose names are
related to William Shakespeare."
Ono hopes people will find an interest in not only roses
but all living things through the stories behind the flowers.
"And I want young people learn how life is valuable
by raising plants or animals."
Ono is a serious and dedicated gardener. While giving rose
growing lessons to the public, he also advises rose gardens
around the nation, enjoying being around professional rose
growers.
But Ono said he does not want to be a mere lecturer. He
said he also wants to offer ideas to how to enjoy flowers
in everyday life, even if the concepts run counter to traditional
ways of caring for or enjoying roses.
"You can cut off the flower head, for example, if you
notice a powdery mildew on the hip. Then you can enjoy the
flower by floating it in a plate of water. You can give
your place a lively atmosphere with flowers," Ono said.
"Since rose growing is all I can do, I want to bring
peace to the world through the flower."
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