Our Story
Welcome to Charmaine's Rose Cottage, where a legacy of love, resilience, and stewardship blooms. Our story is deeply rooted in the land and the generations of women who have cared for it.
A Legacy Rooted in 1908
The journey of Charmaine's Rose Cottage began in 1908 when my great-grandmother, Sallie Soall, a full-blooded Chukchansi Indigenous woman, became the owner and steward of this very land. Despite facing immense challenges, including being sold twice into servitude, Sallie's spirit and connection to the earth endured. She, alongside her husband Johnathan Lewis, managed a bustling logging camp in the mountains of Northern California, near Yosemite National Park. Sallie's strength and resilience in raising 10 children during that era laid the foundation for a multi-generational legacy of Indigenous women gardeners and land stewards on this sacred soil.
Generations of "Land Stewardship"
Through decades of challenges, my great-grandmother held onto this earth, passing down that strength to my grandparents, my mother, and to me and my family. We have raised 5 generations on this same land. We have always understood the importance of being "land Stewards" and working hard. The land nurtures you-if you nurture it.
A Living Tribute
Today, Charmaine's Rose Cottage stands as a living tribute to the endurance and the unwavering dedication of the hard-working Indigenous women in our family. We cultivate our farm on this ancestral ground, a testament to our continued connection to this land. Each rose is meticulously cultivated for both exceptional beauty and remarkable resilience, carrying forward a legacy that spans over 120 years.
Our history
Some of the original roses that were planted by my Grandmother, Julia Lewis are living on the property still today. Her roses are many many decades old but thriving at the original main cabin that my grandpa, Hugh Lewis built for their family. I am excited to study and care for these varieties that show extreme health and disease resistance having survived without care since her passing in the 1980's. My grandmother was the most special person to me in my life growing up. I am delighted to share this rose journey.
Nurtured by Nature
Being a "Land Advocate" using regenerative growing practices is very important to me. I raise cattle and farm in the Beartooth mountains of Montana and the Deadwood mountains of Coarsegold, California. I grew up raising a few cattle with my Mom and have spent much of my life after college raising Brahman cattle, farming and ranching and working with the American Indian tribes of Montana. My own Indigenous background has allowed me to be deeply involved with the Indigenous tribes of Montana, teaching them about diseases that can effect livestock and food agriculture. I have the best of both worlds- the solitude of Montana and the roots of family in California and bringing beautiful roses to both places with 2 different growing zones. Each area has its strengths and challenges; California has beautiful warm sunshine but drought and intense pest pressure. Montana has brutal winters but very little if any pest pressure. This unique background allows me to have an abundance of hands-on knowledge to guide my customers with rose varieties, growing organically and making new friends.
This was a photo shoot that I did for a magazine during my career as the first female Indian rodeo stock contractor for the Indian National Finals Rodeo. I still own brahma bulls but they only work as grazing animals for fire prevention and for producing the organic aged manure that is used for rose cultivation. I have always bred my own livestock since college year 2000, Ive always has a bond with my cattle and they stay with me until they pass. My oldest bull just passed and he was 14 and as tame as a dog. My mom raised cattle too, it was the women in our family who were farmers and ranchers. My son now carries that on with his family. Being good stewards of land and livestock is just how we have lived life.
"Every rose from Charmaine's holds a piece of this land's history and a grandmother's love. It's truly special."
A Grateful Customer