Every rose needs a name
Did you know that the practice of naming roses after people goes back two centuries or more? In those days you needed to be a British Queen, a French duchess or a Cardinal, for such an honour to be bestowed.
Roses are still named after celebrities and people who have made a difference to society, but by far the most roses are named to celebrate a person greatly loved by their family – grandmother, mother, husband or wife or a beloved daughter or son.
Roses are among a fairly small circle of plants where each plant (cultivar) has a name, and with it comes a story.
Here are some of the roses that tell the stories of extraordinary 'ordinary' people who touched the lives of the people around them.
'Mushe Kirsh' is one of many grandmothers who have had roses named for them. The sweetly scented 'Mushe Kirsh' rose was chosen by the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to celebrate Mushe's 80th birthday. They selected it for its ageless beauty and vibrancy as a reflection of their grandmother. The full petalled old fashioned blooms are produced in abundance on a stately, shrub-like rose that grows up to 2m and is very disease resistant.
Natalie Douglas is a breast cancer survivor diagnosed at the age of 27, who subsequently created the Natalie Diana Douglas Kotze Cancer Foundation to provide awareness, to inspire hope and positively encourage young people from all walks of life diagnosed with cancer. The 'Natalie Douglas' rose is a powerful grower, producing large, fragrant blooms on long, strong stems. A sterling garden rose.
As a great lover of roses Alan Tew was an active chairperson of the Gold Reef rose society before moving to Knysna where he continued to make rose growing popular in that area. The rose was given to him as a surprise by his family. The 'Alan Tew' rose has glossy, healthy leaves and the blooms are shapely and fragrant.
Candice Morgan has been one of the most active ambassadors for the deaf community and has set her sights on representing the deaf community in Parliament. She is Executive Producer, Director and Presenter of DTV and the channel has become a role model, assisting other countries and media channels including the BBC's Channel 4. The 'Candice' rose has a flower shape and perfume typical of the romantic yesteryear roses. The bush is graceful and reaches between hip and chest height.
'Simply Samantha' rose was named in memory of the untimely death of a beloved daughter and sister. This sweetly scented rose produces large, beautifully shaped blooms, that open just enough to allow bees to visit the deeply seated stamens. This tall bush rose is extremely vigorous with long flowering stems. It makes a statement wherever it is planted.
Sixteen year old year old Cianliné van der Westhuizen suffered a traumatic brain injury as an infant, leaving her paralysed on the left side of her face and with a lob-sided smile. Despite a long road to recovery and bullying at school for her looks, she radiates strength and dreams of becoming a polytrauma surgeon. The Cianliné rose is a sturdy hybrid tea rose that grows vigorously and is resilient to climatic changes.
How roses are named
Every year new roses become available and it's been the practice of rose grower Ludwig Taschner to name a rose after someone he feels needs to be honoured. But as time has gone by more and more people have come to him wanting to name a rose after somebody who means lot to them personally.
In the huge trial grounds at Ludwig's Rose Farm there are 100's of roses on trial and once a rose has met the many criteria after three years of trials, it needs a name. That's when people are able to walk through the 'approved' roses and see which rose speaks to them. There is a price tag attached and the name needs to be acceptable.
That's how the latest rose, 'Bettina's Café' was selected. Bettina O' Grady wanted a rose to celebrate the 21st anniversary of 'living her dream' which was to give up her career in travel to open a coffee shop. With a pink rose in mind she visited the rose farm until she came to a tall rose with full petalled burgundy red blooms. Ludwig remembers that she pulled down one of the strongly fragrant blooms and smelt it, and instantly that became her rose.
For Bettina her rose is a symbol that 'it is never too late to live your dreams and there is no expiry date on pursuing those dreams with passion, love and perseverance.'
German rose breeder Thomas Proll offers the final word:' If you want a rose to be remembered it has to tell a story.' Details: www.ludwigsroses.co.za
Article and images supplied by Alice Coetzee.
For more on gardening, visit Get It Magazine.
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