Something wonderful has happened to the roses in the Alister Clarke Rose Garden in the St Kilda Botanical Gardens. Well, it is wonderful to me. Some lovely person has identified these roses and now they have name plaques.
There is something about looking at a rose and knowing its name. It adds an extra pleasure. With no names it’s like a never ending sea of flowers. There is no way to distinguish one from the other. I like to isolate the individual. I have mentioned the lack of names before see here. And see Ester’s comment. I hope it has been a labour of love and my thanks to Ester.
It is also fun to see the names the rose breeders have come up with; Dolly Parton for example. Would you have guessed the name by looking at the rose?
Then there is Apricot Passion – it sounds like a wallow in a mango.
Reading the names as I did the other morning, showed how many of the roses had been propagated by rose breeder David Austin.
Then there are those attributed to Alister Clark and of course it is his rose garden. This name of his is a puzzle.
I thank the ‘Rose Namer’. It is lovely to become acquainted with these roses – it’s a pity the prickles prevent a handshake.
Where:-
St Kilda Botanical Gardens
The gardens are open from sunrise to sunset (from dawn until dusk) seven days a week.
Getting there:-
96 Tram to the terminus the end of Acland Street. Walk up Blessington Street – on your left.
67 Tram to the corner of Brighton Road and Carlisle Street and walk along Blessington Street -on the right off Brighton Road.
I was delighted to see, while scouting the rose garden for my daughter’s wedding ceremony, that the rose surrounding the torunda is a ‘Kitty Kininmonth’, named in 1922 after my great aunt Kitty (later Cave) of Mt Hesse, Winchelsea.
Knowing this will add even more pleasure to the occasion next weekend.
Dear Philip
Thank you for sharing your find with us. How lovely to discover such an interesting piece of family heritage that will be part of your daughter’s wedding. It will add to the beautiful occasion. My best wishes for the day – Em
I have been searching, unsuccessfully, for a list of the roses that Alastair Clarke bred. Would you have such a compilation? Are there any books specifically about his roses? Is there a commercial rose breeder who can/will export basre root roses to Canada? I would be so grateful for your help.
Barbara Nield,
Garden Bay, B.C.
Canada V0N 1S1
Dear Barbara
You may like to try this site. http://www.treloarroses.com.au/default.asp?contentID=2 I believe the owners are very good at giving information and help. I have just bought a Graham Thomas climber that I hope is going to look and smell wonderful growing against my side fence. Best of luck, Em
wow those flowers are really amazing! The redness of the Apricot passion is just too good for my eyes… I have always dreamt of one day having a garden that will be full of flowers such as these. Now you are motivating me to pursue that dream with these wonderful images!