THE GENEROUS GARDENER
Last week we went away to one of our favourite places, one that holds years of happy memories. Our children and grandchildren came with us and we had a wonderful time walking along the coastal path, seeing old friends and swimming in the sea. Our children know we love our garden so for our anniversary present they bought us two rose bushes. They are from David Austin so are guaranteed to be fabulous.
Our children chose a pink climbing rose and a yellow rose: The Generous Gardener and The Poets Wife. My DH is a poet, so I’m the poet’s wife, and he is a very generous gardener always ready to hand on fruit and flowers and cuttings. Our daughter wanted to find a name that was just for me – not just as an adjunct to my husband – but there was nothing that reflected my writing life. I had a quick look through David Austin’s roses and only found one writer, Karen Blixen, an unusual choice. I had expected a Jane Austin, a Charlotte Bronte, or even a Jilly Cooper, but no.
Good writers are often good gardeners so I’m sure they’d be happy to choose interesting and unusual names. I came up with a few of my own. What about the authentic author, the real writer, the perfect plotter, the weaver of words? I went on and got sillier – what about The Social Climber? I think it’s a great name for a climbing rose but who would buy it? I mean, you’d not buy it for yourself with its connotations of Hyacinth Bucket, and if you bought it as a present who would you give it to?
Roses have thorns as well as enticing scent and beautiful blooms so their names could reflect that: the piercing penner; the sharp remarker. Feel free to add your own.
So, I’m offering a challenge to David Austin. Please can you name a new rose after a writer, and preferably a woman writer? I know it takes a long time to develop and grow a new rose so by the time it’s in catalogues and garden centres I might actually have a book in print ...
