A farmer’s daughter. A legacy from you to me

Happy mother’s day, mummy!

Still strong and looking lovely!

I love these pictures of you at 21 and pushing 80! An example for us all.

You are all the way in the Midlands and most of your children live elsewhere in the UK, but thank goodness we’ve all got phones and access to the internet.

We spoke this morning and I wished you a good day. We counted our blessings during this difficult time of Covid-19, and shared good words to keep our spirits up. I spoke to you again an hour ago and was happy to hear that you’d changed your mind about that ‘little stroll’ within the grounds of your apartment building. A tricky balance to find, I know, but the latest guidance is ‘please don’t do it’.

I have a few memories and thoughts to share with you that might make you smile this mother’s day:

'I love roses - they are the kings of all flowers!' you said in the summer of 2009.

You recently told me that up until you left Jamaica for the UK in the 60s to study nursing, you were in charge of the front garden at your family’s homestead. No-one else was allowed to make any changes to it. There were rose bushes in that garden. ‘Palmoral’ roses, your mother called them. I have searched high and low for a pink Rosa ‘Palmoral’ rose variety but haven’t been able find one. The closest I have found is Rosa ‘Balmoral’, which is red and was introduced in 2006. Dead end. I would very much love to grow the rose, so my search continues. If any rosarians out there can help me find information about a pink rose with a similar name that grows well in the tropics, I would be most grateful. I suppose it could well be a ‘lost’ heritage variety …

Mummy, as you know, I wasn’t always this interested in roses. You moved to a new home in 2009, and the subject of roses came up. For some strange reason (we won’t go there), I was not a big fan of roses in 2009. At all. I actually tried to dissuade you from planting them. In true 'mummy’ fashion, you went ahead anyway and you planted not one, but many rose bushes! Over time, I slowly came to understand the magnificence and beauty of roses myself. They are truly beautiful.

Fast forward to 2018. The property was about to change hands but I was determined that those rose bushes would not be left behind. No way. I spent an evening and the best part of a night, into the wee hours, in poor light, unearthing every blessed one of your rose bushes. I emerged, pricked and lashed, but victorious and happy, with the root-balled and bagged rose bushes ready to go when day dawned. I transplanted them all to my allotment plots. I knew it wasn’t the best time of the year for the job (summer). I tried to minimise the stress to the plants as best as I could. Thankfully, the operation was largely successful. Only one plant didn’t make it: Rosa ‘Ena Harkness’, of the climbing variety.  That one failure was a huge blow. ‘Ena Harkness’ is a very special rose. The blooms are big and red and gorgeous. Amazing strong scent! The ‘neck’ of the bloom is a little weak, so the flowers hang a little - they are big! This is not a problem for the climbing variety. To me, it adds to the drama of the spectacle. In my experience, the plant is only occasionally ‘touched’ by blackspot. You were very proud of that rosebush. Your friends and visitors loved it too.

Your Rosa ‘Ena Harkness’ . A cutting of this plant is doing well.

Unknown to you, I had taken a few cuttings of your roses in the autumn before the house move. Many didn’t root. Six did. I am pleased to say that Rosa ‘Ena Harkness’ was one of the cuttings that rooted. It is growing on it’s own roots (as opposed to being grafted on to fast-growing root stock) so it is taking it’s own sweet time to come into it’s own. But, it is ALIVE. I expect to get some decent blooms this year.

I hope that the Covid-19 pandemic will be well and truly over by the summer so you can safely visit the allotments and see your beloved roses in full bloom. You will also be able to see a clone of your beloved ‘Ena Harkness’.

Today, I finally 'get it' and I can emphatically say 'I love roses!’ To me they are truly the kings of all flowers!

Here are two more of your roses, both of which are alive and well on my allotment plots today!

And oh! Here’s one of your pink rose bushes, super-healthy and laden with gorgeous blooms! It’s still alive and kicking.

‘I’ve done this before - I’m a farmer’s daughter, remember!’, you said proudly two seasons ago.

Like the seeds we used to sow in our garden in when we were growing up, the seed of the love of horticulture was buried deep within me, and has over the years grown into a mighty oak. I might not have been crazy about gardening at the time, but little did I know that it would find expression in my life today.

Thank you for the inspiration! Speaking of inspiration, you inspired us all again when you decided to take a floristry course at Capel Manor College in London at the age of 76!

When you moved to your present apartment, one of the first things you did was to make a patch of the communal gardens your own - by planting ROSES!

It was lovely to see you and your youngest grandson (my beloved nephew, ‘I’) planting garlic and potatoes on my plot two seasons ago. You cut the chitted seed potatoes into four pieces (each with with a bud on it) before planting – the way your father used to do it, and his father before. Indeed your grandfathers on both sides were Jamaican planters. My approach was different (used whole potato) but both methods yielded lots of delicious potatoes!

I look forward to seeing you do the same with your youngest granddaughter (my beloved niece, ‘K’), who wasn't present on the day. Both grandchildren have visited the allotments since that day to help (watering plants) and hinder (larking about - the nutters - lovely to see!) my work on my plots. I & K are the absolute best! Love them forever! I'm trying to do my bit to hopefully pass on the joy of plants and growing to them too.

Covid-19 is a real downer for us all. I hope it will all be over soon and everyone will pull through it. I hope the pictures in this message will bring back good memories. As we all wait Covid-19 out, I’m taking my mind off things by continuing to prepare for the 2020 growing season ...

After all, I am a farmer's granddaughter. It’s in the blood.

Thank you and happy mother’s day once again!

Lola X