Magazine  (2009)  Page(s) 27. Vol 36, No. 2.  Includes photo(s).
 
Dear lan, You may or may not remember me. - I'm a long time member of the Rose Society of Victoria and a member of the Rose Breeders Association since its inception; I 'showed' regularly at the Victorian Rose Shows for a long time with a little success and have striven for many years to breed a really good rose. Unfortunately advancing years and the ill health of my wife Mary reduced my activities with our roses although I still cherish and retained a number of my bushes. From my breeding endeavours I've bred a lovely rose which is named My Darling Mary for my wife. This was bred from spring 1994 by pollenating a 'Mary Delahunty' with pollen from a 'Norita'. - ever since seeing the first bloom I've been 'gunna' graft many buds from this seedling, which is now nearing 15yrs of age and still in its original pot without me having attempted the grafting. - It is a beautiful red rose with a delicate perfume that initially has good exhibition blooms holding shape for a long time and then transforms into an old fashioned quartered bloom that also holds for some time. - Attached are several photos to demonstrate some of those attributes. It is now a matter of urgency, before I and my seedling are too old, that I find a person who is very good at grafting roses so that I can have many more replicas of 'My Darling Mary'. - I am of course quite prepared to pay for this service. Ian, are you able to or do you know of another very good rosarian able to help me with this grafting? Once this has been done, perhaps you could advise me on how to have this rose trialed/tested/proven and eventually made available to the community generally.
Kind Regards, Max McLennan.