A rose by any other name…

Several years ago I fell in love with a beautiful openhanded blowsy rose growing up the paries of a friend ’s Tudor house here in Suffolk . It ’s not unlike one called ‘ Lady Waterlow ’ that I featured in my last post . She differentiate me it was a David Austin rose call ‘ Mortimer Sackler . It was launch at Chelsea Flower Show in 2002 . The rightfulness to name the rose had been auction off to kindle funds for the National Trust . Theresa Sackler had won the auction and name this beautiful name after her married man Mortimer who was well known for his philanthropic work . The Sackler name was have a go at it throughout the artistic production world as the kinsperson donated generously to the Metropolitan Museuum of Art , the Guggenheim , the Louvre , and here in England , the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery and many other prestigious gallery . They also put up the funds for a beautiful bridge built over the lake at Kew in 2006 and know as the Sackler Crossing . I notice that it is now known as the Lake Crossing .

The Sackler room in the National Gallery which moderate such iconic pictures as Turner’sThe FightingTemeraireand Constable’sThe Haywainhad the signboard bearing the Sackler name take away in 2022 . Westminster Abbey which has small stained window bear the Sackler name seems embarrassed by it and is at pains to make it clear that projects at Westminster Abbey are no longer supported by the Sacklers . All over the world charities are distancing themselves as the Sackler name has become anathema .

The Sackler family , both Mortimer and his American relatives , made a hazard from their pharmaceutic company , Purdu Pharma which make a painkiller called OxyContin . This drug was much stronger than morphine and was responsible for an Opoid crisis which has killed and destruct the lives of 1000 and thousands of people in America . I realise that OxyContin was ruthlessly promoted as being non- habit-forming when it was have it off that this was not the pillowcase . And it is said that kickback were give to doctors who prescibed it . It is a sordid story and if you would like to sympathise it better then I recommend the book ‘ Empire of Pain ‘ by Patrick Radden Keefe which chronicles the cynical corruption and avaritia of this appalling saga .

Rosa .Mary Delany’

However beautiful , I ca n’t ideate many people would require to buy a rose wine with this name now . In 2022 , you might think somewhat belatedly , as the scandal was disclose in 2019 , David Austin renamed the rosiness ‘ Mary Delany ’ . This is a squeamish safe name as Mary Delany fail in 1788 . She was a remarkable noblewoman and the story of her spirit is fascinating . She was tie off at 17 , against her will , to a disgusting inebriated 45 years her older . He died when she was 23 but left his chance to his niece . So her ritual killing was unpointed . Mary was left with a modest widow ’s stipend . She seemed to spend most of her life living in other citizenry ’s plate . But she was not a figure of pity . She was an intellectual with a talent for art and music and mixed with the leading intellectuals of her day . She find felicity at last when she married an Irish cleric at the age of 43 . But her lifetime ’s work did not start until she was 72 and until her death she make 984 botanic masterpiece which are now in the British Museum . She tell ‘ I have found a Modern way of imitating flowers’and indeed she had . Her mixed sensitive collages were forward-looking . She created mosaic using century of pieces of cut up paper . If you are interested by Mary Delany , and her life account is gripping , I suggest you count out for the book , Mary Delany and her Flower Collagesby Ruth Hayden .

So back to the rosebush which is still beautiful and serenely unconcerned by its interchange gens . I grow it up one of my rose arches . It is a very healthy climber up to about 12 foot and it is practically thornless . It produces atomizer of gorgeous pallid pinkish twofold flowers which open up to reveal golden stamens . It flower over a long season and is a sincerely lovely rose . I ’m certain Mary Delany would be delighted if she could see her namesake .

27 Responses toA rose by any other name…

A beautiful Rose for sure , and the floor behind it is bewitching ! Her montage are gorgeous .

https://plantpostings.com

( I justify if this is a duplicate comment ; I was having some issue with WordPress . )

Rosa .Mary Delany’

Lovely rose now with a much more appropriate name .

More than one million Americans have died from opioid overdoses since 1999 , all or nearly all of them with kin and friends left damage by their loss .

Pingback : A Perfect Identity Change – Notes From My Garden

Damask Rose by Mary Delany.

A rose by any other name…