As a specialist rose nursery for over 60 years we have seen and heard many interesting stories and would like to share a few with you all.
Multi-coloured Rose
I recall a customer who called our office and asked for a rose his friend has which had 5 different colours on it.
Sorry sir we do not have a rose which had 5 different colours to it, we replied. After lots of questioning we asked if he could take a photo of it for us to try and understand what he meant. Many weeks later in the mail came a photo (well before days of emails and digital cameras) and clearly in the photo was a rose with white, yellow, pink, red and lavender flowers. He was correct. The rose indeed has 5 different colours.
Not knowing how this happened we got out the back orders to see what rose he had bought which may have created this incredible sight. On his order was Pascali, Friesia, Papa Meilland, Charles de Gaulle and Baronne de Rothschild. We rang back and said when the order was sent there were 5 plants tied together in a bundle and it appears he has planted all in the same hole.
My friend is a professor and an incredibly smart person and would not have done that but I will ask him. A minute later came back the person who said. Oh he has done that and hung up.
Blackboy
As a regular helper at rose shows helping with answering questions we once had an interesting one.
A customer talking about roses discussed the wonderful rose they have in their garden called Blackboy.
I said yes it is a wonderful Australian bred climber bred by Alister Clark of Victoria.
No. Mine is a bush not a climber.
Sorry but the Blackboy has only ever been a climber and no bush exists.
Well I have a bush Blackboy. I got it from my local Chain store and so must be right. YOU have no idea what you are talking about for mine is right. What sort of expert are you!
Just smile through clenched teeth.
Flexible Weeper
Back some years ago we had a customer who bought a weeper. As these plants have a long stem of about 1.8m long most people opt for us to deliver. One customer who bought the rose decided they wanted to take it home with them that day.
No issues and we will help you load into your car.
No. Im fine. I will do it myself. Through the window we saw him place the bottom of the plant in the boot and then bend the entire stem in half to fit the top part into the boot also.
Written on their order sheet was. ‘Weeper bent in half and paced in the boot’. Just in case they come back saying plant was broken and didn’t grow.
No more room
An interesting one came from a long time customer who stopped buying year ago.
In conversation we asked if he was replacing old roses (thinking we may have to advise on replacing soil) and he stated no, I have more room to plant them in.
Knowing his garden was at capacity we did quiz him how he can get more roses in his property.
Oh no. He exclaimed. My garden is full. I am now setting up my neighbour’s garden with roses for me to enjoy.
It was a win, win as he got more flowers to pick and the neighbour got a full rose garden planted.
Think they must have been good long time neighbours.