Lorraine Lee

Here is today's rose history lesson.  And for once I did know without looking it up.

There was a rose breeder by the name of Alister Clark who lived in Melbourne.  He bred many roses, a lot of which were lost in the mists of time because he didn't keep good records.  Those that have survived have been tracked down mostly by one woman, Susan Irvine.  Mrs. Irvine is a legend in her own right - she's written a handful of books on roses which are very readable.  I looked her up on Wikipedia last night to see if she was still alive.  Amazingly she is - she will turn 100 next year.

Back to Alister - he bred for Australian conditions, which was a first in the 1920s.  Lorraine Lee is probably his most famous rose - she flowers almost all year round, and her new foliage is a delightful bronzy colour.  We are lucky enough to have a thriving bush in the OGH garden.