What helps us decide to purchase a particular rose? Perhaps it is their fragrance. Some are more fragrant than others and it’s easy to get “hooked” on fragrance in such a way that you just have to have that rose. Other times it could be colour, always a powerful influencer – a deep, deep red or a brilliant yellow, or a tantalizing pink that wins you over. Or it could be the name, name can pique curiosity about a rose. This rose, above, is Delany Sisters, a pink blend grandiflora. Where did that name come from? Who were the Delany Sisters.
Here is some of their background: “The Delany sisters, Sarah Louise Delany (1889–1999) and Annie Elizabeth Delany (1891–1995), were remarkable African-American women who made significant contributions to education and civil rights in the United States.
Sarah Louise Delany, often called Sadie, was the first African-American permitted to teach domestic science at the high school level in New York City. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 1920 and her master’s degree in education in 1925.
Annie Elizabeth Delany, known as Bessie, was the second African-American woman licensed to practice dentistry in New York State. She graduated from Columbia University’s School of Dental and Oral Surgery in 1923.
The sisters gained widespread recognition later in life with the publication of their joint autobiography, “Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years,” in 1993. The book, which became a bestseller, offers a vivid account of their lives and the challenges they faced growing up in the Jim Crow South and later in Harlem, New York. It was later adapted into a successful Broadway play and a television film.”
The rose bearing their name was created by hybridizer J.B. Williams of Silver Spring, Maryland. All this, and more, is available online.
In my garden, this rose can be counted on to provide flowers from late May into November. Looking at it through my window, I can see about a dozen flowers on it now. Always a joy to behold.
Gadabout Gardener is a recurring feature on the blog, appearing until the end of September./ Joe Barkovich photos.
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