User:MauraWen/sandbox Jack Harkness
Harkness Roses (a trading name of R. Harkness & Co. Ltd) are rose breeders based at Hitchin, Hertfordshire in England.[1] The nursery was founded in 1879 in Yorkshire. Early varieties included a sport of 'Heinrich Schultheis' introduced in 1893 as 'Mrs. Harkness'. In the 1950s, Harkness popularized 'Frensham' and 'Ena Harkness', both developed by amateur Albert Norman, and for a time 'Ena Harkness' was the most popular red hybrid tea rose in the world.
Ted Hughes worked for the firm during the summer of 1955: "The job is following round the expert as he grafts expensive rose-buds onto common bushes, and doing all the trimming and tying-up-with-raffia—a back-breaking job apparently, but outside, and with roses, and with good employers." §[2]
Jack Harkness[edit]
Jack Harkness (1918—1994) worked for the family's rose-growing firm from 1937 to 1977, with time out for army service in World War II.
In the early 1960's, he began developing new rose cultivars with the goal of better health. He went on to win a medal in Rome and a prize in Paris for a red-and-white shrub rose named Marjorie Fair. Its admirers have called it spectacular. Other awards for his breeding work, which was in association with Alec Cocker, came from the United States and Australia.
Varieties introduced[edit]
- 'Mrs. Harkness' (1893)
- 'Frensham'
- 'Ena Harkness'
- 'Alexander' (1972)
- 'Compassion' (1972)
- 'Yesterday' (1974)
- 'Margaret Merrill' (1977)
- 'Anne Harkness' (1979)
- 'Amber Queen' (1983)
- 'Bill Slim' (1987)
- 'Bridge of Sighs' (2000)
- 'Rosa Belmonte' (2007)
- 'Soham Rose' (2003) in memory of the victims of the Soham murders[3]
Jack Harkness (1918-1994) was a British award-winning rose hybridizer, who has created more than 100 rose varieties, including eleven All America Rose Selections (AARS).
Early life and education[edit]
Career[edit]
Harkness started breeding roses in 1962. His goal was to breed healthier roses. Harkness's early successes were all Hybrid teas like 'Alexander' (1972) or 'Compassion' (1972). These were followed by Floribunda with large, hybrid tea shaped flowers. Examples are 'Margaret Merril) (1977), 'Amber Queen', (1983) and Bill Slim (1987).
Selected roses[edit]
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Rose gallery[edit]
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See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "English Company 00539359 R.HARKNESS & CO. LIMITED". Companies House. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ^ (p.29, Letters of Ted Hughes ed. Christopher Reid, pub. 2007)
- ^ "Rose grown for Soham girls". BBC. 17 April 2003. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
JUNE 27, 1994 NY Times
Jack Harkness, a British grower and breeder of roses and an author, died on June 18. He was 75 and lived in Southwold, England. In his long career, Mr. Harkness introduced roses with names that were sometimes romantic, like "Compassion," "Yesterday" and "Amber Queen," sometimes exotic, like "Tigris" and "Euphrates," and sometimes aristocratic, like "Mountbatten."
He was born into a family that began raising roses in the 19th century. He worked for the family's rose-growing firm, R. Harkness & Company, in Hertfordshire, from 1937 to 1977, with time out for army service in World War II.
In the early 1960's, he began cross-breeding roses. He went on to win a medal in Rome and a prize in Paris for a red-and-white shrub rose named Marjorie Fair. Its admirers have called it spectacular. Other awards for his breeding work, which was in association with Alec Cocker, came from the United States and Australia.
The titles Mr. Harkness gave his several books also varied in tone, from the brisk "Growing Roses" (1967) to the dreamy "The Makers of Heavenly Roses" (1985).
He is survived by his wife, Betty, a daughter and two sons.
Harkness Roses https://www.gardenforum.co.uk/news/people/tribute-to-rose-grower-and-breeder-robert-harkness/