Kate Sheppard Rose
Important women in history deserve a long-lasting, healthy rose to be named after them. It shouldn't need to be pink and pretty, though. For example, a tough, robust, deeply wrinkled rugosa would be perfect for a tough, robust, deeply wrinkled woman. Hmm...
Meet Kate Sheppard the Rose
So it is with the slightest puzzlement that I'd like you to meet Kate Sheppard. The rose, as you can see from the photographs, is amazingly pretty and beautifully pink, flushed with the warmth of an expensive blusher.
Kate Sheppard the woman was a suffragette leader, responsible for women in New Zealand being the first to get the vote. I imagine her as a no-nonsense sort of woman, and I know she was heavily involved in the Temperance Movement.
Kate Sheppard Rose
Her rose grows near my Herb Spiral. I rescued two of her from a bare-root rose sale. This is their first proper flowering season, and I'm really impressed. The shrub is well proportioned (like a good woman should be) - a charming floribunda with impact. She's more than just a pretty pink face.
Kate Sheppard Rose
Perhaps a rose with strong dark red flowers or big, bold stripes might have suited Kate Sheppard more. Mind you, she does also give her name to a beautiful white Camellia. What's in a name?