BIRDIES, EAGLES AND ALBATROSSES

Whether the Colin Horner rose, Hole in One is named after the golfing term or not I am not sure. But it probably is as it's breeder's code is HOReagle as an eagle is another golfing term.

Introduced by Paul Chessum Roses, I bought ours from the Hitchin Garden Centre on route to a football match in 2018. It is a hybrid tea rose, that has orange/red flowers and grows to about 60cm by 60. Colin Horner, who was an amateur rose breeder, used the seed of an unnamed seedling that come from Southampton x ((New Penny x White Pet) x Stars n Strips. As for the pollen it came from (Vesper x Unnamed Seedling) x Edith Holden,

Though it is the only golf related rose we have, I know of one or two that have been named after famous golfers as their have been ones named for Gary Player and Tony Jacklin.

Gary Player Rose - was bred in South Africa by John Herboldt by crossing Jolie Madame with an unnamed seedling. It is a hybrid tea rose with flowers that are a blend of orange and was first introduced as Goliath before being renamed for the great South African golfer.

Tony Jacklin Rose - is a floribunda rose that was bred by Samuel McGredy IV by crossing City of Leeds with Irish Eyes. It has orange-pink flowers that darken with age and is named after the English golfer who the Open Championship in 1969 at Lytham St Anne's and in 1970 became the first British golfer to win the US Open since 1970.

The links between roses and golf goes back much further than these. As the American rose breeder, Captain George Clayton Thomas was also a famous designer of golf courses in the USA. Amongst the golf courses he designed were the original course at the Whitemarsh Valley Club and the courses at the Rivera Country Club, the Red Hill Country Club and the Spring Lake Golf Club. All in all, he designed twenty golf courses. Born in Philadelphia on October 3rd, 1873, he as well as breeding roses raised English Settlers and was a founder member of the English Settlers Club of America.

His first roses were bred at his then home, Bloomfield Farm, Chestnut Grove, Philadelphia and those after the First World War in Beverley Hills, where he then lived. During the war he had served with Army Air Services, raising to the rank of captain. From then on he was known as 'The Captain'.

The roses he bred that were introduced in the UK:

Bishop Darlington - has cream to pink flowers and is a hybrid musk rose that he bred by crossing Aviator Bleriot with Moonlight.

Bloomfield Abundance - a china rose that has small pink flowers and won a Gold Medal at Portland, Oregon.

His other roses he bred and where not introduced in the UK are Bloomfield Acrobat (HT), Bloomfield Advance (HT), Bloomfield Brilliant (Climber), Bloomfield Centenary (Tea), Bloomfield Comet

Captain Thomas was to die at his Beverley Hills home on February 28th, 1932 aged fifty-eight.