The beauty of a single yellow rose has been a favorite
Zonta motif for more than a decade. In 1983 Valerie Webster, Lieutenant Governor
of District 16 (then Australia and New Zealand) proposed that an actual breed of
roses be developed as a living symbol of the organization. With crucial support
from local rose-grower and Zontian Mary Mason, the world-famous Harkness rose
nursery in England set about the assignment immediately. Zontian Maureen Ross of
Ross Roses in Adelaide, one of Australia's leading heritage rose suppliers, was
able to introduce the new Zonta Rose to Australia in time for the 1984 Sydney
Convention, where it was officially presented.
International President-Elect Val Sarah wrote us to recap some of these basic
facts, perhaps realizing that many newer members may not know the history of our
special flower (and, no doubt, justifiably proud of her fellow Australians and
New Zealanders). The lovely yellow bloom is now visible throughout the Antipodes
in members' gardens, memorial plantings, schools, hospitals, homes for the
elderly, and - most notably the Zonta Rose Garden with 200 roses as a tribute to
Australia's Bicentennial in 1988, in the forecourt of the Australian national
Parliament House in Canberra. This widespread planting is due in no small part
to the Noarlunga/ Southern Vales Club (South Australia), which made distribution
a special club project.
Zontians in rose-growing regions of the world will be interested in botanical
characteristics. The blooms are bright yellow, produced in large sprays, and
neatly spaced to form a natural floral bouquet. Each separate bloom is well
formed on its own long stem and is particularly long lasting, whether on the
bush or cut. Its fragrance is light and pleasant. Gardeners will appreciate that
it is easy to grow and hardy, reaching an average 1.2 meters high for an
eye-catching display. It is excellent as a bedding or massed display rose,
because the rich green foliage and bright yellow blooms show up effectively even
at a distance. Its neat growth makes it ideal as a hedgerow.
The Zonta Rose itself is also available in North America and the United
Kingdom. Its international registered name is "Hartanna," while it
also goes by the name "Princess Alice" in Canada and the UK, and
"Bright Lites" in the USA. Nonetheless, it is Zonta's own, and we look
forward to growing it in many more parts of the globe.
Because the breed was developed by major growers in England and Australia,
gardeners in the UK and Dominion apparently do not find it difficult to locate.
But Pat Moore and some of her fellow Zontians in the Paterson Area Club (New
Jersey, USA) made a labor-intensive search to find a North American nursery
dealing in our official bloom. They hope to save other seekers some trouble by
sharing the following source:
The rose is supplied under the name "Princess Alice Rose" by
Hortico
723 Robison Road
Rural Route 1, Waterdown
Ontario, Canada L0R 2H
US and Canadian readers or their local nurseries can inquire by phone
+1 (905) 689-6984, or fax +1 (905) 689-6566.
Do garden enthusiasts elsewhere in the Zonta World have more information? The
Zonta International Website will be glad to make it available. In related news,
there is also much interest in the beautiful full-color photography notecards of
the Zonta Rose. The floral pictures were taken by Mrs. Beverley Shore Bennett,
MBE, who signs her work "Salterne." A former District 16 Governor, as
well as Charter President of her Wellington, New Zealand Club, her artwork
extends well beyond photography. Beverley recently sent us exquisite
illustrations of large stained glass and tapestry installations she has created,
some of which have been selected for past UNICEF (United Nations International
Children's Fund) holiday cards. A framed enlargement of one of her rose photos
is displayed in the International Board dining room at Headquarters. Past
International PresidentVal Sarah is the main source for information on
the cards, and may be contacted through this Website.
