Eight years ago, I was working in my Rose House at Woodland Gardens. As their rosarian, I would typically order in around a thousand bare-root roses of all types. We’d pot them up in March and put them in a cold, covered hoop house. When things started warming up, I’d be out there pruning, watering, fertilizing, and organizing.

This process always takes weeks, and in May of 2007 I was in the middle of it all when I had a visit from a customer. Her name was Gayle and she was obviously very upset. Her mom had just passed away and she was devastated.

She told me that her mother had always loved roses and her father had grown them just for her. He would always keep a perfect rose on the table for her during the growing season, much to Mom’s delight.

Rose Delights

Gayle had never grown roses before. She thought she could keep a connection with her mom if she planted a rose garden in honor of her. We spent the whole morning together. Sometimes she cried on my shoulder and I would give her a warm hug to comfort her. I explained to her that I believe all roses have a personality and that any rose she chose would be happy to get to know her. By the time we parted that day, I had given her Roses 101 and we packed her vehicle with roses and everything else she needed to have a lovely rose garden.

As we hugged goodbye, she asked me, “Is there a rose named Marion?” I told her I wasn’t sure but I would check with rosarian friends and find out what I could. What I found out was that there were a couple of old ramblers out there with ‘Marion’ in the name, but they wouldn’t have fit her garden scheme.

Over the next couple of years, I left the garden center and went to take on the Rosarian position at the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden after my friend, Donna Fuss, passed away. I’d see Gayle periodically and let her know I was still thinking about a rose for her. She had really touched my heart on that cold, drizzly May morning.

An Idea

One day in 2009 when I was writing a report for the Board at the park, I had a thought. And, I took a chance. I wrote an email to David Austin UK telling all about my lovely customer. How she would love to have a rose named Marion. I wondered if they had something out in the shed that was as yet unnamed. Maybe they would be interested in starting a ‘Sherwood Forest’ series of roses: ‘Friar Tuck,’ ‘Sheriff of Nottingham’…or perhaps ‘Maid Marion?’ I sent my request off into the abyss, not sure it would wind up where it was supposed to go.

I heard back from Michael Marriott (the head rosarian at David Austin UK) after a few days. He wrote a charming email and thanked me for reaching out. He said that everything had a name for that year, that he would have to check copyright laws, and that he hoped I’d have a lovely summer. Oh well, I thought. At least I was able to connect with him!

Success!

Around Valentine’s Day 2010, I heard from Michael again. His email said, “Congratulations! ‘Maid Marion‘ is being introduced at Chelsea (flower show) in May!”

I was thrilled, and I couldn’t wait to tell Gayle. Then, it dawned on me that I didn’t know her last name…so I emailed Cary (the IT whiz) at Woodland Gardens asked her to email all the Gayles on her list and let them know I had news on a rose. Within a half hour or so, I heard back from Gayle S. When I gave her the news she was perfectly delighted.

New plants coming in from foreign countries have to undergo a two-year quarantine, so Michael thought we’d have the rose in 2011. Long story short, there were some other problems, so 2015 is the year ‘Maid Marion’ was finally introduced in the US. Michael had two ‘Maid Marion’ roses sent…one for me, and one for Gayle. Last Sunday, June 7th, I was finally able to introduce Gayle and her rose to the Connecticut Rose Society at a lovely outdoor meeting at Woodland Gardens, where the story began.

Sometimes, all the stars align for a perfectly wonderful story ending…and a new beginning, too!

Here’s a big thank-you to Michael Marriott for being so accommodating and such a wonderful, gentle man. This story is another wonderful example of how roses can and do bring people together.