Alister Clark
Encyclopedia
Alister Clark was an Australian rose breeder.
, golfer, photographer — and rose breeder. Typically he began his rose breeding by ordering roses from Paul & Son in England; later they came from Nabonnand on the Riviera. He released about 150 roses between 1912 and his death, usually through the garden and sporting clubs he gave the royalties to.
Clark was also a keen breeder of daffodils.
Soon after the First World War Clark's experiments with Rosa gigantea petered out. He turned to creating what are essentially hybrid teas
in an astonishing variety of forms: low shrubs ('Mab Grimwade'), high bushes ('Editor Stewart'), rampant climbers ('Mrs Richard Turnbull'), pillar roses ('Princeps'), roses for hedges ('Sunny South'), ramblers ('Gladsome') and dwarves ('Borderer'). He seems to have had no breeding plan beyond making as many crosses as possible at “Glenara” and seeing what came up. His grounds became “a vast nursery for the propagation of roses and daffodils.” Roses should be tested in the climate they were meant for, he said. And he insisted that a seedling (like a yearling) takes three years to show what it can do.
Perhaps it is surprising for a man who wore a bowler hat and wing collar to the races in 1920, but his roses have the bright pinks, creamy apricots and hard reds of between-the-wars taste. It was the great age of the single or near-single rose; few can compare with 'Nancy Hayward,' 'Cicely Lascelles' or 'Squatter's Dream.' It is difficult to tell how his taste adjusted to the 1940s since 30 of the 40 roses he produced then have been lost, casualties of war. In any case, his roses of all periods have an endearing irregularity which holds our interest.
Clark's roses, with some exceptions, went out of fashion after his death. Others were lost or never released. But many have been revived since the 1990s by such enthusiasts as Susan Irvine and the nurseryman John Nieuwesteeg.
garden at Sintra outside Lisbon in Portugal has three. Sangerhausen
in north Germany has a small selection of Clark roses including two which would otherwise be extinct. Many of his roses were popular in the US between the wars and, after a long lapse, interest has revived. So far this is only partly shown in public collections. The Descanso Gardens
, La Canada Flintridge, California have had 55 and are said to be restoring their collection. Roses Unlimited of Laurens, South Carolina has 18 Clark roses on its list. 'Borderer' is said to be the Clark rose most popular with American gardeners. A few European collectors of hybrid gigantea crosses have Clark examples in private gardens. Apart from those, interested rose lovers must make their way to Australia.
Sixty-seven of his available roses are collected at the Alister Clark Memorial Rose Garden in Bulla
, the township next to “Glenara.” This collection should not be confused with that of the same name in the Botanic Gardens in St Kilda
, a Melbourne suburb, which has about five Clark varieties, unlabelled.
The National Rose Collection created by David Ruston at Renmark in South Australia has nearly all known Clark climbers, at least.
The Morwell Centenary Rose Garden in Gippsland lists 38, including the often-confused 'Black Boy' and 'Countess of Stradbroke.' Almost as big and closer to Melbourne is the informal collection at The Perfumed Garden and Roseraie at Mount Martha; very well presented.
Alister Clark (1864–1949) was an Australian rose breeder.
, golfer, photographer — and rose breeder. Typically he began his rose breeding by ordering roses from Paul & Son in England; later they came from Nabonnand on the Riviera. He released about 150 roses between 1912 and his death, usually through the garden and sporting clubs he gave the royalties to.
Clark was also a keen breeder of daffodils.
Soon after the First World War Clark's experiments with Rosa gigantea petered out. He turned to creating what are essentially hybrid teas
in an astonishing variety of forms: low shrubs ('Mab Grimwade'), high bushes ('Editor Stewart'), rampant climbers ('Mrs Richard Turnbull'), pillar roses ('Princeps'), roses for hedges ('Sunny South'), ramblers ('Gladsome') and dwarves ('Borderer'). He seems to have had no breeding plan beyond making as many crosses as possible at “Glenara” and seeing what came up. His grounds became “a vast nursery for the propagation of roses and daffodils.” Roses should be tested in the climate they were meant for, he said. And he insisted that a seedling (like a yearling) takes three years to show what it can do.
Perhaps it is surprising for a man who wore a bowler hat and wing collar to the races in 1920, but his roses have the bright pinks, creamy apricots and hard reds of between-the-wars taste. It was the great age of the single or near-single rose; few can compare with 'Nancy Hayward,' 'Cicely Lascelles' or 'Squatter's Dream.' It is difficult to tell how his taste adjusted to the 1940s since 30 of the 40 roses he produced then have been lost, casualties of war. In any case, his roses of all periods have an endearing irregularity which holds our interest.
Clark's roses, with some exceptions, went out of fashion after his death. Others were lost or never released. But many have been revived since the 1990s by such enthusiasts as Susan Irvine and the nurseryman John Nieuwesteeg.
garden at Sintra outside Lisbon in Portugal has three. Sangerhausen
in north Germany has a small selection of Clark roses including two which would otherwise be extinct. Many of his roses were popular in the US between the wars and, after a long lapse, interest has revived. So far this is only partly shown in public collections. The Descanso Gardens
, La Canada Flintridge, California have had 55 and are said to be restoring their collection. Roses Unlimited of Laurens, South Carolina has 18 Clark roses on its list. 'Borderer' is said to be the Clark rose most popular with American gardeners. A few European collectors of hybrid gigantea crosses have Clark examples in private gardens. Apart from those, interested rose lovers must make their way to Australia.
Sixty-seven of his available roses are collected at the Alister Clark Memorial Rose Garden in Bulla
, the township next to “Glenara.” This collection should not be confused with that of the same name in the Botanic Gardens in St Kilda
, a Melbourne suburb, which has about five Clark varieties, unlabelled.
The National Rose Collection created by David Ruston at Renmark in South Australia has nearly all known Clark climbers, at least.
The Morwell Centenary Rose Garden in Gippsland lists 38, including the often-confused 'Black Boy' and 'Countess of Stradbroke.' Almost as big and closer to Melbourne is the informal collection at The Perfumed Garden and Roseraie at Mount Martha; very well presented.
Alister Clark (1864–1949) was an Australian rose breeder.
, golfer, photographer — and rose breeder. Typically he began his rose breeding by ordering roses from Paul & Son in England; later they came from Nabonnand on the Riviera. He released about 150 roses between 1912 and his death, usually through the garden and sporting clubs he gave the royalties to.
Clark was also a keen breeder of daffodils.
Soon after the First World War Clark's experiments with Rosa gigantea petered out. He turned to creating what are essentially hybrid teas
in an astonishing variety of forms: low shrubs ('Mab Grimwade'), high bushes ('Editor Stewart'), rampant climbers ('Mrs Richard Turnbull'), pillar roses ('Princeps'), roses for hedges ('Sunny South'), ramblers ('Gladsome') and dwarves ('Borderer'). He seems to have had no breeding plan beyond making as many crosses as possible at “Glenara” and seeing what came up. His grounds became “a vast nursery for the propagation of roses and daffodils.” Roses should be tested in the climate they were meant for, he said. And he insisted that a seedling (like a yearling) takes three years to show what it can do.
Perhaps it is surprising for a man who wore a bowler hat and wing collar to the races in 1920, but his roses have the bright pinks, creamy apricots and hard reds of between-the-wars taste. It was the great age of the single or near-single rose; few can compare with 'Nancy Hayward,' 'Cicely Lascelles' or 'Squatter's Dream.' It is difficult to tell how his taste adjusted to the 1940s since 30 of the 40 roses he produced then have been lost, casualties of war. In any case, his roses of all periods have an endearing irregularity which holds our interest.
Clark's roses, with some exceptions, went out of fashion after his death. Others were lost or never released. But many have been revived since the 1990s by such enthusiasts as Susan Irvine and the nurseryman John Nieuwesteeg.
garden at Sintra outside Lisbon in Portugal has three. Sangerhausen
in north Germany has a small selection of Clark roses including two which would otherwise be extinct. Many of his roses were popular in the US between the wars and, after a long lapse, interest has revived. So far this is only partly shown in public collections. The Descanso Gardens
, La Canada Flintridge, California have had 55 and are said to be restoring their collection. Roses Unlimited of Laurens, South Carolina has 18 Clark roses on its list. 'Borderer' is said to be the Clark rose most popular with American gardeners. A few European collectors of hybrid gigantea crosses have Clark examples in private gardens. Apart from those, interested rose lovers must make their way to Australia.
Sixty-seven of his available roses are collected at the Alister Clark Memorial Rose Garden in Bulla
, the township next to “Glenara.” This collection should not be confused with that of the same name in the Botanic Gardens in St Kilda
, a Melbourne suburb, which has about five Clark varieties, unlabelled.
The National Rose Collection created by David Ruston at Renmark in South Australia has nearly all known Clark climbers, at least.
The Morwell Centenary Rose Garden in Gippsland lists 38, including the often-confused 'Black Boy' and 'Countess of Stradbroke.' Almost as big and closer to Melbourne is the informal collection at The Perfumed Garden and Roseraie at Mount Martha; very well presented.
Biography
Alister Clark was the son of an immigrant Scottish tenant farmer who did well in Australia, leaving his family with several outback cattle stations and “Glenara,” a big property in a valley north of Melbourne. His children knew Europe well and Alister was educated at Cambridge. He married a New Zealander with a fortune and never worked, giving himself over to the business of being a gentleman: huntsman, polo player, racehorse ownerAlister Clark Stakes
The Alister Clark Stakes is a MVRC Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, for three year-old colts and geldings, at set weights, over a distance of 2040 metres. It is held annually at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia...
, golfer, photographer — and rose breeder. Typically he began his rose breeding by ordering roses from Paul & Son in England; later they came from Nabonnand on the Riviera. He released about 150 roses between 1912 and his death, usually through the garden and sporting clubs he gave the royalties to.
Clark was also a keen breeder of daffodils.
Roses
Clark's main aim as a breeder was to produce roses that were hardy in the hot dry climate of southern Australia. To this end he made original use of crosses to Rosa gigantea, which produced in the second generation some of the toughest and most floriferous roses ever bred: 'Lorraine Lee' of 1924 and 'Nancy Hayward' of 1937 have never lost public favour. 'Black Boy' of 1919, 'Lady Huntingfield' of 1937 (named after the State Governor's wife) and 'Squatter's Dream' of 1923 (named after a racehorse) are outstanding roses which have been unknown or underrated outside Australia.Soon after the First World War Clark's experiments with Rosa gigantea petered out. He turned to creating what are essentially hybrid teas
Hybrid Tea
Hybrid Tea is a cultivar group of roses, created by cross-breeding two different types of roses, initially by hybridising Hybrid Perpetuals with Tea roses...
in an astonishing variety of forms: low shrubs ('Mab Grimwade'), high bushes ('Editor Stewart'), rampant climbers ('Mrs Richard Turnbull'), pillar roses ('Princeps'), roses for hedges ('Sunny South'), ramblers ('Gladsome') and dwarves ('Borderer'). He seems to have had no breeding plan beyond making as many crosses as possible at “Glenara” and seeing what came up. His grounds became “a vast nursery for the propagation of roses and daffodils.” Roses should be tested in the climate they were meant for, he said. And he insisted that a seedling (like a yearling) takes three years to show what it can do.
Perhaps it is surprising for a man who wore a bowler hat and wing collar to the races in 1920, but his roses have the bright pinks, creamy apricots and hard reds of between-the-wars taste. It was the great age of the single or near-single rose; few can compare with 'Nancy Hayward,' 'Cicely Lascelles' or 'Squatter's Dream.' It is difficult to tell how his taste adjusted to the 1940s since 30 of the 40 roses he produced then have been lost, casualties of war. In any case, his roses of all periods have an endearing irregularity which holds our interest.
Clark's roses, with some exceptions, went out of fashion after his death. Others were lost or never released. But many have been revived since the 1990s by such enthusiasts as Susan Irvine and the nurseryman John Nieuwesteeg.
Rose names and dedications
Most of Clark's roses are named after and for women he knew, more often than not from landed families ('Cicely Lascelles,' 'Kitty Kininmonth'). Most women in his own family and all wives of Victorian Governors and Australian Governors-General had roses named for them. Lady Gowrie already had one, so hers had to be called 'Zara Hore-Ruthven.' Very few men received roses, all of them rose people in one way or another. Far more are devoted to racehorses: 'Squatter's Dream,' 'Tonner's Fancy,' 'Flying Colours' and so on. Trailing the field are descriptive titles: 'Sunny South,' 'Borderer' and 'Daydream.' 'Scorcher' and 'Billy Boiler' were slang for a hot day.Where Alister Clark roses can be seen
Public gardens in suitable climates beyond Australia contain a tiny number of his roses. The Monserrate PalaceMonserrate Palace
The Monserrate Palace is an exotic palatial villa located near Sintra, Portugal, the traditional summer resort of the Portuguese court. It was built in 1858 for Sir Francis Cook, an English baronet created visconde de Monserrate by King Luís. Monserrate turned to an English architect, James...
garden at Sintra outside Lisbon in Portugal has three. Sangerhausen
Europa-Rosarium
The Europa-Rosarium , formerly the Rosarium Sangerhausen, is a municipal rose garden located at Steinberger Weg 3, Sangerhausen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, which describes itself at the largest rose collection in the world. It is open daily in the warmer months; an admission fee is charged...
in north Germany has a small selection of Clark roses including two which would otherwise be extinct. Many of his roses were popular in the US between the wars and, after a long lapse, interest has revived. So far this is only partly shown in public collections. The Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens, located in La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles County, California, is a botanical garden.At one time, this property belonged to newspaper magnate E. Manchester Boddy, who owned the Los Angeles Daily News...
, La Canada Flintridge, California have had 55 and are said to be restoring their collection. Roses Unlimited of Laurens, South Carolina has 18 Clark roses on its list. 'Borderer' is said to be the Clark rose most popular with American gardeners. A few European collectors of hybrid gigantea crosses have Clark examples in private gardens. Apart from those, interested rose lovers must make their way to Australia.
Sixty-seven of his available roses are collected at the Alister Clark Memorial Rose Garden in Bulla
Bulla, Victoria
Bulla is a locality and township in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It is adjacent to the Melbourne metropolitan area. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
, the township next to “Glenara.” This collection should not be confused with that of the same name in the Botanic Gardens in St Kilda
St Kilda Botanic Gardens
St Kilda Botanical Gardens are a botanical garden located in the suburb St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. Located on the former site of a gravel pit and rubbish dump, they were formally gazetted on 28 September 1859 and opened in 1861....
, a Melbourne suburb, which has about five Clark varieties, unlabelled.
The National Rose Collection created by David Ruston at Renmark in South Australia has nearly all known Clark climbers, at least.
The Morwell Centenary Rose Garden in Gippsland lists 38, including the often-confused 'Black Boy' and 'Countess of Stradbroke.' Almost as big and closer to Melbourne is the informal collection at The Perfumed Garden and Roseraie at Mount Martha; very well presented.
Alister Clark (1864–1949) was an Australian rose breeder.
Biography
Alister Clark was the son of an immigrant Scottish tenant farmer who did well in Australia, leaving his family with several outback cattle stations and “Glenara,” a big property in a valley north of Melbourne. His children knew Europe well and Alister was educated at Cambridge. He married a New Zealander with a fortune and never worked, giving himself over to the business of being a gentleman: huntsman, polo player, racehorse ownerAlister Clark Stakes
The Alister Clark Stakes is a MVRC Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, for three year-old colts and geldings, at set weights, over a distance of 2040 metres. It is held annually at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia...
, golfer, photographer — and rose breeder. Typically he began his rose breeding by ordering roses from Paul & Son in England; later they came from Nabonnand on the Riviera. He released about 150 roses between 1912 and his death, usually through the garden and sporting clubs he gave the royalties to.
Clark was also a keen breeder of daffodils.
Roses
Clark's main aim as a breeder was to produce roses that were hardy in the hot dry climate of southern Australia. To this end he made original use of crosses to Rosa gigantea, which produced in the second generation some of the toughest and most floriferous roses ever bred: 'Lorraine Lee' of 1924 and 'Nancy Hayward' of 1937 have never lost public favour. 'Black Boy' of 1919, 'Lady Huntingfield' of 1937 (named after the State Governor's wife) and 'Squatter's Dream' of 1923 (named after a racehorse) are outstanding roses which have been unknown or underrated outside Australia.Soon after the First World War Clark's experiments with Rosa gigantea petered out. He turned to creating what are essentially hybrid teas
Hybrid Tea
Hybrid Tea is a cultivar group of roses, created by cross-breeding two different types of roses, initially by hybridising Hybrid Perpetuals with Tea roses...
in an astonishing variety of forms: low shrubs ('Mab Grimwade'), high bushes ('Editor Stewart'), rampant climbers ('Mrs Richard Turnbull'), pillar roses ('Princeps'), roses for hedges ('Sunny South'), ramblers ('Gladsome') and dwarves ('Borderer'). He seems to have had no breeding plan beyond making as many crosses as possible at “Glenara” and seeing what came up. His grounds became “a vast nursery for the propagation of roses and daffodils.” Roses should be tested in the climate they were meant for, he said. And he insisted that a seedling (like a yearling) takes three years to show what it can do.
Perhaps it is surprising for a man who wore a bowler hat and wing collar to the races in 1920, but his roses have the bright pinks, creamy apricots and hard reds of between-the-wars taste. It was the great age of the single or near-single rose; few can compare with 'Nancy Hayward,' 'Cicely Lascelles' or 'Squatter's Dream.' It is difficult to tell how his taste adjusted to the 1940s since 30 of the 40 roses he produced then have been lost, casualties of war. In any case, his roses of all periods have an endearing irregularity which holds our interest.
Clark's roses, with some exceptions, went out of fashion after his death. Others were lost or never released. But many have been revived since the 1990s by such enthusiasts as Susan Irvine and the nurseryman John Nieuwesteeg.
Rose names and dedications
Most of Clark's roses are named after and for women he knew, more often than not from landed families ('Cicely Lascelles,' 'Kitty Kininmonth'). Most women in his own family and all wives of Victorian Governors and Australian Governors-General had roses named for them. Lady Gowrie already had one, so hers had to be called 'Zara Hore-Ruthven.' Very few men received roses, all of them rose people in one way or another. Far more are devoted to racehorses: 'Squatter's Dream,' 'Tonner's Fancy,' 'Flying Colours' and so on. Trailing the field are descriptive titles: 'Sunny South,' 'Borderer' and 'Daydream.' 'Scorcher' and 'Billy Boiler' were slang for a hot day.Where Alister Clark roses can be seen
Public gardens in suitable climates beyond Australia contain a tiny number of his roses. The Monserrate PalaceMonserrate Palace
The Monserrate Palace is an exotic palatial villa located near Sintra, Portugal, the traditional summer resort of the Portuguese court. It was built in 1858 for Sir Francis Cook, an English baronet created visconde de Monserrate by King Luís. Monserrate turned to an English architect, James...
garden at Sintra outside Lisbon in Portugal has three. Sangerhausen
Europa-Rosarium
The Europa-Rosarium , formerly the Rosarium Sangerhausen, is a municipal rose garden located at Steinberger Weg 3, Sangerhausen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, which describes itself at the largest rose collection in the world. It is open daily in the warmer months; an admission fee is charged...
in north Germany has a small selection of Clark roses including two which would otherwise be extinct. Many of his roses were popular in the US between the wars and, after a long lapse, interest has revived. So far this is only partly shown in public collections. The Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens, located in La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles County, California, is a botanical garden.At one time, this property belonged to newspaper magnate E. Manchester Boddy, who owned the Los Angeles Daily News...
, La Canada Flintridge, California have had 55 and are said to be restoring their collection. Roses Unlimited of Laurens, South Carolina has 18 Clark roses on its list. 'Borderer' is said to be the Clark rose most popular with American gardeners. A few European collectors of hybrid gigantea crosses have Clark examples in private gardens. Apart from those, interested rose lovers must make their way to Australia.
Sixty-seven of his available roses are collected at the Alister Clark Memorial Rose Garden in Bulla
Bulla, Victoria
Bulla is a locality and township in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It is adjacent to the Melbourne metropolitan area. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
, the township next to “Glenara.” This collection should not be confused with that of the same name in the Botanic Gardens in St Kilda
St Kilda Botanic Gardens
St Kilda Botanical Gardens are a botanical garden located in the suburb St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. Located on the former site of a gravel pit and rubbish dump, they were formally gazetted on 28 September 1859 and opened in 1861....
, a Melbourne suburb, which has about five Clark varieties, unlabelled.
The National Rose Collection created by David Ruston at Renmark in South Australia has nearly all known Clark climbers, at least.
The Morwell Centenary Rose Garden in Gippsland lists 38, including the often-confused 'Black Boy' and 'Countess of Stradbroke.' Almost as big and closer to Melbourne is the informal collection at The Perfumed Garden and Roseraie at Mount Martha; very well presented.
Alister Clark (1864–1949) was an Australian rose breeder.
Biography
Alister Clark was the son of an immigrant Scottish tenant farmer who did well in Australia, leaving his family with several outback cattle stations and “Glenara,” a big property in a valley north of Melbourne. His children knew Europe well and Alister was educated at Cambridge. He married a New Zealander with a fortune and never worked, giving himself over to the business of being a gentleman: huntsman, polo player, racehorse ownerAlister Clark Stakes
The Alister Clark Stakes is a MVRC Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, for three year-old colts and geldings, at set weights, over a distance of 2040 metres. It is held annually at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia...
, golfer, photographer — and rose breeder. Typically he began his rose breeding by ordering roses from Paul & Son in England; later they came from Nabonnand on the Riviera. He released about 150 roses between 1912 and his death, usually through the garden and sporting clubs he gave the royalties to.
Clark was also a keen breeder of daffodils.
Roses
Clark's main aim as a breeder was to produce roses that were hardy in the hot dry climate of southern Australia. To this end he made original use of crosses to Rosa gigantea, which produced in the second generation some of the toughest and most floriferous roses ever bred: 'Lorraine Lee' of 1924 and 'Nancy Hayward' of 1937 have never lost public favour. 'Black Boy' of 1919, 'Lady Huntingfield' of 1937 (named after the State Governor's wife) and 'Squatter's Dream' of 1923 (named after a racehorse) are outstanding roses which have been unknown or underrated outside Australia.Soon after the First World War Clark's experiments with Rosa gigantea petered out. He turned to creating what are essentially hybrid teas
Hybrid Tea
Hybrid Tea is a cultivar group of roses, created by cross-breeding two different types of roses, initially by hybridising Hybrid Perpetuals with Tea roses...
in an astonishing variety of forms: low shrubs ('Mab Grimwade'), high bushes ('Editor Stewart'), rampant climbers ('Mrs Richard Turnbull'), pillar roses ('Princeps'), roses for hedges ('Sunny South'), ramblers ('Gladsome') and dwarves ('Borderer'). He seems to have had no breeding plan beyond making as many crosses as possible at “Glenara” and seeing what came up. His grounds became “a vast nursery for the propagation of roses and daffodils.” Roses should be tested in the climate they were meant for, he said. And he insisted that a seedling (like a yearling) takes three years to show what it can do.
Perhaps it is surprising for a man who wore a bowler hat and wing collar to the races in 1920, but his roses have the bright pinks, creamy apricots and hard reds of between-the-wars taste. It was the great age of the single or near-single rose; few can compare with 'Nancy Hayward,' 'Cicely Lascelles' or 'Squatter's Dream.' It is difficult to tell how his taste adjusted to the 1940s since 30 of the 40 roses he produced then have been lost, casualties of war. In any case, his roses of all periods have an endearing irregularity which holds our interest.
Clark's roses, with some exceptions, went out of fashion after his death. Others were lost or never released. But many have been revived since the 1990s by such enthusiasts as Susan Irvine and the nurseryman John Nieuwesteeg.
Rose names and dedications
Most of Clark's roses are named after and for women he knew, more often than not from landed families ('Cicely Lascelles,' 'Kitty Kininmonth'). Most women in his own family and all wives of Victorian Governors and Australian Governors-General had roses named for them. Lady Gowrie already had one, so hers had to be called 'Zara Hore-Ruthven.' Very few men received roses, all of them rose people in one way or another. Far more are devoted to racehorses: 'Squatter's Dream,' 'Tonner's Fancy,' 'Flying Colours' and so on. Trailing the field are descriptive titles: 'Sunny South,' 'Borderer' and 'Daydream.' 'Scorcher' and 'Billy Boiler' were slang for a hot day.Where Alister Clark roses can be seen
Public gardens in suitable climates beyond Australia contain a tiny number of his roses. The Monserrate PalaceMonserrate Palace
The Monserrate Palace is an exotic palatial villa located near Sintra, Portugal, the traditional summer resort of the Portuguese court. It was built in 1858 for Sir Francis Cook, an English baronet created visconde de Monserrate by King Luís. Monserrate turned to an English architect, James...
garden at Sintra outside Lisbon in Portugal has three. Sangerhausen
Europa-Rosarium
The Europa-Rosarium , formerly the Rosarium Sangerhausen, is a municipal rose garden located at Steinberger Weg 3, Sangerhausen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, which describes itself at the largest rose collection in the world. It is open daily in the warmer months; an admission fee is charged...
in north Germany has a small selection of Clark roses including two which would otherwise be extinct. Many of his roses were popular in the US between the wars and, after a long lapse, interest has revived. So far this is only partly shown in public collections. The Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens, located in La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles County, California, is a botanical garden.At one time, this property belonged to newspaper magnate E. Manchester Boddy, who owned the Los Angeles Daily News...
, La Canada Flintridge, California have had 55 and are said to be restoring their collection. Roses Unlimited of Laurens, South Carolina has 18 Clark roses on its list. 'Borderer' is said to be the Clark rose most popular with American gardeners. A few European collectors of hybrid gigantea crosses have Clark examples in private gardens. Apart from those, interested rose lovers must make their way to Australia.
Sixty-seven of his available roses are collected at the Alister Clark Memorial Rose Garden in Bulla
Bulla, Victoria
Bulla is a locality and township in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It is adjacent to the Melbourne metropolitan area. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
, the township next to “Glenara.” This collection should not be confused with that of the same name in the Botanic Gardens in St Kilda
St Kilda Botanic Gardens
St Kilda Botanical Gardens are a botanical garden located in the suburb St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. Located on the former site of a gravel pit and rubbish dump, they were formally gazetted on 28 September 1859 and opened in 1861....
, a Melbourne suburb, which has about five Clark varieties, unlabelled.
The National Rose Collection created by David Ruston at Renmark in South Australia has nearly all known Clark climbers, at least.
The Morwell Centenary Rose Garden in Gippsland lists 38, including the often-confused 'Black Boy' and 'Countess of Stradbroke.' Almost as big and closer to Melbourne is the informal collection at The Perfumed Garden and Roseraie at Mount Martha; very well presented.
In Canberra the centre of the Rex Hazlewood Rose Garden at Old Parliament House has 26 Alister Clark roses, including such relative rarities as 'Mrs Albert Nash.'
The Victoria State Rose Garden at Werribee Park
has a good collection, especially of his gigantea climbers.
The Geelong Botanic Gardens
have 'Borderer,' 'Lady Huntingfield,' Mrs Maud Alston,' 'Mrs Fred Danks' and 'Squatter's Dream.'
The Adelaide Botanical Garden
, South Australia has some, including 'Amy Johnson.'
Werribee Park
Werribee Park is the estate of a historical building in Werribee, Victoria, Australia. It includes Werribee Park Mansion, the Victoria State Rose Garden, formal gardens, the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, the Werribee Open Range Zoo, a contemporary sculpture walk and a natural riverine...
has a good collection, especially of his gigantea climbers.
The Geelong Botanic Gardens
Geelong Botanic Gardens
The Geelong Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden in the city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The gardens are located within Eastern Park on the eastern outskirts of the central business district...
have 'Borderer,' 'Lady Huntingfield,' Mrs Maud Alston,' 'Mrs Fred Danks' and 'Squatter's Dream.'
The Adelaide Botanical Garden
Adelaide Botanic Garden
The Adelaide Botanic Garden is a public garden at the north-east corner of the Adelaide city centre, in the Adelaide Park Lands. It encompasses a fenced garden on North Terrace and behind it the Botanic Park...
, South Australia has some, including 'Amy Johnson.'
