A rose by any other name

We love a rose in the UK, and many are named after famous women, from royalty to fictional favourites. Here are some of our favourites...

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Of all the honours that can be bestowed on a public figure, can anything compare to having a rose named after you? Growers may develop a rose that fits a celebrity's character, or involve them in choosing the colour, fragrance and habit of the plant that will bear their name. And a rose by any name will always bring beauty to a garden.

FICTIONAL BEAUTY

Bathsheba

This rose is named after Bathsheba Everdene, Thomas Hardy's bewitching heroine in Far from the Madding Crowd, who is loved by three men. After rejecting steady Gabriel Oak, she marries the dashing Sergeant Troy, who is already secretly betrothed. Dour landowner Mr Boldwood also falls under her spell - with fatal results. In yellow and apricot, the Rosa 'Bathsheba' climbing rose from David Austin captures her elusive beauty.

Wild-spirited writer

Emily Brontë

'Stronger than a man, simpler than a child, her nature stood alone.' That's how Emily Brontë, the author of