A FLAMBOYANT NURSERYMAN ON THE ROAD

Known for his flamboyant dress sense and personality, Harry Wheatcroft originally ran with his brother a rose nursery near Nottingham and was responsible with his brother, Alfred, for bring many of the famous overseas bred roses to the British market.

The brothers, who later went their separate ways, had started their business just after the First World War on a one-acre site near to the river on the north east side of Nottingham. Alfred, who was the older of the two had escaped First World War National Service because of his bad eyesight and Harry, who was a conscientious objector, had been sentenced to two years in Wormwood Scrubs after being court marshalled for disobedience.

The land, which was of poor quality, had been bought for them by their father, George Alfred Wheatcroft, who was a journeyman, stonemason and bricklayer. While Harry worked at the nursery to subsidise the business, Alfred carried on with his old job. Eventually with so much competition from more established local businesses, the two brothers decided to concentrate on just one thing. As Alfred loved roses, that they decided they would be the plant for them, and to achieve this they took a six acre site near Gedling and Alfred gave up his other job.

Harry, who had been born at their grandparent's home in Sneinton, Nottingham on August 24th, 1898, becoming their salesman and would also travel miles to exhibit at sales and source new orders. This included trips to see many overseas breeders and the fruits of their labours saw them introduced to the British market roses the Meilland family and Mathias Tantau.

In the early 1930s the brothers obtained a 14 acre farmland site at Ruddington and a year later started renting the nearby Wilford Hall Farm. On the 100 acre site there, they grow about 400,000 roses a year and also started breeding a few of their own.

In 1962 the two brothers, who's relationship had always been a tempurous one, decided to go their separate ways with Harry settling up a new business with his sons.

Alfred, who one of his daughters had married the Dr Who actor, Tom Baker, died of a heart attack in 1965. At which time Harry took over his brother's nursery combining it with his. It was probably Alfred who was a skilful budder, that bred the few early roses that the bred, the later ones being bred by Harry's son, Christopher.

The roses that were probably bred by Alfred being:

Arthur J Taylor

- a hybrid tea with dark red flowers that they introduced in 1947.

Charlotte Wheatcroft

- a floribunda rose that was named after Harry's eldest daughter and introduced by them in 1957. It has bright scarlet flowers.

Don Bradman

- was named after the great Australian cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman, and is a hybrid tea rose with coppery claret flowers, that they introduced in 1938.

Doris Howard

- was introduced in 1957 and is a floribunda rose with blood red flowers.

Julia Clements

- was named after the English flower arranger, who married Sir Alexander Seton, the 10th Baronet of Aberton, in 1963. Introduced in 1956, it is a floribunda rose with bright red flowers.

Lady Nutting

- was introduced in 1938 and was named for the daughter of the 6th Earl of Airlie, Lady Helen Nutting (1890-1973). It is a hybrid tea rose with salmon pink flowers.

Marion Colthorpe

- is a hybrid tea rose that was introduced in 1946 and has coral coloured flowers that are shaded with lemon.

My Fair Lady

- was introduced in 1959, having been named after the Broadway Musical, and is a floribunda rose with rose pink flowers.

R.S. Hudson

- has yellow flowers and is a hybrid tea rose that was introduced in 1939.

Wheatcroft Giant

- is a hybrid tea rose with peachy pink flowers that was introduced in 1962.

After the two brothers had gone their separate ways, Harry sent up a new firm, Harry Wheatcroft and Sons, with his two sons, Christopher and David. They looked after the everyday business of the nurseries, allowing Harry to do other things. During his life time, Harry received many honours including being awarded the Victoria Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1972 and the Royal National Rose Society's Dean Hole Medal in 1973.

Christopher was to bred the odd rose and these included:

Orient Express - a hybrid tea rose that was introduced in 1978, having been bred by crossing Sunblest with an unnamed seedling.

Rose Hannes - was introduced in 1982 and is a hybrid tea rose with white flowers.

As well as the one we have, Harry Wheatcroft, there are many roses named after the family, and these include Alison Wheatcroft, which was named after Alfred's granddaughter, Anna Wheatcroft, a floribunda rose with salmon-orange flowers, that was named for Harry's youngest daughter and was bred by Mathias Tantau Jnr by crossing a seedling of Cinnabar with an unnamed seedling, Dorothy Wheatcroft, which was named after Harry's wife and was by Mathias Tantau Jnr and Mary Wheatcroft, that was named after other of Harry's daughters and was bred by Herbert Robinson.