AUTHORITY ON ROSES

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30681, 22 February 1965, Page 19

AUTHORITY ON ROSES

Visit By Mr Harvey Wheatcroft One of the world’s greatest authorities on roses, Mr Harry Wheatcroft, will visit Christchurch on March 1 on a lecture tour of New Zealand. He will lecture on roses at the Repertory Theatre on the evening of his arrival. . Mr H. Wheatcroft and his brother started a nursery in I Nottingham on an acre of | land. By 1939 the Wheatcroft | brothers were established, with a reputation as rose I growers and successful rose exhibitors, and had half a million maiden plants and ] half a million budded stocks. I When the Village of Lidice was rebuilt after the war, some magnificent rose gardens were established there. Seven thousand of the bushes were sent by the Wheatcroft brothers. They have introduced to Britain and the world many varieties of roses from many countries, some bearing the Wheatcroft name. Both brothers have held, and Mr H. Wheatcroft still holds, prominent positions in the National Rose Society of England. Mr Wheatcroft’s three sons started a rose nursery near Nottingham six or seven years ago. and recently he left his brother to carry on the original business and joined his sons. Since 1930 the firm has been consistently successful at big shows in Britain. As early as 1932 the firm sent 40.000 roses to Canada. Mr Wheatcroft's visit is being sponsored by the National Rose Society of New Zealand.