ROSA BANKSIAE ‘LUTEA’ (LADY BANKS’ ROSE) (EST. C. 1930)

In October 1933 the wedding of Reginald Carter and Letitia Dunlop took place at the Methodist Church in Tauranga. An article in the Bay of Plenty Times mentions the niece of the bride, little flower girl Peggy Jones, who carried a posy of banksia roses and asparagus. One could surmise that, given the Brain family’s heavy involvement with the Methodist Church, and that there is an old banksia rose still in situ in the Brain-Watkins Heritage Garden, that it may have been from this particular climbing rose that the banksia roses were sourced for little Peggy’s posy. The rose would have to have been around three years old to produce enough flowers for a posy, meaning that the banksia rose at BrainWatkins could have been planted in around 1930, making it 93 years old today. The story below is by garden custodian Anne Marquand, reproduced with permission.

g provinces of China and for many centuries was grown there as an amenity garden plant. It was named for Lady Dorothea Banks (1758-1828), wife of Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), the eighteenth-century botanist who sailed with Captain Cook on the Endeavour and became President of the Royal Society and ex officio director at Kew Gardens It was reputed to be the first yellow climbing rose to flower in Britain.

‘Lutea’ was fully hardy, tolerant to warmer temperatures and soon migrated from Kew Gardens to rose collections throughout the world, including New Zealand. Clapham Nursery, owned by William Hale (1821-1882) of Nelson, listed both the white and yellow varieties of the banksia rose in their 1860 nursery catalogue

Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ is a thornless rambling rose with small glossy toothed leaves and sprays of hanging double yellow flowers reputably with a scent reminiscent of violets. The majority of blossoms appear in spring to early summer and last three to four weeks before falling

It is not recorded when this rose was planted in the Brain-Watkins Heritage Garden, however the diameter of the trunk suggests it was some decades ago. The flowers attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects, and its tangled mass of branches form a safe habitat for garden birds

WEDDING. CARTER-DUNLOP

(Bay of Plenty Times, 26 October 1933, p. 2).

In the spring of 2018, a female blackbird built a nest within the rose canopy Larger branches provided the supporting foundation framework for her nest. Constructed with plant fibres, moss, string and small strips of plastic, the nest was skilfully lined with dried mud. One chick successfully fledged.

A pretty and interesting wedding was solemnised at the Methodist Church on Saturday last, the contracting parties being Reginald, second son of Mr and Mrs D Carter, of Tauranga, and Letitia (Letty), youngest daughter of Mrs Dunlop, of Cameron Road, Te Puke The Rev Witheford officiated The bride, who was given away by her brother, Mr R. Dunlop, was dressed in ivory crepe linage trimmed with organdie made on close fitting lines and falling in graceful folds to the ankles. The silk veil was held with a coronet of orange blossom, and she carried a sheaf of lilies, stocks and asparagus fern. The bridesmaid, Miss Olga Shepherd, wore an ankle-length frock of nil novelty muslin, trimmed with large organdie flowers, and underdress of nil taffeta with picture hat to tone Her bouquet was of gerberas and asparagus fern A flower girl, little Peggy Jones, niece of the bride, wore a frock of pale pink crepe de chene, with pink organdie bonnet, and carried a posy of banksia roses and asparagus. Mr Albert Carter, brother of the bridegroom, was best man. A reception was subsequently held at the Broadway Tearooms, the bride’s mother, who received the guests, wearing a dress of black and white velvet with hat to tone, and carried a bouquet of violets and hyacinths Mrs Carter, mother of the bridegroom, wore a pretty frock of pale blue crepe de chene with hat to match. She carried a bouquet of iris. The bride’s travelling dress was a black costume and a hat of grey felt.

The next mention of banksia roses in the Bay of Plenty Times is at the wedding of Roy Pemberton and Jean Alison at the Holy Trinity Church in Tauranga in October 1940 The matron of honour and bridesmaid both carried posies of cream, banksia roses, primroses and forget me nots (Bay of Plenty Times, 30 October 1940, p. 4).