20 January 2003
28 December 2002
On 28 December 2002 the Secretary James L Akers wrote to the widow of Rory McEwen informing her that he had named one of the tulips that he had raised ‘Rory McEwen’. The Society had recently published a new booklet English Florists’ Tulips – Into the 21st Century and the flower was one of two new bybloemen tulips.
Florists’ Tulips when they break (ie are infected by the Tulip Breaking Virus) from their breeder state rarely produce a well-marked flower which is show worthy. It was ten years before ‘Rory McEwen’ did so. However such breaks will normally continue to produce a ‘good’ flower, and their offsets are also usually well marked.
Romana McEwen was pleased that a flower had been named after her late husband.
A painting of ‘Rory McEwen’ by Celia Hegedus who has followed the tradition of Rory McEwen in painting tulips in water colours on vellum can be seen in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens, London.
