Some time ago, on a gardening TV programme, I learned that there is a rose dedicated to Lady MacRobert. She suffered the tragic loss of all three sons in RAF service during WW2 and subsequently commissioned a Stirling bomber which was named “MacRobert’s Reply”. My father was a pilot throughout the war, with over 1,500 hours on Stirlings, more than anyone else. So it seemed appropriate to find this rose to plant in my late parents’ garden which I am now regenerating.

Well, I searched and searched but could not find anywhere that sells this rose. In the end, on a whim, I sent an email for the attention of the Head Gardener at Douneside House, the MacRobert family home. Some months later, having forgotten all about it, I had a response – the rose is not available commercially and is very rarely gifted (except to the King!). However, Mr McCallum very kindly sent me a bare root rose in remembrance of my father. It’s very lovely and flowered this week for the first time. I think my dear daddy would have been pleased.