Oh, Mike, what a wonderful account of your adventure, capped off by such a splendid gift from Mrs. West! Your mother's going to love her roses all the more because of the knowledge you shared with her and because it was such a loving collaborative project.
I really appreciate the information about J.H. Nicolas you're sharing with us. I read something else about him on his HMF page that was interesting: He's the doctor for whom "The Doctor" was named. It's too bad that all but one or two of Nicolas' roses have virtually disappeared from commerce, but Frederick Howard's "The Doctor" is available from many nurseries and is famous in some circles for having the biggest blooms ever seen on a rose -- up to 7" or 8" in diameter, according to some sources.
I really enjoyed seeing the pictures, especially the ones of Pedro Dot, the brilliant hybridizer whose roses are so stunning, and of all of the McGredys, including the sweet picture of Samuel McGredy IV, the mind behind all of the hand-painted roses I love and so many other roses in my garden.
