This is one of my all-time top five Tea roses...the stunning Octavus Weld. It is a 'found' rose, meaning that the original name by which it was released is not certain, and until evidence has been found to positively verify its 'true' name it is sold under the name of the man whose grave it was growing near in Blakiston Cemtery in South Australia.The photos above were taken of my oldest specimen of Octavus (often incorrectly referred to as 'Octavius'). He was planted at 'Eurimbla' in 1998-99, and in the 12 years since has grown to be a huge shrub. I am hopeless at estimating height and width on a big rose, but he would have to be more than 3m tall and even wider. His trunk is like a small tree, and at one stage actually split and continued to growth in another direction without missing a beat or suffering any die back.
Octavus flowers continually in big flushes from Spring through summer and into autumn, and even spot flowers during the winter months. His scent is typically strong tea- divine-and he is amazingly healthy. I have planted another specimen of Octavus Weld in another part of the garden, this time on its own roots to observe any difference in habit and/or vigour between it and my grafted plant. I also have another one in a pot that I purchased bare-rooted this past winter....I'm just biding my time to suss out a prime position for it. I'd better not 'bide' too long, however, as most things in pots that rely on me for water and nourishment usually end up crispy and brown.
Just out of interest, the following information about the human Octavus Weld, as opposed to the rose that bears his name, was found on a genealogical site about the Weld family:
"OCTAVUS WELD B.A. M.D. Octavus the ninth (eighth surviving) child of Joseph Weld and Elizabeth Eleanor Weekes was born on June 11, 1834 at Childe Okeford, Dorset, and died on Oct. 28, 1901 at Mt. Barker near Adelaide, South Australia.
At the age of eighteen he emigrated to Canada to live with his older brother William who, at that time, was a farmer in Delaware,Ontario. He entered Trinity College University in 1852 and graduated B.A. in 1855. Octavus began his Medical studies in Milton, Ontario, and continued at the University of Pennsylvania from 1858 -1859 and then at the University of New York from 1859-1860 from where he was awarded his M.D. His clinical studies all took place at the Bellevue Hospital New York.
To finance his years of study Octavus taught and tutored students in Mathematics and Languages. In 1860 he returned to England from where he accepted a position as ship's surgeon on the vessel "Irene" and sailed forAdelaide, South Australia, settling at Nairne. On December 20, 1861, he married Ann Johnstone, at Blakiston, Sth.Australia.
Ann was born in 1829, at Utkinton, in the parish of Tarporley, Cheshire, (from where the Weld family originated) the daughter of Mary Paterson and Henry Johnstone, a Scottish couple who had emigrated to Delaware, Ontario, Canada. Canon Andrews officiated at the Blakiston Church. Ann was the youngest of the three sisters, Agnes, Jane and Ann who married the three Weld brothers, William, Stephen and Octavus.
After living at Nairne for about eleven years the family moved to Mount Barker in the early 1870s where the youngest daughter was born and where they remained until after the Doctor's death. Octavus was an enthusiast in his profession and in the early days, having a very wide circuit, he was always ready to undertake the longest and most trying journey in order to alleviate the sufferings of his patients. The roads in the South in the sixties were not the best and in obeying the call of duty he had frequently to undertake tedious trips to Callington, Murray Bridge, Stirling and other neighbouring centres. Dr. Weld was an ideal townsman and was deservedly popular where ever he went. All affairs which would benefit the town had his ardent and active support, financially and otherwise, while he never failed to assist, though in an unostentatious manner, any case of need which came to his notice. A staunch churchman, he was a trustee of the Blakiston Church and a valued member of Christ Church, Mount Barker. The doctor also took a keen interest in the local auxiliary of the British and foreign Bible Society, having been at one time the treasurer and at the time of his death he was the president.
Octavus was also a liberal supporter of the institute, of which he had been an energetic committeeman, vice-president, and president, and in 1893-4 the Mount Barker Model Parliament honoured him with the position of Governor.
Being passionately fond of flowers, it was only natural that he should have a practical interest in the Agricultural and Floricultural Societies, with the former of which he had, for a long period, been officially connected as a committee member, later becoming a vice-president and at the time of his death he was the president of the Floricultural Society. He took a great interest in his garden and some of his choice blooms had carried off many prizes at the various shows. The dairying industry, too, received his support, and he was an inaugural supplier to the Mount Barker Factory. In his younger days Octavus was an enthusiastic cricketer and a fine shot, and before a recreation ground was established the cricket and football games were granted free use of what was known for many years as "Dr. Weld's paddock". He set a good example by attending many games and took peculiar delight in providing refreshments to the visiting teams who showed their appreciation of his kindness in no uncertain way. In a similar respect the doctor was a true friend to the local school children, for scarcely ever was a gala day without the little ones being hospitably treated at his expense.
Chess and the reading of what he called "elevating literature"where his favourite leisure activities.In 1858 he was initiated into the Masonic Lodge in Canada and was also involved in the Oddfellowes and Forresters Lodges at Nairne. The family travelled widely in Victoria and New South Wales, within Australia, and visited the doctor's brother, Dr. John Edward Weld and his family at Oxford, New Zealand, on many occasions. During the 1890's Octavus twice indulged in a tour round the world.
Dr. Weld died on Oct. 28, 1901 at Mount Barker and as a mark of respect flags were flown at half-mast throughout the district. Ann died three years later on Oct. 28, 1904. Octavus and Ann had four daughters:Theodosia b.Oct. 15,1862 at Nairne; Annie b.Dec. 16,1865 at Nairne d. 1948; Mary Eleanor b.March 8,1870 at Nairne; Elizabeth Eleanor b.Sept. 6,1874 at Mt.Barker d.Jun.14,1969."
- from the Rootsweb page of Jim Shaw.
It is wonderful that such a beautiful rose was named after such a worthy man.
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