One of Britain's first black gardeners has had a rose named after him that is going to be planted in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. John Ystumllyn was believed to have been brought to the UK after being abducted from western Africa in the 18th century.
He was taken in by the Wynn family at its Ystyumllyn estate in Criccieth where he was christened and given his Welsh name. Taught in both English and Welsh, he learned horticulture and craftsmanship in the estate garden.
He worked as a gardener at the estate, married local maid Margaret Gruffydd, and they had seven children together. The couple initially worked as land stewards but John eventually re-entered into the employment of the Wynn family. In recognition of his service Ellis Wynn gave him a large garden and cottage at Y Nhyra Isa.
The campaign to have a rose named after him was led by Zehra Zaidi who founded the group We Too Built Britain, which tells stories about underrepresented people across the country. The yellow flower is on display at the RHS Chelsea Flower show for the first time this week and has also been planted in the palace rose garden.
The rose was bred by Harkness Roses in Hertfordshire, which is also responsible for a rose named after and selected by the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. Managing director David White said the country had been through a divisive period and the community garden schemes with John Ystumllyn roses was a way to help.
"After the last few years of the pandemic, and the struggles people face with the cost of living crisis, we need to focus on our collective healing and mental health," he said. "We hope our scheme goes some way to supporting people and bringing communal joy and togetherness."
The rose is described as having an "uncomplicated colour" in a refreshing yellow which hardly fades at all. The description adds: "The plant is good-looking, bushy with even growth that is densely covered with glossy dark green leaves.
"Starting to flower early the buds open into double old-fashioned-style blooms, up to 12cm wide, sitting proudly above the dark leaf. With a long flowering season this is a valuable plant in the garden."
The description adds: "We wanted to breed a new rose as a symbol of friendship, love, and community and to bring people together after the divisiveness of recent years. We also wanted to inspire people from all backgrounds to see gardening as a career or activity for them."
