Beales, Peter 1936-

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BEALES, Peter 1936-

PERSONAL: Born July 22, 1936, in Norfolk, England; son of Walter (a farmer) and Evelyn (a nursemaid; maiden name, May) Beales; married Joan Elizabeth Allington (a nurse), September 23, 1961; children: Amanda, Richard. Education: Attended technical secondary school in Norwich, England.

ADDRESSES: Home—Swangey Cottage, Hargham, Norwich, Norfolk, England. Office—Peter Beales Roses, London Rd., Attleborough, Norfolk NR17 1AY, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: E. B. Legrice Roses, North Walsham, England, horticultural apprentice, 1953-55; T. Hilling & Co. Ltd., Chobham, England, manager of nursery department, 1959-63; Peter Beales Roses, Attleborough, England, owner, 1964—. International lecturer on roses; presenter of videos A Celebration of Old Roses, directed by Vivian Russell, 1993, and Growing Roses, 1997. Military service: British Army, bombardier in Royal Artillery, 1957-59.

MEMBER: Royal Horticultural Society, Royal National Rose Society, National Farmers Union, Rotary International, Bermuda Rose Society (honorary member), Horticultural Trades Association, Institute of Horticulture, Worshipful Company of Gardeners.

AWARDS, HONORS: Silver Medal, International Rose Trials (Genoa, Italy), 1986, for developing the rose "Anna Pavlova"; Lester E. Harrol Award, Californian Heritage Rose Society, 1986, for outstanding contribution to heritage roses; named Freeman of the City of London; Dean Hole Medal, Royal National Rose Society, 1997, for distinguished services to the rose; Institute of Horticulture fellowship, 1999.

WRITINGS:

Georgian and Regency Roses, Jarrolds (London, England), 1977.

Early Victorian Roses, Jarrolds (London, England), 1977.

Late Victorian Roses, Jarrolds (London, England), 1978.

Edwardian Roses, Jarrolds (London, England), 1978.

Classic Roses, Collins (London, England), 1985, revised edition, Macray (New York, NY), 1997.

Twentieth-Century Roses, Collins (London, England), 1989.

Roses, Holt (New York, NY), 1991.

Visions of Roses, photographs by Vivian Russell, Little Brown (Boston, MA), 1996.

SIDELIGHTS: Peter Beales is responsible for at least twenty-five new varieties of roses, including the award-winning "Anna Pavlova." He has lectured all over the world, most recently in America. Beales once told CA: "The one and only rose in my grandfather's garden was an ancient bush which, each year as I grew up, flaunted her sweetly perfumed, soft pink flowers and drew me to admire her. This subconscious, youthful flirtation surely led to my lifelong career with her kind. My first love, 'Maiden's Blush,' has to be my favorite rose; but, being fickle, I have shared her with many favorites since."

The author more recently added: "Although, in her more prickly moods, the rose has forced me to live on the bread line, my long love affair with her has taught me to respect and enjoy Mother Nature, to appreciate things beautiful, and has helped me to broaden my horizons and enlarge my circle of friends. In return, I try to ensure that the more lovely of her forebears do not perish and, when possible, are resurrected and preserved. On my travels and through my writings I try to extol her virtues and criticize her faults, but most of all I try to share my pleasure in roses with others."