… by any other name would smell as sweet. But what if its name were …
Helmut Schmidt?!
Yes, the Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt, Social Democratic politician and West Germany’s Chancellor from 1974 to 1982.
Introduced in 1979 by German rose breeder Reimer Kordes, Helmut Schmidt is a tea rose with rounded, fully double, buttery-yellow flowers that open from urn-shaped buds on nearly thornless stems. The plant can withstand damp weather better than most varieties and is resistant to black spot, mildew, and rust.
Kind of like its namesake … who at the age of 92 is alive and well, and continues to work as co-publisher of the weekly, Die Zeit, one of Germany’s best-selling quality newspapers.
This week’s image ~ above right ~ Yellow Tea Rose, Helmut Schmidt.
Thumbnail image ~ Helmut Schmidt (detail).
The title of this post is derived from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet:
JULIET:
‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
