Thread by @Zehra_Zaidi

Proud to finally launch what has been a labour of love during the pandemic. @harkness_roses – breeder of the finest roses for 140 years - joined forces with @WeTooBB to create what we believe might be the first rose named after an ethnic minority Briton hortweek.com/john-ystumllyn…

@mattapple1 has an article on our rose for @hortweek subscribers but any moment now @georgeherd @BBCWales releases an exclusive package of interviews, online content and photos. Matt & George have been 2 huge supporters of this rose. Incredible people and amazing journalists

John Ystumllyn was an 18th century gardener who was the first well-recorded Black person in North Wales & with his marriage to Margaret Gruffydd, part of possibly the first interracial marriage in Wales. We wanted to breed a new rose as a symbol of friendship, love and community.

We need to bring people together after the divisiveness of recent years. We need a kinder, more tolerant "connection society". We also wanted to inspire people from all backgrounds to see gardening as a career or activity for them - representation matters in this regard

@WeTooBB tries to tell the stories of under-represented people in Britain with the aim of building social connections and to show what we have in common - to then also understand and value our uniqueness and differences.

Lockdown showed us the importance of community and the restorative power of nature. Every gardener will tell you that gardening is communal, restorative & creative. There is something magical and grounding about planting something in the land, it connects you to the land.

I grew up in South Wales and as an ethnic minority young person, I was inspired by the story of John Ystumllyn. ALL our nations deserve their heroes and trail blazers to be well-known. We also need to tell the stories of extraordinary people who excelled in their circumstances

We have seen during the pandemic that it so called "ordinary" people in our communities that stand up for each other when times get tough. These are truly the extraordinary heroes amongst us. Let's cherish them, each other & bonds of community. This is a lesson of the pandemic

But there are many people to thank. First of all the incredible team at @harkness_roses: David White, Philip Harkness, Frankie White, Hannah Albone & the team. The nicest and most brilliant people, and with a huge commitment to community. Fun too x

@mattapple1, the Editor of @hortweek . It was Matt who immediately took and published my article on John Ystumllyn - the article which first suggested we should have a rose for John. He has been a tower of support ever since.

Of the Welsh superstars. First & foremost @LSRPlaid championed this campaign since the first article. She will speak about John Ystumllyn & the beautiful @harkness_roses Yohn Ystumllyn Rose in the adjournment debate in Parliament on Black History Month tomorrow. Interview her!

@AdvollyR whose knowledge of the social history of horticulture is second to none. She became a loyal friend to this campaign, offering invaluable advice whenever asked. Most importantly, she loves roses:) I cannot wait for her book to be published!

My friend @bookmamablooms that I told about the idea for the rose and her encouragement made what seemed impossible, do-able. Same goes for @ayeshahazarika who I DMed at 2.30am one night and told her I had an idea for an article on a Welsh gardener - GO FOR IT she said!!!!

Of the Welsh superstars, the incredible @mariangwyn, THE HERITAGE EXPERT at @rcccymruwho , who has been with us intensely over the last few weeks as we geared up to launch. So much support. So much.

Organisers & panellists at a @rcccymru @YstadauCymru @BangorUni @Arts_Wales_ John Ystumllyn event. Their commitment to John’s story gave us that extra bit of fuel as we geared to launch (last weeks are the trickiest!) - @mariangwyn @JonesNatalie07 @GEvansJones Audrey West

Finally, I hope @friendschurches @MirandaKaufmann both like the rose. You raised up his story. As did so many others. I hope this rose does the memory of John Ystumllyn justice

John Ystumllyn found love & a life in N Wales but it is important to not gloss over the early traumatic history of John Ystumllyn - kidnapped from Africa aged 8 & brought across the oceans – though he lived as an adult free man. All our history matters; we can learn from it

Incredible to see this exchange earlier today in Parliament between @Jacob_Rees_Mogg and @LSRPlaid on the significance of the John Ystumllyn Rose by @harkness_roses as a symbol of friendship, love, kindness, community and inclusion -

https://twitter.com/LSRPlaid/status/1451168655925039107?s=20

@mattapple1 of @hortweek was key to the success of our campaign. First we ran the original article with Matt - it went viral - and he introduced me to @harkness_roses. He has released this article on the John Ystumllyn Rose & also a podcast - hortweek.com/john-ystumllyn…

This lovely @hortweek @mattapple1 podcast was the first time we were all the same room (a campaign done by zoom). I got emotional hearing David White of @harkness_roses speak about the need to use gardening & the John Ystumllyn Rose to build connections hortweek.com/horticulture-w…

Enter the amazing @georgeherd of @BBCWales who drove from North Wales to interview the team in Bedfordshire. He has released a wonderful article and short video news piece on the launch of the John Ystumllyn Rose - bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-…

The video that @georgeherd created about the John Ystumllyn Rose is so poignant. So glad we get to hear from Philip Harkness of @harkness_roses - one of the finest rose breeders in the world. You can see the joy & pride of everyone in creating this rose - bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wal…

A highlight during the campaign was speaking twice to the @The_RHS podcast team. The RHS have themselves done huge amounts of work to improve diversity in horticulture. We formally launch the rose at Chelsea Flower Show & perhaps do more on diversity

https://twitter.com/thegrrdener/status/1451189551611867139?s=20

In this podcast, we talk in depth to the @The_RHS about our community gardening scheme - @harkness_roses have 5000 roses to gift to community garden groups - we want to support gardening for inclusion and mental health. Just write in & post pictures of planting - @IsabelHardman

@David_Batty @guardian spent the day researching the full story of John Ystumllyn & spoke to me & @mariangwyn. This @harkness_roses rose is a north star for diversity but also allows us to talk about our past, understand our present & go forward together theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/o…

I know the whole team at @harkness_roses were thrilled when local paper @BiggyChronicle covered the rose launch. For a rose that we want to get into communities, go to the local paper first. THANK YOU - @AlistairBurtUK @BlueLady50 biggleswadetoday.co.uk/news/people/ro…

I listened to @The_RHS @thegrrdener podcast again as the day was rushed. I love how they captured how this has been a labour of love by people who wanted to do something positive for community & inclusion. I love the edits keeping us laughing in @LSRPlaid

https://twitter.com/thegrrdener/status/1451189551611867139?s=20