Rosa 'Ketchup & Mustard' 12 June 2025

Why I remember this event in my life is beyond me. But I do remember being in the kitchen with my mother when I was 8 in Buenos Aires. We had a live-in housekeeper and cook called Mercedes Bazaldúa. My mother told her, “Mercedes ve a la tienda de Don Pascual y compra una botella de algo que se llama catsup." I do not remember why it was my mother wanted kétchup.

Since then I have adopted the American habit of putting ketchup on French fries. My use of ketchup began in my Catholic boarding school St. Edwar’s High School in Austin, Texas in 1958. For breakfast they served us Korean War surplus powdered eggs. The scrambled eggs were runny. They were awful. So we all ate them with lots of ketchup.

To this day when I make scrambled eggs I use ketchup. My youngest daughter Hilary who knows of my liking has given me a Heinz Spicy Ketchup. And of course I will not eat meatloaf without ketchup.

My memory of mustard is from being in the kitchen of my Uncle Harry’s in Buenos Aires when I was also 8. He was mixing some Colman’s Powdered Mustard and I distinctly saw him adding sugar. I adore Colman’s and I do add sugar to it.

You can imagine my delight when I went today to my local Hunters Garden Centre. They had this Floribunda Rose called Rosa ‘Ketchup & Mustard’. I was immediately invaded by my memories and I knew I had to buy the rose so I could scan it.