The Free Plant

 Joan Schofield – Suffolk Breeder of Alpine Pinks

Two of her ‘Whatfield Pinks are to be the free plant at the Spring Plant Fair at Helmingham Hall:
 

  ‘Whatfield Gem’ ‘Whatfield CanCan’

Joan Schofield, was raiser, hybridizer, grower, introducer, propagator and registrant of all Whatfield Dianthus.
She was born in 1916 and raised in the small hamlet of Benhall, near Saxmundham in Suffolk,

Joan was to meet her future husband, Jim Schofield during the War and married shortly afterwards. They lived in Yorkshire, where Mr Schofield was a school teacher, here she built a rockery, growing many alpine plants including alpine Dianthus. It was here she started selecting good seedlings of these Dianthus and naming them.

In 1968, the Schofields moved to Whatfield and purchased Whatfield Hall, a grand old 14th century mansion house. It was here that Joan once again set to work building a rockery. Joan had been raising her Pinks since 1959 and she continued growing and raising then at Whatfield. In all she bred 31 cultivars:
.Whatfield Anona, Whatfield Barn, Whatfield Cancan, Whatfield Cherry Brandy, Whatfield Cyclops, Whatfield Dawn, Whatfield Dorothy Mann, Whatfield Elizabeth Hart, Whatfield Fuchsia Floss, Whatfield Gem, Whatfield Hart’s Delight, Whatfield John Turk, Whatfield Joy, Whatfield Magneta, Whatfield Mini, Whatfield Miss, Whatfield Misty Morn, Whatfield Nine Star, Whatfield Peach, Whatfield Polly Anna, Whatfield Pom-Pom, Whatfield Posy, Whatfield Pretty Lady, Whatfield Rose, Whatfield Ruby, Whatfield Seedling, Whatfield Silver Lining, Whatfield Strawberry Crush, Whatfield White, Whatfield White Moon, Whatfield Wisp.

Joan Schofield died in 2007, many of her plants are still in cultivation, but it would be a shame if any of this unique race of Pinks becomes lost. Two more are shown below:
 

    ‘Whatfield Magenta’ ‘Whatfield Dorothy Mann’