Question
Can you tell me the history of the Sterling Silver? Rumor has it that one of our ancestors who raised roses grew it and named it for her family name, Sterling.

Answer
This was  the write up about the new rose called Sterling Silver when it was introduced in 1957 by Jackson and Perkins rose nursery. A new lavender hybrid tea rose, for which a $ 5,000 solid silver bowl was specially made, was shown by the Jackson and Perkins Company during the 25th annual Rose Festival at Newark, N.Y. recently.
Named Sterling Silver, the new rose was developed by Gladys Fisher of Woburn, Mass., one of the few women hybridists in the world. It is a cross between the well known hybrid tea rose, Peace, and a grey blue-lavender rose called Morning Mist.
Other than its color, which is pure lavender with a silver sheen, the most outstanding characteristic of Sterling Silver is its pronounced fragrance. This can best be described as the scent of attar-of-roses.
Excellent for use in arrangements because of its long strong stems, this new variety also is remarkable for its absence of thorns. A further asset is its handsome glossy leaves.
The silvery sheen of the tight buds and the luminescent quality of the full-blown rose make it particularly desirable for displays in silver containers.
Thus Sterling Silver became the inspiration for a Sterling Bowl Tournament, the new national rose arrangement competition. Mrs. Roland Fifer of Louisville, Ky., became the first winner of this feature of the silver anniversary celebration of the Newark Rose Festival.
Her winning arrangement earned for her garden club, the Crescent Hill Woman's Club, the $5,000 silver trophy which will be returned to competition next year.