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Rose of the Month
By Henry Everett, Consulting Rosarian
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This past spring I had made up my mind not to buy any new roses except the
very expensive ones on fortuniana rootstock where I also had to pay
for shipping cost. In my relentless pursuit of rose show awards,
these were the latest things in exhibition hybrid teas. But, I met
my downfall. I was at Home Depot and the shipment from Florida had
just arrived with a load of "classic"; hybrid teas. I
stopped, only to admire them, then found myself reaching out for an
old friend I remembered from my youth or was it her youth. Right
there on the pallet, just off the truck, was Royal Highness.
You would have been attracted too, I know you would have. The glossy,
dark foliage was unblemished, the plant was full of leaves and there were
three fat buds of soft pink. One was opened enough you could smell the
deep fragrance. Of course, I took it right up to the cash register,
whipped out the charge card and home we went.
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Photo fom Heirloom Roses
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You might be thinking, I could not possibly justify such a weak,
impulsive moment; but just listen. I had been reading the "Heirloom
Roses" catalog and they had written up this same variety. Their
catalog says, "A rose that I have loved since it won the All
American Award in 1963. Classic, long pointed buds unfurl into high
centered, exhibition style blooms of clear soft pink. The large
blooms are very fragrant. Winner of the Portland Gold Medal. Upright,
bushy plant with dark, glossy, leathery green foliage Continual
bloom, 40-50 petals." Here it was, no shipping charge. What a
bargain.
I figured if I just enjoyed the three blooms it was worth the six
dollars and change I had paid for it. So, I did enjoy them. Then,
when the weather was right I found a spot to plant it. And, it began
to grow. Some new leaves came, then some stems, then more buds. I
believe it has bloomed "continually" since I planted it.
Now there are a few things about this variety that are really special
and I want to point them out to you... For one thing, the color: it
is a clear soft pink. I expected it to fade to white as the flower
aged; but this did not happen, that color stayed fresh. Also, I
expected the growth to slow as the summer heat came, but this plant
is still fresh and vigorous as a holly. Surely the flowers would look
puny in the heat; but no, the flowers have great substance.
In 1964, the hybridizers, H. C. Swim and O. L. Weeks won an award for
this rose, Royal Highness. They won the David
Furstenberg Award for outstanding introduction of a new rose of
American origin suitable to the American climate. Well deserved, I
say.