Roses have been around for about thirty-five million years, give or take a few million. Homo sapiens came on the scene about two hundred thousand years ago. The human love affair with roses most likely started whenever the two came together for the first time. It has been going strong ever since.
Humans seem hard-wired to improve things and roses are no exception. We have been breeding roses for hundreds of years, and the work goes on today at a feverish pace. The northern hemisphere is home to about two hundred species of wild. Most feature five to nine petals apiece and bloom in white, shades of pink or red. Sometimes rose species cross breed naturally in the wild, but the vast majority of modern roses have resulted from deliberate human intervention, otherwise known as hybridizing.
Most rose lovers have favorite varieties. My father loved the red-flowered, mid-twentieth century marvel, ‘Mr. Lincoln.’ I have a friend who swoons over the fragrant bi-colored petals of ‘Double Delight.’ When I started growing roses, I began my own list of favorites and that led me to track down information about the people who created them. Plant breeders, like other creative people, have certain aesthetic ideals in mind when they go about the business of hybridizing. They also tend to have interesting personal histories. Learning about my favorite rose breeders has broadened my understanding of the art and science of plant breeding and enriched my garden with many desirable varieties. What could be better?
The following, in no particular order, is a list of some of my favorite rose breeders.
Griffith Buck: Griffith Buck (1915-1991) was an American plant breeder and professor of horticulture at Iowa State University. His passion was rose breeding and he created scores of new varieties during his working life. Many of them, like ‘Hawkeye Belle’ and ‘Prairie Princess’ bear names with Iowa associations. Buck bred for two things—beauty and extreme hardiness. The Iowa climate features torrid summer heat and extreme winter cold and Buck expected his roses to perform well under both those conditions. He famously planted his seedlings in test beds and, once they were established, refused to coddle them with winter protection or chemical sprays to prevent diseases. The most beautiful of the survivors were among the ninety varieties that Buck named and registered with the American Rose Society. Sadly, after his death, university politics resulted in his rose test beds being plowed under. But Buck was generous in his lifetime and most of his varieties were recovered from former students, a far-flung network of fellow rosarians and his home garden. Iowa State finally recognized his importance and now their Reiman Gardens showcase an assortment of Buck roses. Among my favorite Buck creations is ‘Distant Drums,’ a highly unusual mauve-blend rose, with hints of gold and tan. ‘Pearlie Mae’ celebrates entertainer Pearl Bailey and shines with apricot- pink petals edged with a lighter, pearly pink shade. The roses are large and substantial.
Joseph Pemberton: Pemberton—1852-1926—was one of the many Victorian-era English clergymen with an interest in horticulture. At 22 he began to show roses in competition. He and his sister, Florence, subsequently had successful careers as exhibitors and Pemberton developed into a rose expert, publishing papers and taking on duties in the newly formed Royal National Rose Society. Armed with an expert’s knowledge of the deficiencies of the popular roses of his time, Pemberton set out to breed better ones. Like Buck, he aimed for repeat blooming habit and hardiness. He also had a passion for the look and scent of old-fashioned varieties and built those traits into his rose creations. His first two introductions, white-flowered ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Danae,’ with yellow blooms, were introduced in 1913, on the eve of World War I. He called his new roses “hybrid musks.” They are only distantly related to true musk roses, but do share a strong fragrance. My favorite Pemberton rose, ‘Felicia,’ bred just before his death in 1926, was introduced in 1928, by Florence Pemberton. It is soft pink with an exquisite old rose fragrance. Hybrid musks as a group are somewhat more shade tolerant than other roses, making them perfect for rose lovers with lightly shade spaces.
David Austin: Austin, born in 1926, shared Pemberton’s desire to create roses with old-fashioned charm and the modern virtues of repeat flowering and hardiness. The son of a farmer, Austin went into the family business, but developed an interest first in flower breeding and later in roses. His debut rose, ‘Constance Spry,’ introduced in 1963, resulted from a cross between an old fashioned gallica rose and a modern floribunda. ‘Constance’ had the old fashioned form and fragrance, but only bloomed once a season. Austin’s subsequent efforts produced repeat blooming roses. He introduced his first group of rebloomers and launched his company, David Austin Roses, in 1969. Since then he has introduced over 200 rose varieties, all of which he calls “English Roses.” Austin’s breeding objectives include exquisite form in every phase of flower development, from bud to fully open. His roses, like the peach-pink ‘Abraham Darby,’ are also noted for their pure, soft colors, especially in the yellow-peach range. Many are exceptionally fragrant, as well. I have raised a number of Austin varieties, including the splendid ‘Golden Celebration’ and one of my favorites, the lavender-pink ‘Brother Cadfael.’ All seem to thrive on a diet of benign neglect.
History is full of great rose breeders, all of whom deserve greater recognition, along with their roses. The creations of Buck, Pemberton and Austin speak to me in a special way. Austin roses are readily available, but can be obtained by mail from David Austin Roses, 15059 Highway 64 West, Tyler , TX 75704, (800) 328-8893; www.davidaustinroses.com. Free catalog. Get a start on collections of Pemberton and Buck roses by going to Rogue Valley Roses, PO Box 116, Phoenix OR 97535, (541) 535-1307; www.roguevalleyroses.com. Online-only catalog.