C & K Jones have some great new roses at this year's Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Earlier I talked about ‘Josephine' and about their Rose of the Year ‘Absolutely Fabulous'. But I also took a look their other two newcomers.
One of the recurring themes of the new roses introduced at the Tudor Rose Festival this year is health - many are unusually disease resistant and Floribunda Rose ‘Rebecca Mary' is no exception.
Rose Rebecca Mary (‘Dicjury') (above, click to enlarge) starts with compact, creamy green buds which open to flowers with a slightly old-fashioned look in a soft peachy yellow which are rich buttery yellow in the centre paling to primrose yellow at the outer petals. It reaches 90cm/3ft in height and 60cm/2ft in width and like all the best new roses it flowers from June to the frosts. And Keith Jones says that ‘Rebecca Mary' is "super healthy". Just one problem, Keith told me: "no scent".
Rebecca Mary (‘Dicjury') was created by Colin Dickson of Dickson's Roses in Northern Island and he's quoted in the trade magazine Horticulture Week as saying that Rebecca Mary is "one of the best floribundas that has been introduced in recent years". It was named by Dr Nick Harris to celebrate his wife's 40th birthday.
The other new rose from C & K Jones this year is another Floribunda, ‘Celebration Time'. Starting with the superb bronze-red young foliage, open rounded clusters are filled with flowers which each feature sepals (bud parts) in pale green which flare around the opening buds and young flowers in a striking star shape. The rather open, semi-double flowers are red overlaid with metallic tones, creating an unusual slightly coppery look.
"There are few roses blessed with such an abundance of flowers and what a colour," Keith Jones said. "The blooms of this beautiful rose seem to fizz with energy. Celebration Time has wonderfully glossy foliage which is red when it first appears, forming a perfect backdrop to the buds and flowers." It reaches 75cm/2½ft in height and about 45cm/1½ft wide
Celebration Time was raised in California by Tom Carruth of Weeks Roses, as was the Rose of the Year, Absolutely Fabulous. A donation from sales will be made to the National Association of Colitis and Crohn's Disease (NACC).
You can buy these roses at the Show or order online from the C & K Jones website.