Memorial Day Rose

The Memorial Day rose is a great way to show gratitude to the men and women of the armed forces. It also looks great in a lot of gardens.

Into the history books….

This is a modern rose, so there's not a whole lot of history. It was a Tom Carruth design, with it being a combination of the Blueberry Hill breeds and the New Zealand type. It won the AARS award in 2004.

Beauty
Although it is an American breed, there is no red, white, or blue in this flower, but rather orchid pink. Its known to be very fragrant with an almost damask like smell. Some may call it overpowering, but I guess its a matter of opinion!

It tends to grow upright and shrublike, going up to 5 or 6 feet tall.   The foliage is clean with long stems. The blooms are huge, up to 6 inches wide, with sometimes petal counts over 50!

Gardening
Look for blooms in the late spring and early summer periods. It will bloom repeatedly with pruning early. Be patient as it will take some time to take hold though. It is very heat-tolerant and is rated for zones 6-11. The Memorial Day rose is also known to be disease resistant.