Saturday, January 16, 2010

'Pam's Choice'

Janet Inada at Rogue Valley Roses is now offering a limited edition of one of my Floribunda selections from a few years back, called 'Pam's Choice'. A couple of years ago my sister Pam was visiting and I had placed a vase full of cut roses from the garden on the dining table in the breakfast nook. She was very taken by the Lavender one with the unusual tan center, and I said "If I ever decide to put that into commerce, I'll call it 'Pam's Choice', that sound good to you?"

I've had this plant around since 2003 and have been watching it and judging it, and several people prompted me to propagate it, so last Summer I did. It is bred from the Ernest Williams mini 'Suntan Beauty' and the old Floribunda 'Lavender Pinochhio', both a blend of lavender and tan. Unfortunately neither of the parents has much vigor, as is often the case with roses in this color range, but 'Pam's Choice' has significantly better vigor than either parent. It also blooms in great flushes, sometimes one to a stem, often in clusters. Sadly, it has no appreciable scent as far as I can tell.

Note to hybridizers: 'Suntan Beauty' sets seed easily and the resulting seedlings are often odd muted colors in the lavender and brown range. I haven't used mine in several years but I plan to put it back into service in 2010.

4 comments:

  1. I like the idea of one day making a chocolate brown colored rose..too bad I can't get 'Suntan Beauty' in this country to help me achieve such a goal.

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  2. I'm not sure you can buy 'Suntan Beauty' anywhere nowadays, not 'Twilight Trail' which could be just as useful.

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  3. Paul,

    lol, 'Twilight trail' is also unlikely to be available here.

    However 'Angel Face' its mom is available, but a poor option to be considering. Previous advice from you regarding the "death genes" AF carries, makes me think of AF as the angel of death in rose breeding.
    :0)

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  4. What a beautiful rose. I don't claim to have any rose knowledge but I do know what beautiful looks like. Wish I had this rose in my garden though I don't suppose it would grow in my tropical climate but it is really lovely.

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