Recommended hybrid rose

Credit: Brad Jalbert

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Q: Last September, my dog passed away, and I wanted to plant a rose bush in memorial for him with his ashes. What would be the best option for planting at this time (as far as type of rose, etc)?

I would like to suggest ‘William P.J McCarthy.’ In more than 20 years of rose breeding, this gem has proven to be the finest of all the roses I have hybridized. It resulted in a cross between the extremely vigorous climbing rose ‘New Dawn’ and the highly praised hybrid tea rose ‘Silver Jubilee.’

If you need a good pink shrub rose, this baby has it all. The plant habit is one of ideal shrub type, very bushy, rounded and robust growing. It grows to about 4 feet by 4 feet, has great resistance to disease and is very winter hardy. Unlike many shrub roses in this class, William holds its flowers tall and proud on firm stems that do not flop over even in heavy rain.

One plant will give you bucket loads of wonderful cutting flowers all summer long. It will grow in almost any situation and flowers with steady waves from late spring until frost. I love the perfectly clear mid-pink colour and form of the flowers. The foliage is a superb, highly polished mid-green.

I’m so proud of this rose and was honoured to name it after my good friend, business mentor and rose judge, Mr. William P.J McCarthy!