Rose Cuttings – February, 2013

‘Belinda’s Dream’

‘Belinda’s Dream’ was originally introduced by the Antique Rose Emporium in 1988. Nobody had any idea it would become so popular — with sales today throughout the U.S. The cultivar originated in the rose collection of Dr. Robert E. Bayse, a professor of mathematics at Texas A&M, who bred roses for more than 50 years before his death in 2000.

In the 1988 Antique Rose Emporium catalog, the description reads, “Belinda’s Rose”* was named for the daughter of one of Dr. Basye’s friends: seeing the plant in full bloom, we can only envy her the distinction.

Dr. Basye, with his insistence on perfection in his quest for disease resistance, always felt he could do better. But Dr. William Welch, of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and a friend of Dr. Basye, secured the rose from his friend’s collection before it was to be destroyed and shared it with the Antique Rose Emporium.

In retrospect, ‘Belinda’s Dream’ may not be perfect, but she still rocked the rose world. The combination of large, high-centered, full, bubble-gum pink flowers that bloom throughout the season, reminiscent of a perfect hybrid tea, presented on a full, healthy bush that requires little in the way of care, brought together qualities of the best of old garden roses and modern hybrid teas.

Dr. Steve George of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension received trial plants of ‘Belinda’s Dream’ to test for the emerging Earth-Kind® program. Not only did ‘Belinda’s Dream’ make the grade, but she became the superstar of the program.

The rest is history.

* The name of the rose was changed to ‘Belinda’s Dream’ in 1992, so it could be registered with the American Rose Society.

About the author: Mike Shoup is the owner of the Antique Rose Emporium. His new book is Empress of the Garden. Visit his company’s Brenham and San Antonio display gardens for endless ideas on landscaping with roses. To order roses online, visit www.weAREroses.com.