MARCH : Julia Child™ Rose : Rosa ‘Julia Child’

‘Julia Child’ Rose by Janice Tucker

One of the most striking roses at Museum Hill is the ‘WEKvossutono’, or Julia Child Floribunda Rose. Its vibrant ruffled blooms can best be described as buttery yellow with the aroma of licorice. Those qualities are what prompted hybridizer Tom Carruth  to name the rose for the famous chef, well known for her abundant use of butter and aromatic herbs.

The Julia Child displays double, three-inch blossoms in giant clusters. Plants are usually 3 l/2 feet high by 3 ½  feet wide, drought resistant and are prolific bloomers. Julia Child Floribunda won “Rose of the Year 2010” at the Hampton Court Flower Show in 2009. As with most roses in Santa Fe, it requires full sun, good drainage and removal of spent blooms to promote continuous blooms.

Carruth announced to his parents at the age of 10 that he wanted a career in flowers. He was especially mesmerized by roses. He stuck to that commitment, working part time for seed companies during his youth, seeking an education in horticulture and eventually working for some of the top leaders in the field of hybridization.

He is well known for bright, showy, unusual colors in blues and brown/chocolates, and especially fragrant roses. Carruth  has hybridized more than 100 roses, and is now curator of the rose collection of the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens.

Roses have been key components in gardens since ancient times. In her lecture: “The Garden Beheld – A history of the Painted Garden from Pompeii to Abiquiu”, Bonnie Joseph will discuss garden paintings on walls and canvas during the past 2000 years.

Bonnie says, “I mention roses in ancient Roman frescoes, in Medieval art as a symbol of the Virgin Mary and as one of the favorite flowers in Monet’s garden at Giverny.”

The lecture is March 3, 2-3 pm at the Santa Fe Women’s Club, 1616 Old Pecos Trail. Seating cannot be guaranteed without prior registration. 

Reference:

San Francisco Chronicle