The new Wild Blue Yonder rose is of course blue in name only. The flowers are darker red in bud. Once opened they start as a deep mauve-ish kind of red that fades to have white-streaked lighter red petals. This is my first grandiflora (and my first Tom Carruth rose) and I'm sold! The flowers are larger than a floribunda but with the same great repeating habit. We'll see how she handles the fungal petri dish that this part of NC is once the summer heat and humidity kick in. She has nice dark, glossy leaves so she might be ok (the dark leaves isn't 100% guarantee of bs resistance, but seems to be the case more often than not).
Mr. Carruth has been a hybridizer for Weeks Roses since 1989 and has won more AARS honors than any rose breeder currently working. I'll be sure to be looking to his work as I make future additions to my rose collection. Some of his other winners include: Hot Cocoa, Betty Boop, Julia Child, and a 2007 winner, Strike it Rich.
