Picasso Rose

As a garden sentimentalist, I knew I needed a suitable striped rose companion for Claude Monet. Here, then, is his smaller friend Picasso!

Both painter roses are striped, and both were rescued from an alarming situation last winter - a sale table, in a supermarket, both close to rose-death in plastic bags. The glossy photographs seemed unbelievable at the time - would these two survive?

Yes - only just! Of these two rose friends, Claude is the more robust of the two. Picasso seems a little small, but his flowers are so beautiful. Red roses are enjoying a resurgence in my garden - I do get a bit tired of all the pink and white fluffies, and the peachy David Austin English pastels. Picasso provides a lovely shade of red, and his stripes are the most suitable colour!

An Honourable Rose Name?

I've found a rather nice story about this rose in my big Botanica's Rose Book, which I will now quote: 'When the raiser (Sam McGredy) desired to name this innovative rose in Picasso's honour he was rather taken aback by the artist's suggestion that McGredy pay him for the privilege!'

And I just wonder - were these two famous men actually friends in real life?