Icecap™ is a new rose that we just introduced (but will not be available to growers until 2016). To us at Star® Roses and Plants, and to myself in particular, it is a rose of particular significance since it is the first tangible result of the cooperative breeding efforts from our long time partners and friends, Will Radler and Alain Meilland.
The story, as always with rose introductions, began ten years ago almost to this day. Jacques Mouchotte, the head hybridizer at Meilland at the time, Will Radler and I were together in Wasco to do our yearly September selection trip.
The last evening before going home, we had dinner at Mama Tosca, Bakersfield’s most famous Italian Trattoria, and with the help of some very nice California wines, we had a very fruitful discussion about (what else!) roses. I can’t remember who finally brought up the topic, but at one point the discussion went to how we could work together even more closely than we already were. And we came up with the bright idea of a common breeding program between the three of us. Will would make the crosses, send the seeds to Meilland to germinate and select the most promising seedlings, Meilland would, in turn, send back the most promising ones to us at Star® Roses and Plants for further evaluation and potential introduction.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Star Roses & Plants
