Her Newport Beach garden contains more than 700 roses of all types. The other AARS hybrid tea, Sunset Celebration, has so impressed Kevin Cartwright, assistant director for the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, that he is installing 100 of them in front of the library in January. A fascinating creamy apricot-amber blend that evokes the hues of a lingering sunset, the flower was hybridized by Gareth Fryer and sold through Weeks Roses in Upland. The rose is named in honor of Sunset magazine's 100th anniversary. An upright grower with large blooms, this winner has also earned the prestigious gold medal at The Hague.
Flowers have a moderate fruity fragrance.
The crop of shrub rose winners includes First Light, a compact, rounded bush that tucks well into most landscapes. Each plant covers itself with masses of single petaled flowers with burgundy stamens. The somewhat spicy fragrance is an extra bonus. Another new shrub is Raven, a medium upright and bushy shrub with clusters of deep velvety red flowers. The blooms open to reveal bright yellow stamens.