Breeder News

Usually, brown isn’t a color that gardeners want to see on their roses. In most cases, brown spots appearing on petals and leaves can be a sign of blight or other plant diseases . But in the past year, ‘Toffee’ roses—a new garden rose variety introduced in late 2018—have skyrocketed in popularity almost instantly thanks to their neutral, eye-catching color. ( #toffeerose has more than 2,000 posts on Instagram.) Most roses come in bold shades like pink , red, and yellow, so it’s rarer to find a neutral color like this that’s perfect for an understated bouquet. Right now, you can’t grow your own ‘Toffee’ roses, so the best place to find them is at a local florist. Part of their popularity also comes from their rarity—only five growers located in Ecuador have permission from the breeder, Schreurs , to commercially grow the roses. Because of this, not all florists will have them in stock all year, and they can be pricey to order online. Potomac Floral currently offers 25 stems of ‘Toffee’ roses for $66.95 (for comparison, 25 plain red roses from the same florist will only cost you $37.50). The price hasn’t made them any less popular, though. Choice Farms , a wholesale florist located in Seattle, Washington, called ‘Toffee’ roses “the most requested rose on planet Earth” in the Insta post, above. Their neutral brown color looks especially gorgeous in fall flower arrangements , and a vase full of just the roses also looks classy and elegant. These blooms might only be available in limited quantities for now, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dream. Though their color might not be quite as rich, you can find equally yummy-sounding ‘Cappuccino’ roses , which have just a hint of red in their beige-brown petals. ‘Combo’ is another variety to look for—they are a little more gold than brown, but otherwise look very similar. And while you can’t grow ‘Toffee’ just yet, look for ‘Honey Dijon’ at your local nursery this spring, which is close in color and has the same full blooms […]

Source: www.yahoo.com