The Jennifer Rose Sell bloom has been created in memory of a young Somerset woman who was an innocent victim of a road traffic incident caused by a drunk driver.
The rose, which has been bred by Philip Harkness of Harkness Roses, will be one of three new plants launched by the rose breeder at this year’s show.
After the launch, the Rose will be available for £22.99 RRP with £2.50 from each sale donated to BillyChip. The funds will be used to provide Starter Boxes for new outlets signing up to the BillyChip scheme.
Jon Hope, co-founder at BillyChip shared: “Jenny joined us for one of our first events to raise money to start-up BillyChip. In her memory, Jenny’s friends and family have been raising money to create the Jennifer Rose Sell bloom and her parents decided that a proportion of the sale of each rose will be donated to our scheme. This is such a positive collaboration, created out of such tragedy, that will create an everlasting legacy for two incredible young people.”
The rose was created following a fundraising effort initiated by the mothers of Jenny’s school friends who began knitting and crocheting roses and selling them locally. Huge demand for the handcrafted roses saw knitting groups, crafters, community groups, friends and individuals from across the country stepping in, with some roses arriving from as far as the USA and New Zealand.
The ’Jennifer Rose Sell‘ rose is a mid-pink floribunda that creates a beautiful display with up to 30 petals per bloom, and 6-8 flowers per cluster. It offers repeat flowering from early summer through to the first frosts, which is even more rewarding because of its gorgeous fragrance. Perfect for beds, borders, and large patio containers, it grows to approximately 90cm tall.
