Harkness Roses was establish in 1879 in Bedale , Yorkshire by brothers , John Harkness ( 1857 - 1933 ) and Robert Harkness ( 1851 - 1920 ) . In 1882 , John and Robert began to grow and exhibit roses . Their new pink wine business was a great winner ; Queen Victoria buy her rose from Harkness & Sons in the 1890 ’s . In plus to Queen Victoria , the garden designer extraordinaire Gertrude Jekyll was a prominent customer throughout her career .

John and Robert soon realized that Yorkshire ’s mood was too cold for an expanding rosiness - maturate business . In 1892 , they decided to establish a branch of the firm in a positioning with a warmer climate . Neither brother wanted to leave Yorkshire , so it was decide by a coin toss that Robert would move to Hitchin , Hertfordshire to establish the new subdivision of Harkness and Sons . In 1901 , John and Robert make up one’s mind to dissolve the society and create two separate glasshouse . Robert established R. Harkness & Co , today fuck as Harkness Roses .

other varieties of Harkness Roses include a mutant of intercrossed perpetual , ' Heinrich Schultheis ' , introduced in 1893 as ' Mrs. Harkness ' . In the 1950s , Harkness popularized ' Frensham ' and ' Ena Harkness ' , both introduced in 1946 in the UK .

Jack Harkness ( 1918 - 1994 ) was the grandson of the original Colorado - founder John Harkness . He give the first rose hybridization syllabus at the party in 1962 , developing vigorous , healthy roses by hybridise from wild rose specie . former successes were with hybrid teas , and then later with floribundas . In the seventies he begin breeding with Rosa persica , an strange originate species with simple leave of absence . During his career , Harkness developed many successful rose cultivar , include ' Alexander ' , ' Mountbatten ' and ' Amber Queen ' . He is best known for his floribundas and intercrossed tea rosiness .

Robert Harkness , Word of Jack Harkness ( 1951 - 2012 ) , cover more than seventy rose varieties during his career . Among his best - know mixture are Rosa ' Belmonte ' and ' Princess of Wales ' . During this time , they make headway over 25 palm at Chelsea Flower Show , 18 of them being atomic number 79 . Additionally , Harkness Roses has won several laurel wreath at rose trials in the UK , Europe , USA , Japan , Australia and New Zealand .

Philip Harkness , Jack ’s Word , and Robert ’s brother continues as co - possessor of Harkness Roses .

Today Harkness Roses is run by Philip Harkness ( Chairman ) and David White ( Managing Director ) alongside their small squad of horticulturists . Philip , David and their team have recently released a number of extremely popular new cultivar let in ‘ The Captain Tom ’ get up , the ‘ John Ystumllyn Rose ’ , ‘ The Duke of Edinburgh Rose ’ and ‘ The Queen Elizabeth II Rose ’ as well as win a gold medal at Chelsea flower show in 2021 .

For more information : Harkness Roseswww.roses.co.uk