Paddy Stephens Rose
Paddy Stephens Rosebud
Some roses arrive in my garden without fuss. They grow, they demand little, and they bloom beautifully. Taken for granted? Yes, it's definitely that way with the coral-pink hybrid tea Paddy Stephens.
Bred by Sam McGredy
Paddy Stephens is bred by Sam McGredy. He (the fourth of that name) worked in the rose business first in Ireland, and then moved to New Zealand in the 1970s, finding fame and (I hope) fortune. Sam McGredy roses are well represented in New Zealand's public rose gardens, and many a beauty still grows happily in a private space.
Possibly some of his flower styles (particularly the grandifloras) are less popular now, and other hybrid teas may have taken the place of his older roses. And the ill-named Benson and Hedges Gold is most un-politically correct. Surely no good gardener can support a cigarette company? Such a shame, for this rose is a stunning colour. Oops.
Paddy Stephens Roses
Paddy Stephens has beautiful flowers in a mixture of coral, pink, and salmon shades. She's a large, strong shrub with stiff canes, healthy and well-behaved, never flopping over. The woman she's named after 2012 was rosarian Patricia (Paddy) Stephens, who died July 26, 2012, in her 95th year.
Paddy Stephens Rose