Welcome to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024. Seen by many as one of the pinnacle horticultural events of the year, always attracting plant-lovers in their thousands. This is an annual spectacle, where we at Harkness Roses are proud to launch and exhibit a plethora of beautiful new roses.
Our range for this year’s show features something for all, including climbing and bush varieties, those with petals shining in vibrant shades of pink, yellow, and red, and plenty of charity roses, each with a percentage of sales going to an immensely worthy cause.
These are the five new roses we are proud to launch at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show:
Rose ‘Chelsea Pensioner’
New and exclusive, the charitable Rose ‘Chelsea Pensioner’ produces picturesque blooms clothed in red petals, mirroring the iconic scarlet coats of the nation’s beloved army veterans that call the Royal Hospital Chelsea home. There really couldn’t be a better time and place to launch this rose than at the Chelsea Flower Show…
Radiant Hybrid Tea flowers, each packed with up to 50 red petals, coat green foliage across summer. Plus, the blooms release a complex fragrance with subtle hints of spice.
Make a difference by purchasing one of these roses to grow in your garden, as for each sale we are proud to make a £2.50 donation to the Royal Hospital Chelsea (registered charity no. 1076414). This is a charity-run home for retired veterans of the British Army, offering care and comradeship to around 300 former servicemen and women, based in London.
Buy either potted or bare root here.
Rose ‘Spark of Life’
An alluring fragrance, beautiful Floribunda blooms, and a repeat-flowering nature, ‘Spark of Life’ is another brand-new introduction, and one you should be excited about – we certainly are!
Clusters of shell-pink, almost dusky, flowers scatter across this compact bush rose, rich in pollen and nectar to treat the pollinating residents of your garden. Shoots and leaves first emerge dark red, evolving to a rich and lavish green with time.
Another charity rose, with £2.50 from each sold being donated to The Royal Humane Society (registered charity no. 231469). This rose was named to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the charity, which recognises and awards medals for bravery to those who go above and beyond the normal levels of caring in times of need, often in life-saving scenarios.
Buy either potted or bare root here.
Rose ‘Patricia Boe’
A stylish new climbing rose you won’t want to miss! ‘Patricia Boe’ produces glossy green leaves and softly scented summer blooms, each with five big petals, gently serrated at the edge.
Colours radiate from the centre of each open flower, stretching outwards in waves, stripes, and speckles of white and pink, with a vibrant dusting of rich yellow stamens in the middle. Despite appearing delicate as they emerge repeatedly for months on green, disease-resistant leaves, the flowers are robust and able to withstand rain, heat, and wind.
A £2.50 charitable donation from each sale of this rose will be handed to Dementia UK (registered charity no. 1039404). This is a specialist dementia nursing charity with trained ‘Admiral Nurses’, who provide life-changing advice and support whenever it is needed to those impacted by dementia.
This rose has been lovingly named after Patricia Boe, the mother of OBE-winning star of musical theatre, Alfie Boe.
Buy potted here.
Rose ‘Alfie Boe’
Of course, it would be remiss of us to launch ‘Patricia Boe’ without the variety named after the world-famous tenor himself. Introducing Rose ‘Alfie Boe’…
A real garden performer, with all the style and panache of its namesake. Blooms begin life as canary yellow buds, with a rounded shape and a pointed centre, slowly opening to reveal a bounty of petals, while retaining the same, strong colour. As the flowers are reaching their last days, they softly fade to cream.
These headline acts grow en masse across a bushy plant of rich green foliage, boasting a perfume that is simple to enjoy – not overpowering or overly sweet, but a combination of myrrh and refreshing soap.
Buy either potted or bare root here.
Rose ‘Little Sid’
Last, but most certainly not least, say hello to ‘Little Sid’, an adorable raspberry-red patio rose. Leaves are dark and glossy, producing a striking colour contrast with the far brighter petals. The plant has a short and bushy habit, ideal for pots, beds, and borders, and is loved by pollinators and other beneficial insects.
‘Little Sid’ is named after Sid Wallace, a young boy who is autistic and non-speaking, and the son of television presenter Gregg Wallace.
For every rose sold, we are proud to donate £5 to support the outstanding work of Ambitious about Autism (registered charity no. 1063184.) This is a national charity that runs specialist schools and colleges for autistic children and young people in London and the South East of England.
Buy either potted or bare root here.
We will be exhibiting at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show all week, from Tuesday, May 21, until Friday, May 24. Keep an eye on our social media channels for exciting content, and if you spot any rose varieties you fancy growing for yourself, browse for them here.
