Bred by leading grower Peter Beales Roses, Rosa ‘With Courage’ is poised to raise more than £40,000 to help support the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The rose marks the start of a new collaboration between Peter Beales Roses and the RNLI and will commemorate the charity’s 200th anniversary with a floral showcase in Chelsea’s Great Pavilion.
Peter Beales Roses will pay homage to the extraordinary efforts of the RNLI and its valiant volunteers who, together, have saved over 144,00 lives since the charity’s formation in 1824. 20% of proceeds from sales of the rose will help to support the RNLI.
Rosa ‘With Courage’ is a modern classic floribunda with coppery orange double flowers set against mid-green glossy foliage. Free-flowering, compact and growing to 3ft tall, with peachy pink tones to outer petals, yellow accents at their base and exudes a sweet apple scent. Having taken six years to come to market, the grower has said that the new rose performed spectactularly during their field trials. Healthy and versatile ‘With Courage’ boasts resilience to summer heat and can withstand temperatures as low as -10C.
For Ian Limmer, head of the nursery and plant breeding programme at Peter Beales Roses, the launch of the new rose is personal, because his grandad spent 30 years serving as a volunteer for the RNLI and saved over 160 lives. Limmer said: “In my mind, the colour of the rose reflects the orange of the RNLI’s boats while the yellow is reminiscent of the colour of the uniform. Gardeners who grow the rose will be supporting the RNLI and its flowers will be a constant reminder in the garden of the life-saving work that volunteers do.”
The Peter Beales RHS Chelsea display will feature a mass of roses, spanning over 100 square metres, surrounding a real RNLI rib. “The RNLI’s 200th anniversary is a testament to their unwavering commitment to saving lives at sea. It is an immense honour to stand alongside one of the UK’s oldest charities as partners during this historic milestone and we feel truly blessed that, of all the exhibitors at RHS Chelsea, the RNLI chose us to partner with. The unveiling of the garden, with its centrepiece lifeboat alive with roses, will be a truly magical moment. As the world watches, we hope to not only captivate visitors with the beauty of our display but also to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the vital work of the RNLI. This partnership is a celebration of resilience, strength, and the enduring spirit of humanity, and we are proud to be a part of it” said Limmer.
Peter Beales Roses is striving for its 29th RHS Chelsea gold medal at this year’s show, which will run from May 21st to May 25th at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.