Marin Rose Society - Rose of the Month

Gemini
Rose of the Month For November and December, 2009
by Gail Trimble

'Gemini’ was hybridized by Dr. Keith Zary in 1991 from a cross of the pink blend hybrid tea, ‘Anne Morrow Lindberg’ and the orange blend grandiflora, ‘New Year’. The elusive and very hard-to-find ‘Anne Morrow Lindberg’ is also the seed parent of the mini-floras, ‘Butter Cream and ‘Peter Cottontail’, the hybrid tea, ‘Diana, Princess of Wales’, and the floribunda, ‘Pasadena Star’. The pollen parent, ‘New Year’, is the winner of the 1987 All-American Rose Selection and is also the parent of 16 registered roses, including ‘Oranges and Lemons’ and ‘Top Notch’.

‘Gemini’ was introduced by Bear Creek Gardens in 1999 and is classified by the American Rose Society as a pink blend hybrid tea with 25-30 petals and a very good garden rating of 8.2. It has 5” blooms of creamy white with a deep pink to deep coral edge and is the winner of the All-America Rose Selection in 2000, the Italian Monza Silver Medal in 1999 and the American Rose Society Members Choice Award in 2005. With its high-centered, classic form, Gemini is an excellent show rose - in the National compilations it was the 9th top show rose in its first year of being exhibited, and has been in the top three places ever since.

An excellent seed parent, ‘Gemini’ is the parent of 15 registered roses, including the orange blend floribunda, ‘Johnny Becnel’, and the orange blend hybrid tea, ‘Mu Lan’. Vigorous, disease resistant, and floriferous, Gemini is not only the best hybrid tea to be awarded the All-America Rose Selection, but it is probably the most outstanding hybrid tea ever created.

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