My favorite colors are green and yellow, so what could be a more perfect combination than our Rose of the Month, ‘St. Patrick’? Although this presentation is a bit late for its namesakes’ holiday, still a lovely addition to any garden. I’ve grown this rose for several years and it presents lovely long-stemmed blooms, opening its 30 to35 petals to a lovely yellowish green in cooler weather, and a more yellow color when it’s hot. As a hybrid tea with an unusual coloring, and so far I’ve had very little disease on mine. I have it in a pot, so I need to feed it regularly, but it performs nicely giving me many flowers.
Also available under the names of WEKamanda, and ‘Limelight’, it was hybridized by Strickland and introduced in 1995, with an AARS award selection in 1996. The chartreuse flowers are fully double and is a favorite for exhibition, with high pointed centers, and clean foliage. The foliage is mid-green and plentiful, and also has long stems, making for a perfect rose for “Queen of Show.” With parents ‘Brandy’ and ‘Gold Medal’, how could a rose like this go wrong?
By Barbara Picarelli, Consulting Rosarian Emeritus
Edited for the website by N Londeree, December 2020