The Washington Post, August 26th, 2004
Trying to breed a new, improved rose is like panning for gold. You have to shift a lot of dirt before you find anything that sparkles, as Bill Radler knows well. For 30 years, he has pursued the lonely quest of smearing the pollen from one rose onto the stigma of another, hoping to get viable seed, nurturing it, and waiting a year to see if the baby is a keeper. Usually, it's not. He makes about 1,000 roses a year, all but a few are discarded as sick and worthless. Then he hit pay dirt. In June of 1988 he crossed two promising parents and came up with Knock Out, a magenta blooming shrub that f...
HighBeam Research, Free Preview: 'Back in the Ring With a Knock Out Rose'... Full Membership required for unlimited access. Free 7-day trial.
Subscribers: HighBeam content is only available to HighBeam subscribers. Click the link above for more information.
