On a lovely day in June 1997, the good citizens of Bonavista, Newfoundland and assorted officials of high and low rank -- including Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth – wandered down to the seashore on Canada’s far east coast to celebrate a significant anniversary. Exactly 500 years earlier (and five years after Christopher Columbus dropped anchor in the Bahamas, believing he had arrived in Asia), explorer John Cabot, having sailed across the Atlantic on the good ship ‘Matthew’, made land somewhere nearby, promptly claiming it for England. There was no log of the trip and historians are still unsure whether he actually landed in Newfoundland or on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. But the re-enactment of his arrival, complete with a replica of the ship, was a wonderful celebration, and a timely reminder of the large role played by the various European explorers in charting the wilds of the “New World”.

But many gardeners throughout the word have been introduced to ‘John Cabot’ via his leafy namesake: a tall, beautiful shrub rose with masses of flowers in an electric pink. It is arguably one of the best-known and best performing roses of Canada’s vaunted Explorer rose-breeding program.

Like cheddar cheese and Macintosh apples, Explorer roses have become famous Canadian exports and are found in gardens throughout the world. The Explorer breeding program was begun in 1961 at Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm by plant geneticist Dr. Felicitas Svejda of Agriculture Canada. Dr. Szvejda’s aim was to breed roses that would be tough, hardy and floriferous. She used rugosa roses and Rosa kordesii, among others. Folowing her retirement in 1986, the program was moved to the station at L’Assomption, Quebec.

So, in honor of both kinds of explorers, here’s a look at some of the best roses to come out of the program. Remember, they’ll take 2-3 years to reach their mature size and flowering potential.

William Baffin: A disease-resistant climber that grows up to 10 feet (3 m) tall and very wide, with a flush of fragrant, deep-pink, semi-double flowers in early summer, followed by sporadic re-bloom later. Extremely cold-hardy.

John Cabot: A spectacular pillar-type rose bearing masses of fuchsia-pink, double blossoms with bright yellow stamens in which bees are always found gathering nectar and pollen. Disease-resistant and long-blooming, it grows to 8-9 feet tall (2.4-2.8 m), making it a good climber or tall arching shrub. Very hardy.

Champlain: Rich, dark-red, semi-double blooms on a sturdy shrub, 4 feet (1.3 m) tall and wide, making it a good rose for a hedge. Tends to mildew in humid summers. Hardy, but may have some dieback after harsh winters.

John Davis: A large, somewhat sprawling shrub or climber, 6-8 feet (2-2.4 m) tall with double, clear-pink, high-centered flowers that look like hybrid teas. Very hard, disease-resistant and extremely fragrant.

John Franklin: Large floribunda-like clusters of frilly, double, fragrant, crimson-red roses make this 3-foot (1 m) tall shrub very decorative. Exceptionally hardy. Expect about 14 weeks of bloom.

Martin Frobisher: The first Explorer rose released, in 1968. A shrub that reaches 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and wide, with beautifully-formed, fragrant, soft-pink blooms. Very long flowering season. Great as a hedge.

Captain Samuel Holland: A climber or tall shrub, to 10 feet (3 m), with clusters of reddish-pink flowers that look like small tea roses. Hardy, vigorous and disease-resistant.

Henry Hudson: This highly-scented little shrub stands just 2 feet (60 cm) tall with lovely white blossoms flushed with palest pink. Glossy dark foliage is disease-resistant. Excellent as a groundcover; deadhead faded blooms.

Louis Jolliet: One of the hardiest with loads of pink blossoms over 3 months. Disease-resistant. Grows to 4 feet (1.2 m) tall with a trailing habit that makes it good for slopes.

Jens Munk: A dense hybrid rugosa shrub rose, about 4 feet tall, whose semi-double, soft-magenta blooms have the look and exquisite perfume of an old French rose. Good production of rose hips for fall and winter.

Quadra: Very double, dark-red blossoms resemble those of an old rose. Main flush of bloom in June. Grows 5 feet tall (1.7 m) tall and wide. Disease-resistant.

Adapted from a column that appeared originally in the Toronto Sun

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