27 March 1999, Rotterdam.

Greetings to our Rosen Friends From Around the World!

Schpekelbut Tulipen und Roseren in The Netherlands is for half a century Europe's largest producer of exotic tulips, especially the striped varieties which are so popular with Americans and other peoples. For many years it has been our ambition to combine these desirable traits in the tulips with the roses to create The Blue Rose.

Much discussion has been made about The Blue Rose. For the past three decades, Schpekelbut Tulipen und Roseren has sweated the tradition of seven shirts to produce The Blue Rose in the laboratory. Using biotechnological engineering, our scientists have combined the genetic material from the tulips and the roses to produce a line of exciting blue roses which you will be seeing shortly in your garden stores.

This day, Schpekelbut Tulipen und Roseren introduced the world a new generation of blue striped roses at the venue of the International Tulipen und Bulben Schein being held in Rotterdam this week at the Rotterdam Convention Centre, Dinkel Strasse, 41.

Here are some of The Blue Rose!

Rosen No. 1: Buds: oval. Flowers: blue with irregular broad white stripes like the parrot tulip species, 3 in. (8 cm), double, in dense clusters; fragrant. Growth: bushy, compact, 23 in. (60 cm) high. Foliage: dark green, glossy. Use: for borders with distinctive character.
Rosen No. 2: Buds: small, roundish. Flowers: light blue to white; medium-sized, 3 in. (8 cm), double, in dense clusters; attractive, highly visible golden yellow stamens; fragrant. Blooms once. Growth: medium strong, upright rambler-type, over 117 in. (300 cm) high; blue canes, thornless. Foliage: deep green, medium-sized. Use: for walls, pergolas, pillars, arbors, summerhouses. Tip: Very frost-hardy. Very beautiful used together with Veilchenblau.
Rosen 'Ima Schpekelbut': Buds: small, roundish. Flowers: blue with irregular broad white stripes like the parrot tulip species, 3 in. (8 cm), double, in dense clusters; fragrant. Growth: medium strong, upright rambler-type, over 117 in. (300 cm) high; dark blue canes, thornless. Foliage: deep green, medium-sized.
Rosen No. 3: Buds: small, cherry red. Flowers: white with a deep blue edge, small, 3/4 to 1 in. (2-3 cm), single, 9 petals; no scent. Growth: as shrub rose moderately vigorous, partly upright, partly loosely trailing to outspreading, 31 in. (80 cm) high. Foliage: small, elongated; copper-colored when new, then a glossy light green, loose but nevertheless covering. Use: well as isolated group of three.

Please visit our booth in the central rotonda and receive a commemorative poster which shows these exciting new generations of The Blue Rose. I, Dr. Hans Schpekelbut, Director of Schpekelbut Tulipen und Roseren personally hope to see your faces in Rotterdam!