'Julia Child' as the 2018 Gulf District Rose of the Year

The Gulf District of the American Rose Society, which includes rose growers and hobbyist in Louisiana and Mississippi, has named 'Julia Child' as the 2018 Gulf District Rose of the Year.

The award came because "rose growers and enthusiasts surveyed in the local area have been impressed with the great landscape performance of this popular floribunda variety" reports Allen Owings, Gulf District Director for the American Rose Society.
If you desire an easy care floribunda, 'Julia Child' is for you.

'Julia Child' is a medium-yellow floribunda hybridized by Tom Carruth. In 2005 when Weeks Roses offered famous chef Julia Child the opportunity to select a rose to be named after her, she fittingly chose a butter-yellow rose.

The cupped, old-fashioned blooms of 'Julia Child' have a sweet licorice fragrance with an average of 30-45 petals forming 3 inch blooms. The blooms are produced individually or in small clusters which quickly repeat bloom throughout the season. The foliage is glossy, medium green.

The stems have a generous supply of prickles. In Louisiana the bush is easily controlled as a 4 foot medium size, compact plant in the ground or pot. This rose has a highly recommended rating in the American Rose Society rose ratings for landscape performance.

'Julia Child' is heat tolerant and while it is listed as very disease tolerant, it will greatly benefit from spraying 3-4 times annually (February, April, June, September) by keeping more foliage therefore producing more blooms.

Prior winners of the Gulf District Rose of the Year include 'Belinda's Dream' in 2015, 'Cinco de Mayo' in 2016 and 'Mrs. B. R. Cant' in 2017.  These varieties along with 'Julia Child' are available from a wide range of local independent retail garden centers and mail order nurseries.

'Julia Child' is very worthy of being added to your rose plantings in 2018.