| Dr. Griffith J.
buck was professor of horticulture at Iowa State University at
Ames, Iowa from 1952 until 1985. He was an excellent
hybridizer of modern roses and the contributions he made to the
rose industry through his breeding program are still benefiting
the industry today.
Dr. Buck's main goal,
according to his daughter, Mary, was to breed roses that were
able to survive winter temperatures of -26 degrees f. without
protection. Other goals were good disease resistance,
repeat blooming, good flower form and color, and vigorous but
restrained growth habit. He was not working for exhibition
or show roses, but for roses that could be used as landscape
plants.
One of his varieties,
"Carefree Beauty", has been designated as an EarthKind
Rose under its found name "Katy Road Pink".
Because of the excellent disease resistance and the hardiness to
heat, cold and humidity, we believe many more of his roses have
the potential of attaining this designation. Dr. Buck's
rose collection consists of approximately 100 varieties.
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