About the name
Name. 'Heavenly Pink' — English for 'sky pink'. A descriptive name that captures the character of the variety: the pyramidal clusters of soft pink flowers look like pink little clouds against the dark green foliage. It follows the standard Lens-practice of 'poetic' names.
Breeding. Bred by Louis Lens (1924–2001), the legendary Belgian breeder, at Lens Roses (Louvier, Belgium). The cross was made in 1989 and the variety was introduced in 1997. Code LENnedi (also LLX 8926, LENneei). Parentage: 'Seagull' (Pritchard 1907, a historic rambler) × an unnamed seedling. After Lens's death (2001) the nursery was carried on by his pupils, Rudy & Ann Velle-Lens (Ann is Louis's granddaughter and the breeder of Grand-Duc Jean, 2010).
Significance. Gold Medal Madrid 1998. The 4th Lens variety in our catalogue. Together with Guirlande d'Amour (1993, white), Bouquet Parfait (1989, cream-pink) and Grand-Duc Jean (2010, dark carmine), it forms a complete Belgian Hybrid Musk-dynasty, a separate thematic group for the handbook. All four varieties carry the LEN prefix, and all are soft, pastel, clustered shrub roses for natural mixed borders. The Lens breeders continued the Pemberton/Bentall line, but with better disease resistance and a wider colour range. It is important not to confuse it with the homonym 'Heavenly Pink' (JACextra), a floribunda by Jackson&Perkins and a completely different variety; in our catalogue it is the Belgian Lens-version.