Impératrice Farah

Where to plant. Formal groups of 3-5 bushes, as a single focal point in the centre of a bed, themed 'royal' borders with Delbard-bred varieties; excellent for cutting, as the dramatic colour works well in bouquets; paired with Double Delight (also a 'flame along the edge' bicolour) for a dramatic duo.

Climate. Down to −23 °C. In Ukraine, moderate winter protection in northern regions; in the south, no protection needed.

Care. As a classic HT, prune in spring; mandatory seasonal disease prevention (2 times a season in humid climates); removing spent blooms encourages new flushes.

Name. The variety is dedicated to Farah Pahlavi (Farah Pahlavi, born 14 October 1938), the last Empress of Iran and the third wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (reigned 1941–1979). Farah was 'Shahbanou' (Empress) of Iran from 1959 until the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and actively promoted the modernisation of culture, education and women's rights in Iran. After the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty she lived in exile in the United States and Paris. Delbard has a whole series of 'imperial' varieties named after European and world monarchs. In different countries the variety is sold as Empress Farah (English), Kaiserin Farah (German), and under the commercial name Strawberry Parfait.

Breeding. Bred by Georges Delbard, Malicorne-sur-Sarthe, France, 1986; commercial introduction 1992. Code DELivour. Parentage is commercially protected, standard Delbard-practice. The Delbard house is one of the three leading French breeding houses (with Meilland and Guillot/SIRPHE); our catalogue already includes Blue Nile (Delbard 1981), Dames de Chenonceau (Delbard 2002) and La Rose de Molinard (Delbard 1998/2008).

Significance. One of the most dramatic bicolour varieties of the 1980s. In popular culture Impératrice Farah is the reference for 'flame along the edge', an example for many later bicolours. Although it has no major official awards, it remains a cult variety among collectors and florists for its dramatic contrast. Its particular historical interest is that it was bred during the reign of the Shah (the year of the revolution in Iran was 1979), but was introduced commercially in 1992, while Farah was in exile. In a sense it is a 'rose in exile', as the Empress herself was.