Touch of Class

Where to plant. For cutting in a special bed (one shoot = one perfect flower); as a showpiece column in a flower bed; in a perfectionist's collection alongside Peace, Tropicana and Double Delight; not for mass planting — it needs individual care.

Climate. USDA 7b+ — Southern Ukraine without winter protection; Central and Northern regions need mandatory winter protection; tolerates summer heat well.

Care. Full sun; prevention of blackspot; feed 3× per season; prune ⅓ in spring; water at the root, not on the leaves; deadhead for the quality of the second flush.

Name. “Touch of Class” — the English idiom for “a touch of elegance, style”. Chosen by Armstrong Roses for the American market, emphasising the aristocratic perfection of the form. Typical of 1980s marketing: a short English idiom for recognisability and an elegant image. Breeder: bred by Michel Kriloff (France) by 1982, introduced in 1984 in the USA through Armstrong Roses. Code KRIcarlo. Parentage: 'Micaëla' × ('Queen Elizabeth' × 'Romantica') — both parents are HTs with a strong form (Queen Elizabeth in particular — WFRS HoF 1979).

Significance. ARS National record-holder for the number of Queen of Show wins in the HT category in 1995–2005. The variety is so ideal in classic HT form that ARS placed it among the “benchmarks” for judges — a training specimen of what a perfect exhibition rose is. This is the highest status an HT can receive. AARS 1986 (All-America Rose Selections). Portland Gold Medal 1988. Dozens of Queen, King and Princess of Show titles at ARS shows from 1988 to 2022 — the most titled exhibition HT of the late twentieth century. A flawless flower form — the reference for high-centred. In Ukraine it is almost unknown to the average gardener, but popular with collectors. Exhibition form at the expense of fragrance is a classic compromise of perfectionism.