Uncle Walter

Where to plant. As a large shrub at the back of a mixed border; as a climber on a wall or pergola; as a vertical red accent in the garden. It needs room 3-4 m high, so it is not for small beds.

Climate. USDA 7b. Southern Ukraine without cover; centre and north with mandatory winter cover; protect from spring frosts.

Care. Full sun; moderate disease prevention; feeding 2-3× per season; in spring, prune weak shoots and keep the main framework.

Name. 'Uncle Walter', after the breeder's uncle, Walter Johnston, a rose nurseryman and Trustee of the McGredy family business when Sam McGredy IV was young. A personal family dedication, typical of the McGredy-style, which often names roses after relatives and friends.

Breeding. Bred by Samuel Darragh McGredy IV. Code MACon. Bred 1959, introduced in the UK in 1962-1963. Parentage: 'Detroiter' (Kordes 1952) × 'Heidelberg' (Kordes climbing floribunda 1959). McGredy IV was the fourth generation of the legendary dynasty of breeders founded by Sam McGredy I in Portadown (Northern Ireland) in 1817. McGredy IV moved the family business to New Zealand in 1972.

Significance. A cult vintage McGredy of the 1960s. The rare triple classification HT/Climber/Shrub is unusual in the rose catalogue; the actual height is 150-425 cm (in practice a shrub or climber). Not fading in the sun is a rare quality for red classic HTs. The bronze-green leathery foliage with pronounced veins is a decorative bonus. The family dedication to uncle Walter Johnston is part of the McGredy family's personal history. No major international awards (AARS/ADR/RNRS/Belfast/RHS AGM) are documented; the AARS hypothesis mentioned in the original brief was not confirmed. The marketing description 'intensely scented' is a myth; HMF gives 'none to mild fragrance'. Uncle Walter is valued above all for its colour, habit and family history, not for competition awards or fragrance.