“We are now accepting reservations for the new spray rose variety,” announced Viking Roses Kenya.
The variety drew a lot of interest at IFTEX 2024 and was officially named at IFTF 2024 where Mrs Rebecca Kotut from Karen Roses gave her name to honour her support for the industry. She is modest and prefers to stay out of the spotlight but was pushed into the centre of attention by her former trainee, Andrew Wambua, now managing director of mZurrie Group. The breeder was taking reservations at IFTEX 2025. The rose in question is Rosa Loves Me® Radiant Rebecca, a spray rose from Viking Roses Kenya.
When it was shown at IFTEX 2024, the response was very positive, says Angeline Abuti, Selection and Marketing Manager at Viking Kenya. Since that event, many have asked for the budwood, but they had decided to hold back. The same cautious approach has been used for Rosa Loves Me® Inger Kristine in Kenya and is now being applied in South America to Rosa’s Amazing® Just a Little Bit More.
Speaking to Floriweek at her IFTEX stand, Angeline said they have started accepting reservations for Radiant Rebecca. “If buyer reaction continues as it has, we’ll meet the demand. This was just one of their Viking roses but showcased more new varieties.”
Viking Roses stand was simple and functional. “We don’t focus on flashy displays or big showpieces,” they explained. “Our main goal is to highlight the quality of our roses and the ongoing trials in Nakuru. Our breeding program moves forward quietly, built on garden and pot rose genetics. We carefully select and introduce new types like Rosa Loves Me® spray roses, large-headed garden roses, and very productive standard roses.”