WARM WISHES™ – apricot-pink hybrid tea rose – Fryer
Step outside after rain and this rose greets you with a fruity, comforting scent and large, apricot-pink blooms that glow against healthy mid-green foliage. Developed as a hybrid tea, it gives you generous, exhibition-style flowers over a long season, while its upright habit fits neatly into narrow London front gardens and small borders. Planted once in good, peat-free soil with attention to drainage on heavier clays, it settles quickly and rewards you with reliable repeat flowering. As an own-root plant it establishes steadily for a long, resilient lifespan, coping well with breezy, rain-laden UK weather and humid summers that can challenge fussier roses. In its first seasons it concentrates on roots, then stronger shoots, before reaching full ornamental impact around the third year, bringing balanced colour and fragrance to a sustainable, rainwater-friendly garden.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal point |
Ideal as a single specimen by the path or gate, its large, high‑centred blooms and rich colour provide an immediate focal point with little maintenance beyond basic pruning, suiting busy homeowners and beginners. |
| Cutting and vase flowers |
Bred as a hybrid tea for cutting, the long stems and pointed buds open slowly, giving you armfuls of classic, high‑quality blooms for the house throughout summer, perfect for those who enjoy arranging flowers. |
| Compact urban borders |
The upright, moderately bushy shape fits neatly into narrow beds, leaving space for gravel, rain‑friendly planting and companion perennials, making it practical for small city plots and terraced‑house front gardens. |
| Large containers and patios |
Performs well in a generously sized pot of at least 40–50 litres, provided it is kept watered and fed, allowing you to enjoy its colour and fragrance on balconies, patios and paved areas valued by container‑focused gardeners. |
| Season-long scented display |
Remontant flowering with an abundant second flush and a strong, fruity perfume creates months of interest from early summer into autumn, bringing pleasure on everyday journeys for fragrance‑loving residents. |
| Weather-resilient family planting |
Good tolerance of heat and dry spells, combined with moderate disease resistance, means solid performance in typical British swings between showers and sunshine, reassuring time‑pressed family gardeners. |
| Long-term, low-hassle feature |
As an own‑root rose it builds a durable framework that can regenerate if cut back hard or nibbled, supporting an easy‑care, long‑lived planting that suits sustainably minded owners. |
| Peat-free, rain‑aware schemes |
Thrives in good garden soil improved with peat‑free compost and benefits from thoughtful drainage on heavier clays, dovetailing with simple rainwater‑harvesting habits appreciated by eco‑conscious urban households. |
Styling ideas
- Soft-porch welcome – Underplant with lavender and silvery foliage in gravel for a calm, scented entrance – ideal for front‑door stylists.
- Terrace-showpiece – Grow in a 50‑litre pot with trailing thyme to soften edges – suited to balcony and patio dwellers.
- Sunset-border blend – Combine with blue nepeta and purple salvia to highlight the warm peach tones – perfect for small mixed‑border creators.
- Cutting-corner – Plant in a sunny strip with repeat‑flowering perennials for regular vase material – appealing to home flower arrangers.
- Rainwise-ribbon – Thread through a permeable, gravelled front garden with grasses for drainage‑friendly structure – designed for sustainable city gardeners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose; registered as FRYxotic, marketed as WARM WISHES™ Hybrid tea rose FRYxotic; also known commercially as Sunset Celebration™ in exhibition circles. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Gareth Fryer, Fryer’s Roses Ltd, UK, from Pot O' Gold × (unknown seedling × Cheshire Life); bred 1993, registered mid‑1990s and introduced internationally thereafter. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated show rose with multiple European gold and silver medals in the 1990s, plus RNRS Trial Ground Certificate and RHS Award of Garden Merit confirming strong garden and exhibition value. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, medium‑tall shrub reaching about 100–140 cm with a 50–90 cm spread; moderately dense mid‑green foliage, slightly glossy, and moderately thorny stems suited to border or specimen use. |
| Flower morphology |
Large XL, double blooms with 26–39 petals, high‑centred and pointed buds in classic hybrid tea form; mainly solitary flowers on strong stems, ideal for cutting and exhibition displays. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm peach‑pink blend, RHS 23B outer and 24A inner; buds open peach‑orange, then soften to pastel peach and cream, fading more slowly in cool weather while maintaining a harmonious, glowing appearance. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, rich fruity scent that is noticeable on still evenings and lingers on cut stems; recognised by fragrance awards, making it an excellent choice where perfume is a priority. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional small, ovoid hips 10–14 mm across, orange‑red when ripe; mainly ornamental value, as the variety is primarily grown for its repeat flowering and high‑quality blooms. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to around –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b); moderate resistance to black spot, mildew and rust, benefiting from good air movement and standard, preventative care in humid seasons. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers full sun and fertile, well‑drained soil; plant 50–90 cm apart depending on use; deadhead and prune annually, with occasional pest and disease checks to support reliable repeat flowering. |
WARM WISHES™ offers large, scented apricot-pink blooms, steady repeat flowering and a durable own-root framework for long-term enjoyment; consider it if you need a reliable, gently luxurious feature rose.
