Harkness Roses launch ‘Power to Pollinators’ range with the RSPB

Harkness Roses are today proud to unveil a new rose range alongside the RSPB to shine a light on the importance of growing flowers to support pollinators.

Flowers, such as roses, play a crucial role in our world’s eco-system, thanks to pollination.
This is the process where pollen is passed from one flower to fertilise another and produce seeds, thus continuing the cycle, while supporting a rich web of wildlife.

Our new range of roses has been developed to be rich in pollen, with a long flowering season to make them valuable for as long as possible. And because most of the roses are ‘singles’, with just one ring of petals, all that pollen is easily accessible to insects in the middle of each flower.

Planting a plethora of roses with different colours, shades, and scents, will help to attract a range of pollinators to the garden, from bumblebees and solitary bees to hoverflies and beetles.

A collection of nine roses has been selected to form our ‘Power to Pollinators’ range, including bare root and potted varieties, such as the delightfully light pink shade of Rose ‘This Morning’ and the exquisite apricot amber glow of Rose ‘Bridge of Sighs’. An array of rose types, both bush and climbing, is included in this collection, grown by the professional breeders and growers of Harkness Roses, who have been producing high quality and beautiful roses for more than 140 years.

We are proud to produce plants that are grown with the environment in mind, in peat-free compost and without pesticides or chemicals. They are also supplied in pots made from recycled plastic.

Jo Coker, Director of Fundraising for the RSPB said: “At the RSPB, we know how important gardens are for wildlife, including pollinators, and we also understand that wildlife-rich gardens are important for our health and wellbeing.
“With our ‘Power to Pollinators’ rose collection, specially created to be brilliant for insects as well as beautiful, we are delighted to support everyone in helping nature in their outdoor spaces, for the benefit of us all.”

For each rose sold in the ‘Power to Pollinators’ collection, a £2.50 donation will be made to the RSPB (Registered Charity in England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654) to help fund vital conservation work to save the UK’s wildlife, at the same time as your rose helps do the same in your garden.

For more tips and tricks on how to help nature in your outdoor space, please visit the RSPB’s Nature on Your Doorstep: https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-you-can-do/activities/nature-on-your-doorstep.