Coquitlam has a rose for its 125th year.
And, next month, it will be unveiled in the city's Centennial Rose Garden at Dogwood Pavilion during the annual rose show hosted by the Fraser Pacific Rose Society.
City parks manager Kathleen Reinheimer said the Coquitlam rose — bred by Brad Jalbert of Select Roses in Langley — is a hardy, long-blooming and disease-resistant variety. Its colour is salmon, a nod to the city's namesake of Kwikwetlem that means "red fish up the river" in Coast Salish.
The city received a $5,000 donation to buy the naming rights.
Reinheimer said it will take some time before the rose is available for sale. "There were only 20 available this year so they were planted at the rose garden, at the Inspiration Garden and at city hall," she wrote in an email.
"We expect more in each succeeding year and plan to distribute them across the parks system and to local gardeners over time."
The rose plantings comes two weeks before Coquitlam is to be judged as part of the national Communities in Bloom contest. Last year, the city garnered a Five Bloom award and an overall mark of 88% for its appearance.
• The official unveiling will happen between 2 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 3 at the Centennial Rose Garden (1655 Winslow Ave., Coquitlam). Entry to the show is $3.50 on July 2 (1 to 5 p.m.) and July 3 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
jwarren@tricitynews.com
