Welcome to my web site. My name is Rob Byrnes and I live in in the historic village of Roebling, NJ. This site is dedicated to the art and science of hybridization of roses. I have been hybridizing my own roses since 1991 and put this page up on the web in January of 1997. Correspondence from amateur or professional breeders and exchanges of
breeding information and experiences are welcomed.
When I began hybridizing roses I quickly became addicted to the endless possibilities. I strive for disease resistant, hardy roses with beautiful flowers and great scent. Obtaining strong scent has been somewhat elusive although I have been able to obtain at least some scent in most so far. It would be real nice to obtain exhibition quality blooms but the chances of that happening are low so instead I'm focusing on excellent garden varieties. If an exhibition quality bloom shows up amongst the seedlings, so much the better.
In my breeding efforts I'm using roses produced by Griffith Buck, Walter Brownell's "Sub-zero" roses, Dr. Robert Bayse, Morden series, Explorer series, Parkland series, David Austin English roses, Meidilland Romantica series, select old garden roses, R. rugosa/hybrids, and species/hybrids to reinforce disease resistance and hardiness. I'm always looking for rare and obscure older roses as I feel that many of them have been neglected and have much to offer as breeding parents.
Stop back from time to time to see some of my new seedlings and what's happening here at Overbrooke Gardens .