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Jackson & Perkins Company, commonly known as Jackson & Perkins, is an American company that cultivates roses. Since its founding in 1872, Jackson & Perkins has grown to sell other products including live plants, garden accessories, holiday gifts, and home decor.
The company's name came from the two partners who started the business, Charles H. Perkins (1840–1924) and his father-in-law, Albert E. Jackson (1807–1895). The company began in 1872, in Newark, New York, as a truck farm selling strawberries, raspberries, and grapes. Perkins became interested in the wholesale nursery business and he began selling vines and shrubs to nearby retail nurseries.
In 1882, Charles became fascinated with rose propagation. In 1884, he hired Alvin Miller as foreman of his newly evolving rose business. Miller, a hybridizer, was directed to develop a special rose new to the rose market. His first success, introduced in 1901, was the Dorothy Perkins rose, named for Charles Perkins' granddaughter Dorothy. In 1908, this rose won top honors at the Royal National Rose Society.[ citation needed ] It also started a long tradition of naming roses for people. This rose has been mentioned by several authors in their works including F. Scott Fitzgerald.[ citation needed ] Jackson & Perkins stopped marketing the original Dorothy Perkins rose because the plant was prone to mildew and disease. It is still available from specialty nurseries. To this day the Dorothy Perkins climbing rose adorns the walls of Windsor Castle.
Jackson & Perkins remained a family affair when, in 1928, Charles "Charlie" Perkins, nephew of the founder, succeeded his cousin George C. Perkins as President. He furthered the company's involvement in rose hybridization by hiring Jean Henri Nicolas, an internationally known French hybridizer, to head the new, expanded rose hybridization department. The family home at Newark, known as the Jackson–Perkins House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. [1]
After Nicolas's death in 1937, Eugene Boerner, [2] his understudy, became J&P's head hybridizer. Boerner made great strides in the floribunda class of rose, a classification name coined by C.H. Perkins, a cousin of Charles. In 1939, Boerner increased J&P's stock of roses by collecting 10,000 cuttings from growers in Europe. These cuttings were instrumental in the successful propagation of new varieties.
J&P, along with other innovative growers, wanted protection for the plants they launched. The United States Congress, in 1931, extended plant patent protection to nurseries that developed and introduced new plants to the nursery trade. This law gives patent-holders seven years of competition-free production.
The 1939 New York World's Fair proved to be the perfect venue for introducing Jackson & Perkins roses to the nation. Charlie Perkins participated in the fair with a 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) garden display holding 8,000 roses. World's Fair, a red floribunda rose, was the star attraction.[ citation needed ]
Approximately 40,000 people signed up to have information or the World's Fair rose shipped. This gave the company a ready-made customer list. Catalogs were developed, and the Jackson & Perkins mail order business, the first mail order rose nursery in the nation, was launched.
World's Fair was the winner of the first All-America Rose Selection competition, followed by a string of winners. Katherine T. Marshall won in 1944. Fashion, a coral-peach rose, won the AARS competition in 1950. The following years brought a string of champions: Vogue, Ma Perkins, Jiminy Cricket, White Bouquet, Gold Cup, and Ivory Fashion. Eugene Boerner won fourteen All-America rose honors, including three more awarded after his death.
Jackson & Perkins roses became the stars of the rose world, not just because of the development of hybrids, but also because of the attention given to naming the new introductions. Blaze and Fashion have lasting appeal. Star-struck names, such as Cary Grant,Dolly Parton,Kate Smith, and Arlene Francis could help propel a rose to popularity. Many of these roses are still in production.
Charlie Perkins died in 1963, followed by Gene Boerner four years later. In 1966, Jackson & Perkins Company was purchased by Harry and David, the world's largest mail order fruit business. Bear Creek Corporation, an umbrella organization, was formed over Harry and David and Jackson & Perkins companies in 1972. Jackson & Perkins focused their business on mail order sales while Bear Creek Gardens oversaw garden center, mass market, and greenhouse sales.
Harry and David moved the rose hybridizing facility to Tustin, California, and hired William Warriner to continue the hybridizing work of Boerner. He introduced three hybrids, developed by Gene Boerner, which won AARS awards: "Gay Princess" in 1967, "Gene Boerner" in 1969, and "First Prize" in 1970. He went on to win nineteen All-America awards for his rose introductions while working on J&P hybrids.
In 1984, the corporation was sold to R.J. Reynolds Development Corporation. Dr. Keith Zary succeeded Bill Warriner as Director of Research for J&P roses in 1985. He and his team continued the AARS award winning tradition with nine more AARS awards including Mardi Gras, the 2008 AARS award winner.
Bear Creek Corporation purchased Armstrong Nurseries in 1987. This old J&P rival in the rose industry had been a family-owned company. They were a charter member of AARS and held many awards for their roses. Patented varieties included Double Delight,Olympiad,Fire 'N' Ice, and Crystalline.
In 1986, Bear Creek Corporation, which included Jackson & Perkins, was purchased by Shaklee Corporation, which in turn was purchased by Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd of Japan in 1989.
In 1997, Jackson & Perkins began internet sales of roses. What once was Bear Creek Gardens became Jackson & Perkins Wholesale. Over 300,000 seedlings are grown and evaluated every year at the research facility outside Somis, California. Jackson & Perkins wholesale (JPW) was created to sell to local garden centers as well as mass retailers.
On April 10, 2007, Harry and David Holdings sold most of the assets of Jackson & Perkins to an investment group headed by Donald and Glenda Hachenberger. Today, Jackson & Perkins is a division of Jackson & Perkins Park Acquisitions, which is a subsidiary of publicly traded Western Capital Resources. Jackson & Perkins Park Acquisitions encompasses three garden brands: Park Seed, Jackson & Perkins, and Wayside Gardens.
Newark is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States, 35 miles (56 km) south east of Rochester and 48 miles (77 km) west of Syracuse. The population was 9,017 at the 2020 census. The Village of Newark is in the south part of the Town of Arcadia and is in the south of Wayne County. It is the most populous community in Wayne County.
Harry and David, LLC is an American-based premium food and gift producer and retailer. The company sells its products through direct mail, online and in retail stores nationwide, and operates the brands Harry & David, Wolferman's, Stock Yard's and Cushman's. Harry & David was founded in 1910 by Samuel Rosenberg as Bear Creek Orchards in Medford, Oregon, as a premium fruit company. As of 2014, it is owned by 1-800-Flowers.
Rosa 'Rock & Roll' is a red and white Grandiflora rose cultivar, developed in the United States by Tom Carruth in 2006. It was introduced into the United States by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, Inc. in 2007.
Tom Carruth is an American award-winning rose hybridizer, who has created more than 100 rose varieties, including eleven All-America Rose Selections (AARS). He is currently the E.L. and Ruth B. Shannon Curator of the Rose Collections at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California.
The All-America Rose Selections (AARS) is an award that was given annually, from 1940 to 2013, by the American rose industry to an outstanding new rose variety. The AARS selection was regarded as the most prestigious rose prize in the United States for 73 years. AARS was discontinued after 2013, and was replaced in 2016 by the new American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) program.
Rosa 'Scentimental' is a red and white striped Floribunda rose, created by Tom Carruth in 1996. The rose was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1997.
Rosa 'Diamond Jubilee' is a light yellow Hybrid tea rose developed in the United States in 1947 by Gene Boerner. The cultivar was named All-America Rose Selections (AARS) winner in 1948.
Rosa 'Ma Perkins' is a pink blend Floribunda rose cultivar bred by Gene Boerner in the US in 1952. The rose was named an All-America Rose Selections (AARS) in 1953.
Rosa 'Gene Boerner' is a pink Floribunda rose cultivar, bred by Eugene Boerner and introduced into the United States by Jackson & Perkins in 1968, in honor of Boerner. The cultivar was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1969.
Rosa 'Electron', also known as Mullard Jubilee, is a bright pink hybrid tea rose developed by Samuel McGredy IV in 1962. Originally named 'Mullard Jubilee, it was introduced into Australia in 1970 as 'Electron'. The rose was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1973.
Rosa 'Handel',, is a climbing floribunda rose cultivar, developed by Samuel McGredy IV in 1960. The cultivar was the recipient of the Portland Gold Medal in 1975.
Rosa 'Honor',, is a white blend hybrid tea rose cultivar, developed by William Warriner, and introduced into the United States by Jackson & Perkins in 1980. The cultivar was the recipient of the Portland Gold Medal in 1978 and was an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1980.
Rosa 'Love',, is a grandiflora rose cultivar, developed by William Warriner, and introduced into the United States by Jackson & Perkins in 1980. The cultivar was the recipient of the Portland Gold Medal and was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1980.
Rosa 'Olympiad',, is a hybrid tea rose cultivar, developed by Sam McGredy IV, and introduced into New Zealand by McGredy Roses International in 1974. The cultivar was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1984, and the recipient of the Portland Gold Medal in 1995.
Rosa 'Blueberry Hill',, is a floribunda rose cultivar, bred by Tom Carruth, and introduced into the United States by Weeks Rose Growers in 1997. The plant was created from hybrid tea, 'Crystalline' and floribunda, 'Playgirl'. The cultivar won a Portland Gold Medal in 2002.
Rosa 'Fourth of July', is a red and white climbing rose cultivar, bred by American rose breeder, Tom Carruth, and introduced by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower in 1999. The rose was named an All-America Rose Selections in 1999.
Rosa 'Rockin Robin' is a pink, red and white striped shrub rose rose cultivar, bred by American rose breeder, Tom Carruth, and introduced by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower in 1997.
Rosa 'Dublin Bay' is a red, large-flowered floribunda climbing rose. The rose cultivar was bred by Sam McGredy IV in 1969 and introduced into Ireland by nursery, Samuel McGredy and Son.
Rosa 'Margaret McGredy' is an orange-red hybrid tea rose, bred by Irish rose breeder Sam McGredy III before 1925. The new rose was awarded the Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) Gold Medal in 1925, but was never commercially successful. 'Margaret McGredy, along with an unnamed seedling, was used to hybridize the legendary hybrid tea rose, 'Peace'.
Coordinates: 34°17′43″N82°14′12″W / 34.29515°N 82.23677°W
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