We were recently delighted to receive a press release from Schultz Communications regarding two of our favorite pastimes, roses and Downton Abbey, and we would like to share some of the release with our readers.

The sixth and final season of Downton Abbey is playing on American televisions every Sunday night, as millions of devoted fans follow the lives of their favorite fictional British characters from the 1920s. The upstairs-downstairs drama ends its record-breaking run this March.

But even after the new episodes of the wildly popular show are gone, Downton Abbey will live on in rose gardens and backyard landscapes throughout the country. That’s because Weeks Roses has introduced a new Downton Abbey-inspired rose variety for Spring 2016.

The first rose introduced to honor Downton Abbey became available at garden centers last spring. Anna’s Promise, named for Anna Bates, the lady’s maid at the center of the downstairs drama, is a Grandiflora with golden petals and a pink blush. The reverse side of the petals is a glowing bronze that reflects the quiet strength of Anna’s steadfast character.

This year’s introduction is Pretty Lady Rose. Inspired by the Lady Rose MacClare character on the show, it shares many attributes with the show’s namesake such as elegance and strength. The deep-pink flowers on this Hybrid Tea bush are large (4 to 5 inches in diameter), with ruffled petals. The long-lasting blooms have a sweetly scented fragrance with hints of peonies and spices, similar to the perfume a noble woman from the Downton Abbey period might have worn. The plant is dressed with a gown of healthy, bright, medium-green glossy foliage. With her compact habit, this selection brings elegance to smaller spaces of the garden, and Pretty Lady Rose also looks great when grown in pots.

Even though the Downton Abbey television show is ending, there is talk of a full-length feature film in the works. So it’s only fitting that the officially licensed Downton Abbey Garden Rose Collection will continue. Weeks Roses plans to introduce two new show-inspired varieties in 2017.

Violet’s Pride is named for the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (as portrayed by Maggie Smith). This variety is a spicy-scented lavender floribunda with a magenta heart that makes a dramatic statement in the garden. The fourth and final variety in the series is Edith’s Darling, an English-style Shrub rose that boasts pale yellow blossoms. Edith’s Darling is named for Lady Edith’s daughter, Marigold.

Downton Abbey-licensed roses are available at home center stores, independent garden centers and select mail order and online vendors nationwide. For more information, visit www.WeeksRoses.com.