When world-renowned rose breeder Keiji Kunieda first began his journey into garden rose exploration in 1976, he wasted no time absorbing the cultivation and production techniques used around the world to build on his knowledge, which would catapult him into future industry fame.
On the shores of Lake Biwa near Kyoto, Japan, Keiji and his eldest son, Ken, worked tirelessly to perfect the production and cultivation of their own breeds of garden roses at Rose Farm Keiji, the Wabara collection. Today, the farm boasts over 60 varieties of Wabara garden roses, featuring unique shapes and fragrances not found anywhere else. These roses are grown in Kenya, Ecuador, and by our own partner grower, Alexandra Farms, in Colombia.
With extraordinarily large blooms, strong stems, and delicate neutral hues, the Wabara collection lives up to its name: “Wa,” meaning harmony, and “bara,” meaning rose. The harmonious collection of roses can be combined with ease, and all pair well with other botanicals to create endless design opportunities.
Keiji and Ken strive to create a collection of dependable, sturdy stems with unmatched qualities that are grown in the most natural state. Wabara garden roses are cultivated in soil among their natural ecosystem at their farms, ensuring a clean growth process.
Our grower partner, Alexandra Farms, currently grows seven classic Wabara varieties, with additional varieties being tested for future release. Grace Rose Farm also plans to introduce an extensive collection of Wabara roses for the garden.
Hana Spray
A Japanese spray rose with dark tan-colored petals, medium-sized spray heads, and a low petal count. Hana Spr adds the much-desired sand tone to arrangements, along with great texture. She is closely related to Loli Spr, another variety in our Wabara collection.
Issei
The comfort of a warm summer sunset has been captured in the captivating tones of peach and sand among creamy, cloud-colored petals in Issei’s flatly shaped rosette bloom.
Loli Spray
Loli Spr, a fabulous variety from our Wabara collection, is a dream! This spray rose has three blooms per stem, and wavy petals in shades of sandy pink and light lavender. Her petals gain depth and dimension from touches of light lavender in an airy, ruffled bloom full of antique elegance. Her medium-sized blooms can last for 12 days in the vase.
Miyabi
Her name signifies the traditional Japanese idea of authentic elegance, and Miyabi embodies this ideal in the way that she opens: her medium pink-colored outer petals part to reveal light pink petals inside, forming a star shape, and tinted at the heart of the blossom with warm peach.
Miyabi Cha
Miyabi Cha is a new sister of the popular peach-and-pink Miyabi garden rose. Miyabi Cha has pale-pink outer petals, edged in a more vivid pink, and her center petals disclose a creamy, buttery tan. Packed inside with innumerable pleated petals, Miyabi Cha opens all the way to form a spreading rosette more than five inches wide.
Tsumugi
The delicious light pink at the heart of Tsumugi blends to a pale pink on the outside. As she opens, she fills a large cup with swirling petals lightly scented with lavender, making it easy to understand why she received the name Tsumugi, which means “spinning graciously.”
Tsumugi Ulala
Bubbling like a glass of soft pink champagne, Tsumugi Ulala - pronounced “Ooo la la!” - uses her overabundance of sparkling peach petals to create an exceptional double cup bloom. Though not fragrant, the striking features in her wavy petals create something of a masterpiece in each stem. A Japan-bred introduction in 2025 and a sister rose to the much-loved Tsumugi, this garden rose is a substantial addition to the Wabara collection.
