Armstroug Roses - 
It is a pleasure to offer our friends three new Armstrong Roses for 1951. All three differ greatly from each other, 
but each is outstanding in its particular way. We think the big spectacular Bravo, shown across the page, will 
amaze you with its perfect color and form—that First Love, with its daintily colored long-stemmed buds, will 
become a great family favorite—and that Valentine, shown on the next page, will fill a need for massed effec- 
tive color in a low border or hedge. We are proud of them because they are our introductions. We think you 
will be proud of them, too, when you get them in your garden. 














These New Family Members 
Bravo, First Love, and Valentine are roses new to you, but actually we accepted 
them as full-fledged members of our rose family several years ago. It takes from 6 
to 10 years from the time a cross is made to get a new variety ready for your 
garden. It takes time to plan a cross, actually make the pollination, grow the seed, 
bring the seedlings into bloom, observe them, test them, send them to others in other 
parts of the country to be tested there. When a rose finally passes all these critical 
tests with flying colors, it’s got to be good. It’s fun to watch the winners emerge 
from thousands of others, as Bravo, First Love, and Valentine have done. 
Standards Are Higher 
So far has rose breeding progressed in the last decade that a new 
| rose seedling that we would have thought was excellent ten 
years ago hardly gets a second glance now. The colors are 
| brighter, the flowers have better form, the plants are more 
vigorous. All of these things have to be true of a new seedling 
: if it is to surpass the older kinds. Here at Armstrong Nurseries 
| we think we are quite successful in our rose breeding work. In 
| the important All-America Rose Competitions, 7 Armstrong 
Roses have won All-America Awards and one, High Noon, has 
won a Regional All-America Award. No other breeder or intro- 
ducer has equaled this record. Charlotte Armstrong, Sutter's 
Gold, Show Girl, Tallyho, Nocturne, Forty-niner, Taffeta, 
Pinkie, Mirandy, High Noon, Debonair, Sweet Sixteen, Fan- 
dango, Juno—these roses speak for themselves. And now, to 
join this group in 1951, come the brilliant red Bravo, the 
lovely pink First Love, and the many-flowered Valentine. 
First Love 
Dainty and Delightful 
If you are one of those many people who like beautiful buds 
of grace and distinction to cut for the house, then the new 
rose First Love is one that you can grow with the greatest 
enjoyment. The long slender buds are a lovely and delicate 
shade of pale Dawn-pink, the outer surface of the petals being 
a deeper shade of pink. In certain weathers, the petals will be 
delicately washed with lovely pastel tints of salmon, orchid and 
rose. The outer tips of the petals are daintily pointed and re- 
curved like a miniature species of tulip. 
Every flower of First Love is borne singly on a long slender 
stem, perfect for cutting. It never comes in clusters. The flowers 
have a crisp, long-lasting texture, and in spite of their fragile 
dainty appearance, they open very slowly so that you can enjoy 
their beauty for a long time. The 25-petaled open blooms are 
not as distinct and unique as the buds, but they are very at- 
tractive. First Love has a slight pleasant Tea fragrance. 
The plant of First Love has plenty of vigor and is much- 
branched, providing dozens of the beautiful buds continuously 
all through the season. They stand hot weather well; all the 
heat does is to provide a little variation in color. The narrow, 
pale green, luxuriant foliage fits the flowers perfectly and covers 
the plant with a luxuriant mantle which is beautiful to look 
upon. 
The distinct and unique form of the bud and the always de- 
lightful pastel pink coloring, coupled with the great profusion 
of the long-stemmed flowers make First Love a great per- 
former throughout California. Reports reaching us from other 
sections of the country seem to indicate that it will be uni- 
versally successful wherever roses are grown. 
Originated at the Armstrong Nurseries by H. C. Swim. Plant 
Pat. No. 921. 

First Love 

$2.00 each; 3 or more, $1.70 each 
