Question
Is there a way I could purchase a unique hybrid rose that I could name myself?  Would breeders ever do that?  We have a German study group and our Professor is so wonderful and we would like to something really stellar to say thank you to her. She is a great gardener and I thought if we could find a rose and name it after our study group, she could always be reminded of how grateful we are for her expertise and kindness.  I'm in the Cleveland Ohio area and am willing to travel a little or do mail order if this is possible.  We would need it in a few weeks to give to her.  Do you think it might be possible to find this?  She is in Oberlin, Ohio, which is southwest of Cleveland by about an hour.  Thank you so much for your time!

Answer
The naming of a rose is an intricate process. The nursery selects a new rose from a list of worldwide hybridizers whom they work with. They then do a name search and register the new rose which takes time. When registered, they can grow the rose exclusively for you or they can make it available to the public for sale. They usually offer different levels of partnership in naming a rose. Needless to say this can take a long time. In England they have roses which you can select from and then you can name it but I don't think they have anything like that in the States. Here is a phone number of a well known and reputable rose nursery called Ashdown Rose Nursery and they will give you all the information you need. Who knows they even may have an un-named rose.
864-468-4900
tollfree 877-274-3696