Peter Beales

Peter Beales MBE, (22 July 1936 – 26 January 2013) was a British rosarian, author and lecturer. Beales was considered one of the leading experts on roses, especially species and classic roses, preserving many old varieties and introducing 70 new cultivars during his lifetime. He served as the President of the Royal National Rose Society from 2003 until 2005. He studied at Norwich City College and then trained with LeGrice Roses in North Walsham before national service, during which time he met his wife Joan. Peter then worked as manager at Hillings Rose Nursery in Surrey, under the guidance of legendary rosarian Graham Stuart Thomas. He succeeded Thomas as foreman of roses.

Establishment of rose nursery In 1968, Peter Beales started Peter Beales Roses Ltd. – initially in Swardeston, Norfolk, before moving to the market town of Attleborough. Over time, the family-run nursery grew to become a major specialist centre, growing and retailing over 1,200 different varieties of rose. Beales' nursery holds more than 100 types of wild roses, recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) as the most extensive collection of its kind in Britain. Peter Beales died on 26 January 2013 at the age of 76.