A rose named after a wartime leader and a plant dedicated to Norwich museums volunteers will be launched by an Attleborough grower this month.

Peter Beales Roses will unveil the 'Churchill Rose' and 'Friendship of Strangers' at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show, which opens in London on May 24.

The grower will introduce a new rose for The Friends of Norwich Museums, which will be planted in Strangers' Hall Museum garden in Norwich for their 90th Anniversary birthday celebrations in June.

The 'Friendship of Strangers', a repeat flowering rose with small creamy lemon flowers, will be planted by the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, Richard Jewson, and Christine Peach, the winner of a 'name the rose competition' for the friends group, which is one of the oldest in the country.

Chosen from amongst a number of new roses being developed by the Attleborough-base grower, the Churchill rose is Churchill College's tribute to Sir Winston Churchill who founded the Cambridge college.

The peach-budded plant was created after the Churchill College team were unable to find a rose to decorate the tables at their formal ball in celebration of the establishment's 50th anniversary last year.

Royalties from the sale of the rose, which will be available to buy from May next year, will go towards college funds for new accommodation and student bursaries.

Peter Beales, owner and founder of the Norfolk rose business, added that the Churchill family also approved of the rose and were set to attend the launch.

'We are pleased to introduce this very beautiful rose. It is a fantastic addition to our peach/orange range of shrub roses and we are proud to be associated with such an iconic person and world-famous college,' he said.

The family-run Peter Beales Roses, which was formed in 1968, has won 18 RHS gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show and introduces a number of new roses at the prestigious event every year.