Eugenio Fojo
Eugenio Fojo y Márquez was a Spanish rose breeder who founded "La Florida" in northern Spain and the Basque Country. It was the most influential plant nursery and garden design firm in the 1930s. His rose, 'Irene Churruca,' is still sold as one of the classic roses of that era.
Biography
Fojo was born in Cuba in 1899 while his father was in the Spanish colonial army there. However, he grew up in the Basque country of northern Spain. When he was 25, Fojo became an apprentice in Catalonia under Simon Dot and his son Pedro Dot, the famous rose breeder. Pedro eventually named a rose after Eugenio. Fojo studied in England, Italy, the United States, Switzerland and Germany before returning to set up a business in Bilbao, Spain. Probably using capital provided by aristocratic and well-heeled patrons, Fojo started "La Florida", a plant nursery, landscape design firm, and rose hybridizing enterprise which became very successful.Fojo himself took a modest view of his rose breeding:
Roses
Friera's Rosas de España lists Fojo roses in the order they were introduced: "His first rose was created in 1932 and was of course named 'La Florida' after his nursery. It was of a distinct salmon colour and earned him a diploma of merit in Barcelona’s rose competition held in Pedralbes. Following this, in 1933, he named 'Villa de Bilbao' after his beloved city. In the same year, he created 'Serafina Longa'. And in 1934, produced 'Irene Churruca', which, with great triumph, won the Floral Gold Medal, also in Barcelona. In 1935, he created 'Señora de León Aujuria', not a rose anyone cares for. 'Monte Igueldo' came out in 1944, 'Condesa de Benahavis' in 1949 which was very pleasing and is considered a perfect rose. It had an attractive shade of salmon pink, excellent perfume, and displayed continuous flowering. After this came 'Gloria de Grado', and finally one called 'Marquesa de Narros'." 'Marquesa de Narros' is sometimes wrongly masculinised as 'Marques de Narros'.La Florida also issued 'Embajador Lequerica' — "flowers strawberry-pink, reverse Indian yellow at base passing to brick-red at edge" – in 1962.
Of these roses, 'Irene Churruca' remains the one most admired and most widely grown. It is on the list of the Californian nursery Vintage Gardens as:
'Irene Churruca' is in the Carla Fineschi Foundation Rose Garden in Italy; the Europarosarium Sangerhausen in north Germany; at Mottisfont Abbey in England; in the Australian National Collection at Renmark and many others.
Sortable list of Fojo roses
This list of the known roses has been compiled from Friera, Rosas de España and the online . The online list in Spanish of the Amics de les Roses de Saint Feliu de Llobregat has also been consulted. The rose 'Eugenio Fojo' is added for completeness though of course it was raised by Pedro Dot, not Fojo himself.| Name | Date | Type | Colour | Extant |
| La Florida | 1932 | Hybrid tea | Salmon-orange | Yes |
| Villa de Bilbao | 1933 | Hybrid tea | Cardinal red | Unknown |
| Serafina Longa | 1934 | Hybrid tea | Old-rose pink | Yes |
| Irene Churruca | 1934 | Hybrid tea | Buff turning cream | Yes |
| Señora de León Aujuria | 1935 | Hybrid tea | Orange | Unknown |
| Monte Igueldo | 1944 | Hybrid tea | Velvety cardinal red | Yes |
| Condesa de Benahavis | 1949 | Hybrid tea | Salmon-pink | Yes |
| Gloria de Grado | 1950 | Hybrid tea | Pink tinted carmine | Unknown |
| Marquesa de Narros | 1951 | Hybrid tea | Salmon pink | Yes |
| Eugenio Fojo | 1953 | Pernetiana | Vermilion | Yes |
| Embajador Lequerica | 1962 | Pernetiana | Strawberry-pink, yellow reverses | Yes |