Horticulturalist renames rose to thank Liverpool hospital

Nursery owner Keith Jones chose to rename a pink floribunda rose

A horticulturalist who underwent heart surgery has renamed a rose to thank the hospital team who saved his life.

Nursery owner Keith Jones, 62, suffered a cardiac arrest and had his aortic valve replaced at Liverpool Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in 2020.

Mr Jones, from Tarvin in Cheshire, said his care was "out of this world" and he was "so grateful" he had renamed a pink floribunda rose 'Heartfelt Thanks'.

He hopes to now sell the variety to raise funds for the hospital.

He said he had been "very nervous" before his operation, "because it meant opening my heart and putting in a metal aortic valve replacement", but cardiac consultant Andrew Muir had been "absolutely brilliant and all the hospital staff were wonderful".

"I wanted to do something to show how grateful I was, which is why I thought of renaming a rose," he said.

He added he chose a "really good variety" of the flower to honour the team with, as the rose blooms from June to November.

Mr Muir said he was pleased the nursery owner was doing well.

"Mr Jones told us he was back to work two days after getting out of hospital when we contacted him for his review appointment," he said.

"It is excellent to hear his good health continues."

The rose bush, which grows up to 3ft (91cm), will raise money for a charity campaign at the hospital's heart and chest department.