William Radler: Chief Tinkerer

William (Will) Radler is internationally recognized as the father of The Knock Out® Rose. This 2000 AARS Award-winning rose, his first rose introduction, has revolutionized the rose industry for its low-maintenance qualities. The iconic cherry-red shrub rose satisfied the neglectful habits of modern gardeners. Impervious to bugs and black spot, repeat blooming from frost to frost, winter hardy and self-cleaning, Knock Out® became the new industry standard. 

Radler graduated in 1968 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture. After graduation he spent 26 years with the Milwaukee County Park System.

An early retirement from a 13-year career as Director of Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, has allowed Will to pursue his passion for rose and plant breeding full-time.

Although his main horticultural interest is the rose, his first plant introduction in 1999 was the garden mum Rosetta; then Verbena Sweet Thing™ in 2010, and Tradescantia Amethyst Mist™ in 2013. 

Will’s love of all things garden-related, especially roses, began when he was a young child. The goal to breed low-maintenance roses blossomed when he realized how many people perceived growing roses as complicated, demanding, tedious and toxic. Through the years, Will has worked through Rose Innovations, LLC, his research and development business, to continue to breed roses which meet and exceed his original goal. With 50 plant patents, he has no intention of slowing down.

Combining his passion with solid guidance, Will authored the booklet Rose Growing Simplified (Boerner Botanical Gardens publisher - currently out of print) and co-authored the book Rose Gardening (Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York 1995 - available but out of print). 

Will and his Knock Out® Rose are featured in the 2011 book, the Sustainable Rose Garden. Many of his roses are featured in the book everyday ROSES written by Paul Zimmerman, 2013 Taunton Press, subtitled HOW TO GROW KNOCK OUT AND OTHER EASY-CARE GARDEN ROSES. In the book Eden on Their Minds - American Gardeners with Bold Visions, Clarkson Potter / Publishers, 2001, the author Starr Ockenga gives Radler a chapter. His roses and his garden have been featured in numerous magazine and newspaper publications.

Will’s roses continue to be recognized internationally for their disease resistance, hardiness, and their ability to bloom repeatedly. He has set the standard for sustainability in roses and continues to be recognized for his exemplary commitment and contributions to his community.