Could you get a rose named after you? Sure. Many amateur rose breeders are willing to sell naming rights for a new breed to anyone willing to pay them the right sum—probably in the low four figures.

You could name your rose after yourself or a loved one. Or you could register yet another for Nancy Reagan; she already has four. Or you might want to correct an important omission in the Republican presidential rose array by tipping your hat to Richard Nixon. Also, there's only one Beatle with a rose named after him (Paul). There's no guarantee, in fact little likelihood, that your rose will be reproduced in bulk and available at most garden centers. But your accommodating breeder can get the rose internationally registered and trademarked and can arrange for a grower to supply more to you and your friends over the years.

J.B. Williams has bred and named roses for the singer Céline Dion; the state of Mississippi; and Elizabeth Scholtz, president emeritus of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The cost varies from $7,500 to $30,000, depending on the type and quality of the rose. For a tad more, Jackson & Perkins will name a new rose cultivar, or intentionally selected variety. The price tag is $75,000. The package includes a flight to Los Angeles and a two-night stay in a five-star hotel. You get to choose your rose from acres and acres of unnamed roses at the company's California research facility. Come spring, 300 of the custom roses will be delivered to you and your list of recipients. To mark their arrival, you'll get a case of Dom Perignon.