Manawatu¯ breeder’s rose the brightest
A newly crowned top rose breeder has dedicated his win to his aunt, one of New Zealand’smost prolific breeders, thanking her for all the help she gave him.
Manawatu¯ breeder John Ford scooped the awards at the New Zealand Rose Society international rose trial grounds yesterday with Bright Eyes.
The rose won the Gold Star of the South Pacific for the highest scoring rose on trial, the Silver Star of the City of Palmerston North for the highest scoring rose by a New Zealand amateur rose breeder and the Nola Simpson Novelty Award for the most novel rose in trial.
The announcement wasmet with applause and murmurs of approval from those at the awards ceremony, while Ford was emotional and momentarily lost for words.
He dedicated the win to his aunt Nola Simpson, one of New Zealand’s most influential rose breeders, who died in 2011.
She was a life member, patron and president emeritus of the New Zealand National Rose Society, a president of the trial grounds and the first New Zealander to be given a lifetime achievement award from the United Kingdom’s Royal National Rose Society.
She was also awarded a Queen’s Servicesmedal in 1995, for services to roses, and Massey University honoured her with amassey Medal in 2002.
She also bred the first New Zealand brown rose, Hot Chocolate, which won numerous awards, including the Gold Star of the South Pacific.
Yesterday’s win was especially symbolic, being the 50th anniversary of the awards.
The Nola Simpson Rose Bed, which has a number of cultivars she bred, was to be unveiled, but the weather put a pin in those plans.
Ford, who is also the chairman of the trial grounds committee, said his aunt played amassive role in the trial beds.
She taught him a lot about roses and breeding, which he was interested in since he was 3 or 4 years old. ‘‘I have spent so long growing roses and [the Gold Star] is the highest honour ever. This is for all the effort Nola put into me.’’
It was especially good to win as an amateur breeder, he said. ‘‘I’m over the moon.’’
He knew Bright Eyes was going to be a great rose early, and he hoped people who got to grow it enjoyed it.