rose trials
In Australia, both national and international breeders have the opportunity to enter their new rose varieties in the National Rose Trials. Plants are grown in-ground for two years at one of three official sites, and expertly assessed for their ability to perform in Australian conditions. After two years, medals and other awards are presented.
The sites are the National Rose Trial Garden of Australia (Adelaide, SA), which has been operating for 28 years; the Queensland Rose Trial Garden (Toowoomba, Qld); and the East Coast Rose Trial Garden (Western Sydney, NSW), which is almost three years old.
Each site is run independently, but they operate similarly. Typically, three plants of each new rose are planted at one site and allowed to establish for six months. Assessors review and score the roses every month during the growing season. After two years, the scores are averaged out and Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, and Certificates of Merit are awarded. There are also awards for Best Rose, Best Perfume and Best Climber, and a trophy for Australian Bred Rose of the Year, presented by the Adelaide site.
For the past two years, I’ve had the pleasure of being one of the assessors, and I revel in seeing how the new roses perform. Each month I arrive with my checklist and work my way through the rose beds, assessing the following traits:
Flowers: Colour, form, recurrence and the elusive ‘wow factor’.
Health: Pest and disease tolerance.
Plant: Foliage cover, vigour and balanced growth.
Perfume is assessed too, of course, but this is done by assessors who are known to have a ‘good nose’! As temperature impacts fragrance, these assessments are done on mornings when the temperature is somewhere between 18°C and 22°C.
After the trial, the roses are dug up and returned to the breeder or given away, and beds are prepared for the next roses.