King of the roses triumphs again

Tauranga rose breeder Rob Somerfield has done it again, picking up his eighth Gold Star of the South Pacific Award for the best rose grown and judged at the trial grounds in Palmerston North.

An intense shade of burgundy with glossy green leaves and fragrance, the rose is named ‘‘Grandma’s Rose’’ in honour of his mother Valerie Somerfield.

It was the grandchildren’s idea to pay tribute to their 81-year-old grandmother, who thought it was ‘‘her colour’’. ‘‘ When we asked her permission, she loved it and carried the rose around for ages, sniffing and admiring it,’’ Somerfield said.

His win was announced at the New Zealand Rose Society’s international rose trial grounds at the Victoria Esplanade in Palmerston North yesterday.

Somerfield said the new rose was a seedling crossed by hand pollination with ‘‘Betty Harkness’’, an orange rose.

It had been in development for about 10 years of the Glenavon Roses breeder’s 36-year career, which included time studying for a horticulture diploma at Massey University in Palmerston North.

Somerfield also received a certificate of merit for the cream variety ‘‘Old Friends’’.

The roses have not been seen outside the trial grounds during the two years of growing and regular judging by a panel of 20 experts, and will be introduced commercially on to the market in the next couple of years.

Certificates of merit also were awarded to the magenta pink ‘‘Berry Nice’’, by Whanganui rose breeder Bob Matthews of Matthews Nurseries Ltd, and to the yellow ‘‘Lemon Ruffles’’, by Canadian rose breeder Brad Jalbert and entered by Amore Roses of Hamilton.