Rose trial grounds
Encyclopedia
Rose trial grounds or rose test gardens are agricultural areas where garden roses are grown to be assessed for qualities such as health, floriferousness, novelty, and scent.
Roses on trial are usually considered for awards of merit or medals at the end of the trial period. Roses that win an award may be more likely to have commercial success. Forty per cent of all roses sold in the U.S. have won All-America Rose Selections
. Similarly, the UK Rose of the Year award usually guarantees that a particular variety will be widely available at garden centres and through mailorder rose suppliers.
judges roses at its St Albans
trial grounds after a three-year growing period. The All-America prizes, which were first introduced in 1938, are awarded based on the results of testing in 21 gardens across the US over a two-year period. Roses must score highly across all judging areas in a variety of climates in order to win a national award.
In most cases, roses are identified by a number during the trial period, with their identity not revealed until after final judging. A local panel of judges may assess them throughout the trial period, although at some trials there may be an invited national or international panel. Roses are generally judged within a category, such as Hybrid Tea
, Floribunda
, or patio rose, to fairly compare like styles. There are specific awards for fragrance, which are judged across all categories.
in Paris hosted the first international competition in 1907. This event, known as the Concours international de roses nouvelles de Bagatelle
[International competition for new roses], has taken place annually every since and remains one of the world’s top rose competitions.
A formalised international rose trial scheme was established in 1928 by the Royal National Rose Society (then known as the National Rose Society) in Britain, although the society had been awarding gold medals to the best new roses grown by its membership since 1883.
Over succeeding decades, trial grounds have been established in most major rose growing countries. Often they are located in botanic gardens and parks. Some countries have several trial grounds to assess roses in a variety of climates and soils. The first rose trial ground in the southern hemisphere–where rose seasons and growing conditions may be very different from the northern hemisphere–was established in New Zealand in 1969 as a partnership between the national rose society and Palmerston North
city council.
Roses on trial are usually considered for awards of merit or medals at the end of the trial period. Roses that win an award may be more likely to have commercial success. Forty per cent of all roses sold in the U.S. have won All-America Rose Selections
All-America Selections
The mission of All-America Selections is “to promote new garden seed varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America.” To accomplish this, the All-America Selections organization oversees a collaborative testing program involving horticulture professionals...
. Similarly, the UK Rose of the Year award usually guarantees that a particular variety will be widely available at garden centres and through mailorder rose suppliers.
Testing
Typically, roses are grown for two years in a test area (usually a dedicated rose bed) to judge them over a period of time, although the Royal National Rose SocietyRoyal National Rose Society
The Royal National Rose Society is dedicated to the cultivation and appreciation of roses. It was founded in 1876 and is based in St Albans in England...
judges roses at its St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
trial grounds after a three-year growing period. The All-America prizes, which were first introduced in 1938, are awarded based on the results of testing in 21 gardens across the US over a two-year period. Roses must score highly across all judging areas in a variety of climates in order to win a national award.
In most cases, roses are identified by a number during the trial period, with their identity not revealed until after final judging. A local panel of judges may assess them throughout the trial period, although at some trials there may be an invited national or international panel. Roses are generally judged within a category, such as Hybrid Tea
Hybrid Tea
Hybrid Tea is a cultivar group of roses, created by cross-breeding two different types of roses, initially by hybridising Hybrid Perpetuals with Tea roses...
, Floribunda
Floribunda
Floribunda may refer to:*A popular rose cultivar group, see Floribunda *A former cactus genus now placed in Cipocereus* Cassia floribunda, a synonym for Senna septemtrionalis, a plant species...
, or patio rose, to fairly compare like styles. There are specific awards for fragrance, which are judged across all categories.
History
Parc de BagatelleChâteau de Bagatelle
The Château de Bagatelle is a small neoclassical château with a French landscape garden in the Bois de Boulogne in the XVIe arrondissement of Paris...
in Paris hosted the first international competition in 1907. This event, known as the Concours international de roses nouvelles de Bagatelle
Concours international de roses nouvelles de Bagatelle
The Concours international de roses nouvelles de Bagatelle is held in June of each year in the rose trial grounds of the Château de Bagatelle in Paris's 16th arrondissement....
[International competition for new roses], has taken place annually every since and remains one of the world’s top rose competitions.
A formalised international rose trial scheme was established in 1928 by the Royal National Rose Society (then known as the National Rose Society) in Britain, although the society had been awarding gold medals to the best new roses grown by its membership since 1883.
Over succeeding decades, trial grounds have been established in most major rose growing countries. Often they are located in botanic gardens and parks. Some countries have several trial grounds to assess roses in a variety of climates and soils. The first rose trial ground in the southern hemisphere–where rose seasons and growing conditions may be very different from the northern hemisphere–was established in New Zealand in 1969 as a partnership between the national rose society and Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
city council.
Notable trial grounds
Rose trial grounds involved with major rose awards include:- National Rose Trial Garden of Australia, Adelaide Botanic GardenAdelaide Botanic GardenThe Adelaide Botanic Garden is a public garden at the north-east corner of the Adelaide city centre, in the Adelaide Park Lands. It encompasses a fenced garden on North Terrace and behind it the Botanic Park...
, Australia - Baden bei Wein City Gardens, Austria
- Rosarium West Vlaanderen KortrijkKortrijkKortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...
, Belgium - Montreal Botanical Garden, Canada
- Parc de Bagatelle, Paris, France
- Parc de la Tête d'OrParc de la Tête d'OrParc de la Tête d'Or , in central Lyon, is an urban park in France, with it is 8.5 times smaller than bois de Vincennes in Paris. Located in the 6th arrondissement, it features a large lake on which boating takes place during the summer months...
, Lyon, France - Doblhoffpark, Baden-BadenBaden-BadenBaden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
, Germany - Roseto Comunale, RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy - Il Roseto Niso Fumagalli, MonzaMonzaMonza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
, Italy - Jindai Shokubutsu Botanical Garden, TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan - Westbroekpark, The HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Netherlands - National Trial Ground, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Hamilton Gardens, HamiltonHamilton, New ZealandHamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, New Zealand - Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon ParkSir Thomas and Lady Dixon ParkThe Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park is a park in South Belfast, Northern Ireland, covering almost and is accessible from the Upper Malone Road. It includes meadows, woodland, riverside fields, formal Rose gardens, a walled garden and a Japanese garden, as well as a children's playground, coffee...
, Belfast, Northern Ireland - Tollcross Park, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland - Rosaleda de Madrid, Parque del OesteParque del OesteThe Parque del Oeste is a park of the city of Madrid situated between the Autovía A-6, the Ciudad Universitaria de Madrid and the district of Moncloa. Before the 20th century, the land that the park currently occupies was the main landfill of the city...
, Madrid, Spain - Parc de la Grange, GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland - Royal National Gardens of the Rose, St Albans, UK
- All-America Rose Selections Garden, Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria, VirginiaAlexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, US - American Rose Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, US
- International Rose Test GardenInternational Rose Test GardenThe International Rose Test Garden is a rose garden in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. There are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties. The roses bloom from April through October with the peak coming in June, depending on the weather...
, Portland, Oregon, US - Roath ParkRoath ParkRoath Park Cardiff, Wales, is one of Cardiff's most popular parks, owned by Cardiff County Council and managed by the Parks Section. It retains a classic Victorian atmosphere and has many facilities. The park has recently been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award to recognise its high quality...
, Cardiff (Rose of the Year display garden)
See also
- Garden RosesGarden rosesGarden roses are mostly hybrid roses that are grown as ornamental plants in private or public gardens. They are one of the most popular and widely cultivated group of flowering plants, especially in temperate climates. Numerous cultivars have been produced, especially over the last two centuries,...
- Rose gardenRose gardenA Rose garden or Rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses. Designs vary tremendously and roses may be displayed alongside other plants or grouped by individual variety, colour or class in rose beds.-Origins of the rose...
- Award of Garden MeritAward of Garden MeritThe Award of Garden Merit, or AGM, is an award made to garden plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society after a period of assessment by the appropriate committees of the Society...
(AGM) – the Royal Horticultural SocietyRoyal Horticultural SocietyThe Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
garden plant award scheme