The New Zealand Rose Society

Join the New Zealand Rose Society to attend local rose meetings, rose shows, pruning demonstrations, rose trials, publications, rose of the month and more...

Rose of the Month

March – Sky Tower

This month, we featured one of the best climbers to have come on the market in recent years and a rose that lights up the garden when in bloom. ‘Sky Tower’ is aptly named for New Zealand’s tallest man made structure in Auckland and forms clusters of hot pink blooms in clusters, forming a great display. The clusters of blooms are great to pick and bring inside to a vase. ‘Sky Tower’ has also become a popular exhibition rose and is often seen at … [Read more...]

February – Beehive Gold

This month we feature a bright  yellow, non-fading patio rose, something not commonly found in the world of roses. Since its release in 2000, it has become a popular addition to the range of patio roses grown in New Zealand. ‘Beehive Gold’ has clusters of bright yellow, double blooms all summer long. It is an eye catching addition to any garden or container and is also good grown as a standard. It is easy to grow with dark green foliage, good … [Read more...]

January – Loving Memory

We start 2016 by featuring one of the most popular red roses grown in New Zealand today. 'Loving Memory' is a good garden rose and one often found exhibited at rose shows. The name also  makes it a sought after rose to give when there is bereavement. ‘Loving Memory’ has large well formed lightly scented blooms of cherry red on long stems which make it great for cutting or exhibition. A tall upright growing plant, ‘Loving Memory’ does need a … [Read more...]

December – Old Master

We end 2015 by featuring a rose that was one of the first of the hand painted roses bred by Sam McGredy in the 1970’s. A novelty at the time, the blooms gave the look that one colour was splashed with another.  Today, they are still grown and a wider selection of varieties are available. One of the earliest varieties and one still grown today is ‘Old Master’ which attracts attention in the garden or on the show bench with its crimson red … [Read more...]

November – Hansa

This month as the roses start blooming across New Zealand, we feature a heritage rose which is one of the best in the rugosa classification. Rugosa roses are easy to grow untroubled by disease, can grow near the sea and have fragrant blooms often followed by colourful hips. On the downside, the thorns are quite vicious ‘Hansa’ is a taller growing rugosa with double blooms of purple red with golden stamens in the centre. The blooms come in … [Read more...]

October – Eyeopener

Groundcover/Shrub roses are nothing new in the world of roses but getting a good one that is in the re shades is not easy. So when one does come along, expect it to be well used in breeding programs around the world. One such rose is ‘Eyeopener’ which has been used in breeding programs the world over since its release in the mid 1980’s. The growth habit is spreading and mounded, reaching up to 1m high and 1.2m wide and covers itself in masses … [Read more...]

September – Winchester Cathedral

Every once in a while, a rose will ‘sport’ or mutate into a different colour from the parent. Some go onto become good roses in their own right such as this months rose. ‘Winchester Cathedral’ is a sport of the very popular ‘Mary Rose’, a pink David Austin variety that has been grown widely around the world and shares all of its attributes except flower colour. Rather than pink, it is white and still has the strong old rose fragrance which … [Read more...]

August – Anniversary

While pale pink is a fairly common colour in floribunda's, this month’s featured rose is one of the better ones in the colour range to be released in the last 20 years. ‘Anniversary’ is a seedling of the popular ‘Sexy Rexy’ and carries many of its attributes, most of all its ability to produce masses of blooms. The porcelain pink blooms come in small and large clusters throughout the season. At times, it is hard to see the dark green glossy … [Read more...]

July – Solitaire

This month we feature one of the better yellow roses to be released in the last 30 years. For many years yellow roses were often weak growers but this rose was certainly not and by further work, has led to the development of more vigorous growing yellow flowering roses. ‘Solitaire’ is a Hybrid Tea bred by Sam McGredy with large blooms of yellow flushed peach around the edges of the petals, very similar in colouring to the famous ‘Peace’ rose. … [Read more...]

June – Rhapsody in Blue

Every so often a rose comes along that is completely different to anything that is already on the market. One such rose that we are featuring this month is ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ While mauve roses are fairly common, what sets ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ apart is the colour. Opening plum purple, the semi double blooms age to slate blue. Prominent yellow stamens add to the appeal of this rose as does the strong fragrance. The plant is shrub like in habit and … [Read more...]