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

Inkspots

The Persica or Hulthemia roses have generated much interest in the rose world over recent years and this months featured rose is one developed right here in New Zealand. Bred by Rob Somerfield,  ‘Inkspots’ covers itself in masses of white blooms with a burgundy centre. In full bloom, you can hardly see the foliage. The compact growing plant is very healthy with glossy dark green leaves. It looks great in any garden or pot and looks great … [Read more...]

FLORANZA ® Bright & Breezy

This month we feature an award winning rose from the New Zealand Rose Society International Rose Trials in Palmerston North last year. FLORANZA ® Bright & Breezy gained a Certificate of Merit which indicates a consistent performance over the two years of the trial. No doubt what caught the judge’s eyes the most was the display of bright orange blooms with a yellow reverse which covered the plants during the growing season. A very colourful … [Read more...]

Legend

Of all the different types of roses, the Hybrid Teas are what people often associate roses as being – large, well-formed blooms with scent being a desirable bonus. ‘Legend’ is one of the best Hybrid Teas to be released in recent years and should appeal to those who like to pick flowers from their garden. The large honey apricot blooms are richly scented and repeat well. The healthy plant grows to 1.1 metres high so is ideal for any garden, … [Read more...]

Green with Envy

Green is not a colour often associated with roses so this month’s featured rose has certainly created a lot of interest since its release last year. ‘Green with Envy’ is the culmination of 29 years of work by Rob Somerfield to create a green rose. The lime green blooms come in clusters on a medium-growing plant. The flowers will last for a long time, either on the bush or in a vase and intensifies with age.  There is no scent but the novelty … [Read more...]

Thunderstruck

Striped roses are either loved or loathed by rose lovers but this month’s featured rose is one that has attracted a lot of attention since its release in 2020. ‘Thunderstruck’ is something completely different when it comes to striped roses with its blooms being a blend of chocolate orange with cream stripes. It makes a great display in the garden and the dark burgundy red colour of the new foliage really contrast with the blooms.  A … [Read more...]

FLORANZA® Eye Popping

To start off 2022, we feature an award-winning rose from the latest round of results from the New Zealand Rose Society trials in Palmerston North. FLORANZA® Eye Popping is a very floriferous rose with masses of single blooms starting yellow and fading to white with a red/purple ‘eye’ to the blooms.  At times, you can’t see the foliage by the sheer masse of blooms which repeat well throughout the summer and into autumn.  A very … [Read more...]

Flower Carpet® Mini Cherry

The Flower Carpet® series of groundcover roses have been very popular in New Zealand since the first one was released nearly 30 years ago. This month we feature the latest in the series which has just been released in New Zealand. Flower Carpet® Mini Cherry has masses of small cherry red blooms covering the plant. A smaller grower than others in the series, it reaches 50cm high by 60cm wide making it ideal for  edging, hedging or in a … [Read more...]

Pride of Palmy

November is the month when roses are at their best across much of New Zealand as they come into flower and is also the month when many rose shows occur (Covid permitting) and also trial results are announced from the New Zealand Rose Society International Trials in Palmerston North. ‘Pride of Palmy’ has been named to celebrate 50 years of the Palmerston North Rose Trials by its breeder Rob Somerfield of Glenavon Roses. The deep … [Read more...]

Pink Ribbon

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and what better rose to feature than the newly released rose ‘Pink Ribbon’ ‘Pink Ribbon’ is a stunning free flowering rose with masses of soft pink cupped blooms covering the compact, bushy growing plant. An ideal rose for a pot or to grow in the garden. It looks especially stunning planted in large groups and is also good as a standard. Bred by Bob Matthews of Matthews Nurseries, $2 from the sale of … [Read more...]

Showpiece Lipstick

This month we feature another of the Showpiece series that are from the same breeder as the popular Flower Carpet® roses which were introduced in New Zealand last year.   ‘Showpiece Lipstick’ is one of the Showpiece™ series from Werner and Reinhardt Noack of Germany and features large reddish pink scented blooms. Other colours available are ‘Blush’ (light pink) and ‘Berry’ (purple/pink) with more in the pipeline.  All the … [Read more...]