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...]
May – Parkdirektor Riggers
Don’t be put off by the long name for this months featured rose. While it is a mouthful, it is a tough survivor that can grow almost anywhere. Parkdirektor Riggers comes from the Kordes family of rose breeders in Germany and was first introduced in 1957. Since then, it has stood the test of time and is still one of the best red climbing roses on the market. The rich velvety red blooms are semi double in form and cover the plant all summer … [Read more...]
April – White Romance
It’s been a while since we featured a white rose so for this month, we feature one of the best new white roses of the last 10 years to come onto the market in New Zealand. Some say it’s destined to be the best white floribunda grown in New Zealand, already ranking 4th among the top favourite floribundas as voted by rose society members for 2014. ‘White Romance’ is a wonderful rose both in the garden and on the show bench, producing a great … [Read more...]
March – Eyepaint
Every so often, a rose comes along that is completely different to anything else around and this month, we feature one such rose that has stood the test of time. ‘Eyepaint’ is a very free flowering shrub rose that can also be grown in some situations as pillar or climbing rose up 1.5 metres high and wide. It’s main attribute are the masses of single scarlet blooms with a distinctive eye that changes from yellow to silver as it ages. In full … [Read more...]
National Autumn Rose Show 2015
The Waikato Rose Society hosted the 2015 National Autumn Rose Show 'Shades of Autumn' from March 13th -15th at the Hamilton Gardens Pavillion in Hamilton. Rosarians from around the country, particularly those from the upper North Island brought their best blooms to compete in various classes. The convention dinner was held among the roses on Saturday night while a bus trip on Sunday visited Tauranga and included a visit to noted rose breeder Rob … [Read more...]
February – Minnie Pearl
This month we feature one of the all-time great ‘small roses’ that has become as well known on the show bench as it has in the garden. ‘Minnie Pearl’ has long elegant buds, opening to well-formed blooms of pale pink with a hint of yellow. The colour deepens in sun but the form still holds. It is one of the top exhibition roses in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. Its form lasts for ages and the blooms come singly or in small … [Read more...]