Waikato 2019 winners

The 2019 National Spring Rose Show and Convention was held at the Hamilton Gardens Pavillion in Hamilton on 16th & 17th November 2019. Organised by the Waikato Rose Society, the theme of the show was ‘The Grande National’ and there were a number of classes set to this theme. The Pavillion was awash with roses […]
Rosy success at International Rose Trials

A rose named for the breeder’s mother topped the list of awards presented at the New Zealand Rose Society International Rose Trial Grounds in Palmerston North in early December. Tauranga Rose Breeder Rob Somerfield from Glenavon Roses topped the trials with his variety ‘Grandma’s Rose’ which won the Gold Star of the South Pacific. “The […]
December – Everlasting Hope

This month we feature the winner of the New Zealand Rose of the Year competition where the public gets to vote for the best rose on show at Rogers Rose Garden in Hamilton. It also won the award for best New Zealand raised rose and the best shrub rose. ‘Everlasting Hope’ has been named for […]
November – Sweet Romanza

November is when roses are at their peak flowering in New Zealand and it is always good to see what newer roses look like when they begin blooming. This month we feature a newer variety with lots of promise. ‘Sweet Romanza’ is from Dutch breeders Spek and has blooms of white with the faintest tinge […]
October – Hamilton Gardens

This month we feature the very last rose to be released by the late Sam McGredy who passed away on August 25th in Auckland. Discovered as a naturally occurring sport or mutation of the popular McGredy rose ‘Paddy Stephens’, it shares many of its attributes including fantastic disease tolerance, long stems ideal for picking and […]
2019 Spring Rose Shows

November and December is the time for rose shows and displays throughout New Zealand. Rose enthusiasts look forward to this time of the year as they show off their blooms to fellow rose lovers. There are a wide range of classes in which roses are entered from the more formal ‘one bloom per vase’ through […]
September – Christophe

After the dullness of winter, we’re featuring a rose that brightens things up as we head into spring. ‘Christophe’ is a floribunda rose with clusters of bright tangerine orange blooms – a real stand out colour in the garden. There is only a light scent to enjoy but the real stand out is the colour. […]
Wollerton Old Hall

This month we feature a recent English rose to be released in New Zealand and is proving to be a worthy addition to the range of English roses available here ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ is a large shrub that is perhaps best grown as a climber under New Zealand conditions. Quick to repeat, the blooms are […]
Floranza (R) George Best

This month, we feature a promising new miniature type rose that has been recently released in New Zealand. Floranza ® George Best has large clusters of small to medium sized dark red blooms and is a welcome addition to the stable of red flowering miniature type roses grown in this country. Very eye – catching […]
Free Rose Pruning Demonstrations

Its almost rose pruning time in New Zealand so its time to think about pruning yours – roses are usually pruned between late June and mid August depending on where you live. Despite what is often said or written about rose pruning being difficult, it is actually very easy provided a few basic principles are […]