Eleven outdoor roses henceforth 'Excellence Roses'

As many as eleven new roses earned the Excellence Roses designation in the Dutch-Belgian judging this year. They came from seven different breeders, from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. A total of 25 rose varieties were judged. 

The roses that received the predicate this year were planted in 2018 at four rosariums in the Netherlands and Belgium: Boskoop, Lottum (Rozenhof), Winschoten and Destelbergen (Trial Center for Ornamental Horticulture). Over three seasons, judges judged the roses at four points during the year. Thus, of the 25 entries, 11 earned the Excellence Roses designation: three tea hybrids, three shrub roses, three floribunda roses, one climbing rose and one groundcover rose. Excellence Roses are strong, healthy, mature and continuous-flowering roses that give good results to end users without the use of plant protection products.

Re-inspections

Last year, the roses that held the Excellence Roses designation underwent a re-evaluation. Five predicates were dropped: climbing rose 'Chewcorpink' (Alfresco), tea hybrid 'Koraburg' (Eliza), tea hybrid 'Taneiglat' (Nostalgie), floribunda rose 'Peadelight' (Pink Champagne) and climbing rose 'Pink Cloud'. With the 11 new Excellence Roses, the total number of roses with the predicate now comes to 55. They can be found on the KVBC website. 

20 new entries

Twenty new roses have been submitted for judging for this planting year. They are from seven breeders from home and abroad and are currently being planted in the following five locations:

- rosary in Boskoop (Netherlands);

- The Rozenhof in Lottum (Netherlands);

- rosary in Winschoten (Netherlands);

- Vrijbroek Park in Mechelen (Belgium);

- De Kleine Boerderij in Merksplas (Belgium).

In the coming period we will see whether the judging system can be set up differently, so that the inspectors can judge more efficiently. The Culture Group for Roses and Rose rootstocks under Anthos secretariat is in charge of the Excellence Roses inspections. The Royal Association for Boskoop Cultures (KVBC) coordinates the inspections and processes the results.

The new Excellence Roses

- Borneo Odore ('Intercomgarf'): compact tea hybrid from Interplant that grows 60 to 80 centimeters tall. Blooms all season, with large, double, pink flowers with a white exterior. Strongly fragrant.  

- Florentina ('Kortrameilo'): climbing rose from Kordes that grows 2 meters high and 80 centimeters wide. The red, richly filled, bowl-shaped flowers 8 to 10 centimeters in diameter are lightly scented.  

- Gaard um Titzebierg ('Velverd'): shrub rose from Lens with elegant, arching growth form. Blooms all summer long with fragrant, semi-double, bowl-shaped, lilac-pink flowers (4 centimeters) in round clusters. Height 120-150 centimeters. 

- La Belle Rouge ('Viscoal'): floribunda rose from Viva International that grows to a height of 80-90 centimeters. The semi-double, wavy flowers are a deep red color, with a little white at the center where the yellow stamens stand out. They appear in dense pyramidal clusters on the reddish-brown, upright stems. Long-lasting blooms.  

- Light Pink Valeda/Street Dance ('Boruistda'): new generation shrub rose from De Ruiter Innovations / Boot & Dart Nurseries. Dense, low growth habit in a natural block shape (70 centimeters high and 80 centimeters wide). Long flowering with fragrant, semi-double, hot pink flowers (7 centimeters) with yellow centers. Twigs virtually spineless.  

- Märchenzauber ('Kormarzau'): floribunda rose from Kordes. The bowl-shaped, double, creamy pink flowers (8-10 centimeters) with apricot center are fragrant. Grows bushy to one meter high and 60 centimeters wide.  

- Maxim ('Tan10605'): tea hybrid from Tantau with bicolored flowers; bright pink on the inside, and silvery white on the outside. Richly flowering and fragrant. Upright bushy growth habit, 70 to 100 centimeters tall.  

- Mira Red ('BR 803-11'): floribunda rose by Marco Braun, flowering for a long time. The red flowers with white hearts are in large clusters. Dark green leaves. Grows 1 meter high, with wide growth habit.  

- Spinnaker Amorina/Spinnaker ('Bokraruisp'): shrub rose from De Ruiter Innovations / Boot & Dart Nurseries that grows wide upright (125 centimeters high and 150 centimeters wide). Very long flowering from mid-May to early December, with semi-double, pure white flowers with yellow centers.  

- Summer of Love ('Korfliaumi'): groundcover rose from Kordes. The somewhat double yellow flowers with cherry red edges (5-6 centimeters) are lightly scented. Bushy shrub that grows 80 centimeters tall and 50 centimeters wide.  

- Sunny Sky ('Koraruli'): tea hybrid from Kordes. The double, honey-yellow, elegant flowers (8-10 centimeters) are fragrant. The shrub grows bushy to 120 centimeters and 60 centimeters wide.