Te Puna rose breeder Rob Somerfield has come up trumps at the Pacific Rosebowl Festival, held in Hamilton last week – his Glenavon floribunda Wild Cherry was named New Zealand Rose of the Year, Best Floribunda, Best NZ-Raised Rose and Children’s Choice.
Wild Cherry won a Certificate of Merit at the National Rose Trial Grounds in Palmerston North in 2011 and was released to the market this year. Rob describes the rose as “producing masses of cherry red blooms with a silver reverse”.
Wild Cherry, pictured at the trial grounds at The Esplanade in Palmerston North. Photo: Sandra Simpson
Other winners at the Rosebowl were:
Best Climber: Cherry Kisses (seems to be an “in” name, doesn’t it?, described in one catalogue as pink-mauve, in another as “compact“, bred by Doug Grant of Auckland and released in 2004); Best Hybrid Tea: Modern Miss (pink, bred by David Benny of Southland and awarded a national Certificate of Merit in 2004) and Most Fragrant: Ali Mau (a pink floribunda bred by Rosen Tantau in Germany).
The NZ Rose Society puts out an annual Rose Review which provides a handy guide to how some popular new roses do in the country’s various climate and soil conditions.
Sandra's Garden 