Started in 1996 and the first of its kind in Australia, the National Rose Trial Garden is a joint venture between the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, the National Rose Society of Australia and the rose industry. Its purpose is to help the rose industry determine which roses are best suited to Australian conditions, by assessing their performance in a controlled trial ground. The trial is for roses not yet commercially released in Australia.

Most roses sold in Australia are raised by rose breeders in the northern hemisphere in a very different climate. Some roses which do well there perform disappointingly here, but occasionally the reverse is true. Being able to predetermine the roses which will succeed in Australian conditions ensures a degree of certainty not previously available and a significant economic advantage for the Australian rose industry.

A trial is conducted over two growing seasons and all plants are treated equally with regard to horticultural practices. Depending on the type of rose each entry consists of three, four or six plants, identified by a code number only, all other details being known only to the Trial Coordinator and the Agent responsible for the entry.

The roses are judges by a panel of 10 experienced rosarians who view them and allocate points every two weeks over the two growing seasons. Points are awarded on predetermined criteria which include health, vigour, hardiness, pest and disease tolerance, habit of growth, impact of the display, beauty of blooms, abundance of flowering, fragrance and novelty. The results are announced publicly at the end of the trial and the best performing roses receive an award.

*****

I took over 100 photos of roses (including those which aren't named yet - they will have a sub-gallery) - the shots will follow as I process them and select the best ones.

I discovered I mainly took photos of the periphery roses & huge archway roses rather than the common hybrid tea & floribunda roses that everyone knows - my apologies!

******