Strawberry Blonde, is one of the Pacific Rose Bowl Festival winners of 2018. Photo / Peter Tiffany
Strawberry Blonde, is one of the Pacific Rose Bowl Festival winners of 2018. Photo / Peter Tiffany
Rose lovers from near and far will be visiting Hamilton this week to enjoy New Zealand's loveliest rose garden at the Hamilton Gardens and check out the best new roses on show as the public decides on the New Zealand Rose of the Year.
Yes, the four-day Pacific Rose Bowl Festival is returning after being on hold for a couple of years due to Covid restrictions. It begins on Thursday at Rogers Rose Garden at Hamilton Gardens where all the new roses on display at this year's trials are competing for the top honour of receiving the Pacific Rose Bowl Trophy and the title of New Zealand Rose of the Year 2022.
While rose lovers, experts, and breeders – otherwise referred to as rosarians – will be out in force to see the roses, the Pacific Rose Bowl is the only rose trial in the world that has a public voting system, all others being judged by panels of experts.
All of this year's festival roses and those from previous years are on display at Rogers Rose Garden at Hamilton Gardens. Photo / Peter Tiffany
This means you and the whole community is invited to be the judge, with no criteria for judging other than your personal preference. This reflects the grassroots values of the organiser, the Pacific Rose Festival Trust.
The New Zealand Rose of the Year has been judged by the public since 2004. The categories to be decided are:
● New Zealand Rose of the Year ● Best New Zealand Raised Rose ● Best Hybrid Tea Rose ● Best Floribunda Rose ● Best Shrub Rose ● Best Climbing Rose ● Most Fragrant Rose ● Children's Choice Award
The general public decides the winners of all categories by casting votes for their five favourite roses. To be eligible for judging a rose must have been released for sale to the public.
The man behind the Pacific Rose Bowl Festival, New Zealand rose breeder Dr Sam McGredy pictured at the 2018 event presenting the top trophy and title to breeder Rob Somerfield. Photo / Peter Tiffany
At Rogers Rose Garden, part of the Hamilton Gardens Cultivar Garden Collection, there are four garden beds containing all the trial roses.
There are also two winners' beds containing the past winners of the New Zealand Rose of the Year. All the roses in the trials are clearly marked and all you have to do is select your favourites.
The 2018 Rose of the Year, Little Miss Perfect, was bred by Rob Somerfield. Photo / Peter Tiffany
Children get in on the act as well with the Interschool Rose Exhibition and all children's votes go toward the prestigious Children's Choice Award.
All voting cards go in the daily draw to win a Rob Somerfield of Glenavon Roses rose. Entry to the rose festival and voting is free.
HOW TO VOTE: 1. Visit the Rogers Rose Garden during the festival. 2. Pick up a voting card from the information tent 3. View the competition roses. Roses are marked with white number cards 4. Chose your five favourite roses. 5. Complete your voting card. 6. Place your voting card in the ballot box in the Rogers Rose Garden.
The festival takes place under the Pacific Accord of Friendship, initiated by legendary New Zealand rose breeder the late Dr Sam McGredy, with the common objective of promoting roses to the public.
The Hamilton Rose Trial Grounds are linked to Australian, Japanese, and Californian trial grounds through a friendship agreement initiated by Dr McGredy. Roses from all around the world have been entered into the trial grounds, including roses from Holland, France, Germany, Ireland, and, of course, our very own Kiwi roses.
The winner is named New Zealand Rose of the Year, while other awards donated from Adelaide, Gifu (Japan) and California are competed for as part of the event.
This year, the festival runs from Thursday, November 10 to Sunday, November 13, from 10am-6pm Thursday-Saturday, and 10am-1.30pm on Sunday.
The results will be announced on Sunday, November 13 after 2.30pm. The winners will be announced at Dalton's Waikato Rose Society Spring Show which is on Sunday, November 12 and 13 at the Hamilton Gardens Pavilion.
The general public decides the winners of all categories by casting votes for their five favourite roses. Photo / Peter Tiffany
If you are looking at the rose festival entries in Rogers Rose Garden on Saturday or Sunday, after completing your voting, stroll over to visit Daltons Spring Rose Show.
