Botanic Garden Meise becomes a judging location for Excellence Roses. The Excellence Roses quality mark stands for strong, healthy, rich, and continuous-flowering roses that give good results to end users without the use of plant protection products. These inspections have taken place since 2018. Already this autumn, new roses for the inspections will be planted in the Botanic Garden. This will bring the number of judging locations to six: three in the Netherlands and three in Belgium.
The Rose Garden, opened in June 2019, is inspired by a budding rose and is designed in a contemporary design. Botanical Garden Meise puts the spotlight on the botanical rose. The labyrinth in the center, formed by two spirals, tells the story of the origin of wild roses and shows how they are related. Recent DNA research provided the information for this unique approach. With more than 100 different botanical species, this is one of the most important rose collections in the world. In the flowerbeds around the viewing hill, one learns how garden roses were selected and developed from wild roses. Here, a place has already been reserved for the roses that will soon run in the three-year inspections.
Gardener Wouter Swaerts explains why Botanic Garden Meise is participating. "Our rose garden is designed like a budding flower. In the center, we tell how botanical roses came into being. The beds on the outside represent the petals, through which we tell the origin story and horticultural developments of the modern garden rose. We show our visitors that plant breeders continue to search for new, richly flowering, and healthy varieties. Moreover, we attach enormous importance to biodiversity in our rose garden. In the mixed borders all around, I want to show visitors that strong, richly flowering, and naturally healthy roses deserve a place in every garden. This aligns with Excellence Roses."
Strong and healthy
Judges assess roses at four points in the year for health, vigor, fragrance, bottling and other criteria. Roses that have achieved a minimum number of points after three years earn the Excellence Roses designation. Currently, the counter stands at 76 rose varieties; all strong and richly flowering roses, which give good results in gardens and public green spaces without the use of plant protection products. All Excellence Roses can be found on the website of the Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society (KVBC).
Supplement
The other locations for the inspections are the Rosarium in Boskoop (NL), Rozenhof Lottum (NL), Rosarium Winschoten (NL), the rosgarden in Vrijbroekpark Mechelen (B), and Botanical Garden De Kleine Boerderij in Merksplas (B). In addition, at Viaverde in Destelbergen, Belgium, you will find a show garden for landscapers with a selection of roses that have already earned the predicate. Hans van Hage, interim chairman of the organization that is in charge of the inspections, is happy with the new location. "It is a valuable addition. It will soon provide additional data, which can only benefit the results. Moreover, it is a great opportunity to give more publicity to Excellence Roses," Hans says.
This autumn, rose breeders will again receive an e-mail to submit roses. Breeders who are interested but did not receive a call previously can contact [email protected].