2020 National Rose Trial: a feast for the senses

The idea that roses are tested and compared like cars may surprise some — but these national trials have a serious purpose.

Rose of the Year: ‘Olivia Rose Austin’. Picture: Shutterstock

The winners of the 2020 National Rose Trial, including Rose of the Year, have been announced. While the idea that roses are tested and compared like cars may surprise some, these independent trials have a serious purpose. Anyone can visit the National Rose Trial garden in Adelaide Botanic Garden. It was established in 1996 to trial new rose varieties, bred locally or internationally, before they are commercially released; experience had shown that many popular roses bred in Europe performed differently here. As well as identifying the roses best suited to our climate, the trial garden seeks to promote Australian rose breeding, provide information on roses to the public and give feedback to rose breeders, growers and retailers.

Trial roses are allocated numbers to ensure anonymity and evaluated over a two-year period (climbers for three years). They are irrigated, mulched and fertilised uniformly; dead-heading and pruning is done according to the rose breeder’s instructions. The judging team – 10 independent assessors, including garden designers, retailers and gardeners from private and public gardens – conduct 14 assessments over the two years, scoring the roses on growth habit, health, flowering, fragrance and pest and disease tolerance. The usual People’s Choice Award was cancelled this year due to the pandemic.

The awards mirror wine judging; the rose with the highest score becomes Australia’s Rose of the Year. The winner for 2020 is ‘Olivia Rose Austin’. This soft pink variety is typical of David Austin roses, which combine the charm and fragrance of old roses with the repeat flowering and vigour of modern varieties. This rose was also awarded best shrub or groundcover rose of the trial, and recently won both the American Rose Society’s Members Choice award and Fragrance award. Another David Austin rose, ‘Roald Dahl’, won a silver medal and the trophy for best pest and disease resistance.

Leigh Siebler, who represents David Austin roses in Australia, says that pest and disease resistance is the focus of breeding work. “The average gardener wants something fuss-free,” he notes. “There’s also a trend for more compact roses to suit smaller gardens and pots.”

The best Australian-bred rose of the trial, and silver medallist, was ‘Dusky Moon’ bred by Richard and Ruth Walsh. Australian Bruce Brundrett won best floribunda rose and best hybrid tea for as-yet-unnamed roses. The best miniature rose was ‘Snow Kiss’ from Treloar Roses, while the most fragrant rose was ‘Life of the Party’ from Swane’s Roses, with a bronze medal. More at sarose.org.au.

Good to know

Packaged bare-root roses are sold in mid-winter; they’re cheaper and offer the widest range.

Pre-ordering online will secure varieties in limited supply.

If you want to try before you buy, look for potted roses in flower.

Rose fragrance increases as the day warms up.

Q&A

My lemon, orange and mandarin trees all suffer from white louse scale, despite spraying twice with lime sulfur. Any ideas? Louise Shaw, Kiama, NSW In severe infestations the limbs look like they’re covered in dessicated coconut – these are immature males; females are bark-coloured and inconspicuous. Registered controls are lime sulfur and horticultural oils; more than one spray is needed. You might be seeing the remains of dead scales. An old toothbrush is good to remove infestations before spraying.

A large ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata), planted from a pot last year, is healthy but spindly and tall. Can we take 40cm off the top to encourage the small shoots sprouting on the trunk? Alison Muller, Wynnum, Qld True palms will die if decapitated, but ponytails are not palms. You can cut the top off anywhere on the trunk and numerous shoots should form at that point.

I’ve read that after lifting spring bulbs you should store them in paper bags, but they’re hard to come by. What’s an alternative? Em Martin, by email Bulbs must be stored in a cool, dry, airy spot to stop them rotting. You can use net bags that onions and oranges come in, or layer them in a cardboard box with shredded paper.

Send your questions to: [e-mail] or Helen Young, PO Box 3098, Willoughby North, NSW 2068. The best question for November wins two copies of Paul Bangay’s book Stonefields by the Seasons.