City of Belfast International Rose Trials 2007

A group of assorted International judges gathered in Belfast for this year’s Trials, including the usual suspects from the West Midlands Rose Society, most of whom arrived in time for the arranged visit to Greenfields on the day before the Trials.  As those who have read previous reports may remember, Greenfields is the horticultural campus for the University of Belfast.  There are delightful gardens here, including the ‘TV Garden’ – and not one sign of Alan Titchmarsh!   We were given guided tours of the gardens, including the fine rose gardens, and a very nice lunch too – Irish hospitality living up to its reputation.  As it did again on the day after the Trials when an invitation to Dickson’s nurseries gave an interesting chance to view their new roses, and a generous lunch.

Amazingly, after the recent weeks and weeks of rain, the weather was so good that those of us who had packed wellies were wondering why we’d bothered. Although Lynn Lancaster’s pair with pink roses would elegantly grace any venue.   The roses however had suffered, and this became very clear during judging:  although it did provide a good opportunity to assess those varieties best able to withstand torrential rain and high winds.

Cockers won both the best Hybrid Tea (Large Flowered) and the best Floribunda (Cluster Flowered) varieties, with ‘All My Love’ and ‘Dazzling Delight’ respectively.  Kordes won the prize for Shrub roses with ‘Roter Korsar’, and their variety ‘Moonlight’ won best Climbing rose.  The prizes for most Fragrant of the meritorious varieties were both garnered by Poulson with ‘Nina’ being judged the most fragrant and ‘Global’ the best Miniature/Patio rose.

Certificates of Merit were awarded to Fryer, Dickson, Interplant, Dave Kenny, and Poulsen.

Despite the dreadful weather, the roses were still in many cases looking very fine, and as well as those we judged this year, there were some eye-catching varieties which we look forward to assessing in future years.

                                                                                     Alison Symons

AWARD  WINNING  ROSES  IN  THE  BELFAST  TRIALS

Gold medal and City of Belfast Award for best L/F H.T

With all my Love, raised by Cocker, Scotland

D A R D Award for best C/F Floribunda variety

Dazzling Delight, raised by Cocker, Scotland

Ballytrim Sawmill Award for best Shrub Rose

Roter Korsar, raised by Kordes, Germany

N.I. Tourist Board Award for most fragrant rose

Nina, raised by Poulsen, Denmark

Lagan Valley Probus Club Award for best mini or patio rose

Global, raised by Poulsen, Denmark

Clive Richardson for best Climbing Rose

Moonlight, raised by Kordes, Germany

Certificates of Merit

Haydock Park, C/F by Fryer, England

Three Cheers. C/F by Dickson, NI

Marylene. C/F by Interplant, Netherlands

The Merrion Rose, Shrub by Kenny Ireland

Wonderful, HT by Poulsen, Denmark

Rockabye Baby, Miniature by Dickson, NI

Other Roses in the Trials were:-

Cardiff, Graceful, Grenada, all C/F by Poulsen, Denmark

Dorothy, Mellow Yellow, C/F by Cocker, Scotland

Bad Worishofen, Pomponella, C/F by Kordes, Germany

Desert Island C/F by Dicksons, NI

Hommage a Barbara, Raoul Follereau C/F by Delbard, France

Ivors Rose C/F by Beales, England

Safe Haven C/F by Jackson & Perkins, America

Tete D’Or C/F by Meilland, France

Song & Dance, Sally Kane, HT by Fryer, England

Isabella Rossellini, Nina HT by Poulsen, Denmark

Jeanne Moreau, Femme Actuelle, Veronese, Rene Goscinny HT  by Meilland, France

Rick Stein HT by Eurose, England

Gardeners Joy, Countess Wessex, Festive Jewel Shrub by  Beales. England

Purple Favourite Shrub by Interplant, Netherlands

Harlow Carr Shrub by Austin, England

Golden Eye Cove, Blues Shrub by Poulsen, Germany

Jean, Miniature by Cocker, Scotland

Triple, Miniature by Poulsen, Denmark

Jive, Climbing, by Poulsen Denmark

Sir John Mills, Climbing by Beales, England

Scores for roses in the Trials ranged from 200 for Nina to 7 for Triple. 

I