INTERNATIONAL ROSE TRIALS
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The American Rose Society International Rose Trial is situated on 118 acres in Shreveport, LA. The Trial was established in 2019 and approved by the World Federation of Rose Societies in 2023. The Trial is open to all professional and amateur breeders across the world with the distinct purpose of evaluating the performance of varieties in Zone 8 growing conditions and comparing the growth and flowering characteristics with similar new introductions provided by breeders. The Trials are conducted under the guidelines set forth by the World Federation of Rose Societies. “New Garden Rose Varieties” is defined as those rose varieties which have been put into commerce no longer than two years prior to the commencement of the Trials. “Commencement” is defined as January 1 of the calendar year the roses are planted in the trial beds.
The American Rose Center initiated its Rose Trials in 2019 a a goal of the Garden’s Master Plan and the Great Garden Restoration Project. The site of the Trial Grounds is the magnificent Windsounds Carillon Tower, a 30’ tall sculpture with the grounds of America’s Rose Garden
Sweet Spirit
Sweet Spirit, bush
Sweet Mademoiselle
High Wire Flyer
Oso Easy Double Pink
RED CAPTAIN:TruePerfume
High Wire Flyer
Oso Easy Double Pink
Sweet Mademoiselle
Sweet Mademoiselle
Lady First
High Wire Flyer
Red Captain_Ping Lim
Lady First – True Perfume
Oso Easy Dbl. Pink
Red Captain-True Love
Sweet Spirit at ARC
Sweet Spirit-bush
AWARDS
- Awards will be given for the BEST ROSE in each of the classes, provided the rose meets all other criteria, including scoring.
- The overall highest scoring rose from among the above groups will be awarded the ARC GOLD MEDAL for MOST OUTSTANDING ROSE
- Awards may be given for additional categories not covered by sections A-B above, including the following high awards:
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- Most Fragrant Rose
- Best Disease Resistant Rose
- Best Garden Impression Rose
- Most Decorative Rose
- Best Rose Presenting Exhibition Form
- People’s Choice Award
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- All varieties will be judged a minimum of two years. Climbers will be judged for three years.
RULES & CONDITIONS
The International Rose Trial in Shreveport. LA was established in 2019 and approved by the World Federation of Rose Societies in 2023. The Trials are open to all professional and amateur breeders across the world with the distinct purpose of evaluating the performance of varieties in Zone 8 growing conditions and comparing the growth and flowering characteristics with similar new introductions provided by breeders. The Trials are conducted under the guidelines set forth by the World Federation of Rose Societies.
The roses are cared for in accordance with modern methods of garden culture using environmentally friendly products, and judged not only for the beauty of the flower but equally for their disease resistance, fragrance and overall aesthetic plant appearance.
The ARC Trials affords breeders a stage to display their work and receive feedback on the performance of their roses. Two unique logos are designed to recognize award winning roses: one will recognize Gold Medal Award winners, the other will recognize all other ARC Rose Trial Awards. Breeders and Nurserymen will be granted limited rights to use the American Rose Center Rose Trial logos in marketing and promotions of their winning varieties.
DEFINITION OF “NEW GARDEN ROSE VARIETIES”
“New Garden Rose Varieties” is defined as those rose varieties which have been put into commerce no longer than two years prior to the commencement of the Trials. “Commencement” is defined as January 1 of the calendar year the roses are planted in the trial beds.
STANDARDS
- Any internationally recognized class or group of roses may be submitted provided it meets the criteria of “New Garden Rose Varieties”. The labeling of the entries will reflect the Class according to the Classification System as defined by the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA). The classes are:
- Floribunda
- Grandiflora
- Hybrid Tea
- Large Flowered Climber
- Miniature
- Miniflora
- Polyanthas
- Shrub – Ground Cover
- Shrub – Landscape
- Shrub – English
- Open Group – any internationally recognized class of roses not included in groups a – j.
- All varieties will remain on view until December of the same year of the trials (or later) to enable visitors to compare and admire them. After this date, the roses may or may not be transplanted to other areas of the American Rose Center grounds. If the plants are moved, appropriate signage will be displayed including the breeder, introducer, year and any award won.
- The American Rose Center may from time to time remove plants of previous trials to make room for the latest varieties.
- The American Rose Center will not propagate, nor make propagation material available, from varieties on permanent display without written consent of the breeder.
- Any “sport” that is discovered will be the property of the breeder and propagation material will be made available to them should they wish.
- Because of the public nature of the gardens, if at any time during the trials a variety is found to be performing poorly, the trials may remove it from the trial bed. Scores and reasons why will be sent to the breeder as feedback. The plants will be destroyed unless the breeder wishes to make other arrangements.
- We will accept entries of up to three (3) roses varieties of one class per breeder, or up to five (5) total rose varieties in any mix that includes different rose classes per breeder. The classes are listed in #1 of these Standards.
- Five plants of each variety must be supplied to the American Rose Center with all transport costs paid by the breeder. In special circumstances, the number of bushes may be reduced to five plants per variety by the Trial Director.
- Entry Form: the following information must accompany each variety:
- Breeder Name
- Breeder code or registered name
- Variety or commercial name
- Country of Breeder
- Date of variety’s entry into commerce
- Class; Classification of the rose
- Color; Color Class as identified by the ICRA
- Nursery; Introducer
- Ship Date
- Number of plants shipped per variety
- Bareroot or container; container size
- Please provide the Entry Form with the above information for each variety in advance of shipping to Diane Sommers at dmsommers21@gmail.com so that planting space and labeling can be prepared in advance of the arrival of rose plants. The sender of each consignment will receive a receipt for email confirming safe arrival of the plants and their participation in the trials.
- Fees: There will be no fee required for entries.
SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS
Please ship all trail roses, together with the entry form providing detailed information on each rose (i.e. Entry Form) to the following address, with attention to Claire Bissell, Interim Executive Director.
The American Rose Center ARC Internatio
nal Rose Trials
8877 Jefferson Paige Road
Shreveport, LA. 71119-8817
United States
PHYSICAL PLANTS AND THEIR HANDLING
- Plants may be provided in BAREROOT or in CONTAINERS, as follows:
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- Minimum container size is 1 gallon U.S. standard nursery pot
- Maximum container size is 3 gallon U.S. Standard nursery pot
- Roses may be own-root or grafted
- Entries can arrive as soon as January 15th of the trial year, with all entries due by March 1. You may send up to 10 plants and we will pick the best 5 to plant. All plants will be planted directly in the ground.
- During the trials, all varieties shall be cared for equally in accordance with methods of “Natural Care”.
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- “Natural Care’ is defined as environmentally responsible methods including the use of, but not limited to, natural fertilizers, natural fungicides, and Integrated Pest Management.
- While synthetic chemicals will be used if needed, it will be minimal and thus it is in the best interest of the breeders to make sure varieties entered are inherently healthy.
JUDGING
A Permanent Jury of regional specialists presided by the Judging Chairperson shall judge the plants five times per year on or near these times:
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- April – first bloom flush
- June – Second bloom flush
- September – end of summer bloom
- November – fall bloom flush
- February – before pruning; judging General Impression and for bare bush structure
CRITERIA FOR JUDGING
The ARC Trial uses the universal scoring as recommended by the WFRS.
30 points: General Impression: Plant, Foliage, Vigor, Novelty
30 points: Flower: Blooms, Buds, Color, Abundance of Flowering, Recurrent Blooms, Post Flowering novelty
30 points: Resistance to Disease
10 points: Fragrance
Each member of the Permanent Jury shall cast votes for each of the criteria on the point scale provided above.
An Awards Jury (“Celebrity Judges”) shall be invited annually to judge with the Permanent Jury on the culminating day of the trials, and shall judge using the same criteria and scoring. Celebrity Judges will have a good knowledge of rose growth characteristics and may be comprised of:
Rose breeders and growers (excluding those with roses in the trial)
Directors of Rose Gardens
Prominent rosarians
American Rose Society leaders (local, regional, national)
WFRS Leaders and Members
In addition to the Permanent Jury and Celebrity Judges, the ARC Trials may invite other individuals to participate in identifying the best variety from the public perspective to be awarded the “People’s Choice” Award
RECOGNITION F WINNERS OF AMERICAN ROSE CENTER INTERNATIONAL TRIALS
- Plant labels of winning varieties in the ARC Gardens will show the American Rose Center International Rose Trials Award and the year of the award
- The American Rose publication of the American Rose Society, will carry a story reporting on winners as soon as possible after each final judging.
- Winners will be featured on the American Rose Society website
- Two unique logos are designed to recognize award winning roses: one recognizes the Gold Medal Award winner for MOST OUTSTANDING ROSE; the other will recognize all other ARC Rose Trial Awards. Breeders and Nurserymen will be granted limited rights to use the American Rose Trial logos in marketing and promotion of their winning entries
CORRESPONDENCE
Correspondence regarding the American Rose Center International Rose Trials should be directed to:
General Information:
Claire Bissell
Executive Director
American Rose Society
P.O. Box 30,000
Shreveport, LA. 71130
Telephone: 318-938-5402
Inquiries - Entries
Diane Sommers
Trials Director
dmsommers21@gmail.com
Mobile: 262.853.0745
Shipping
Claire Bissell
Garden Director Executive Director
American Rose Center
8877 Jefferson Paige Road
Shreveport, LA. 71119-8817
Mobile: 318-525-4692
INTERNATIONAL ROSE TRIALS ENTRY FORM
