Francis Meilland

Biltmore Rose Trials 2014

| Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I have had the privilege to be in rose fairyland. Nestled in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the side lawn of the majestic Biltmore estate, the Biltmore rose garden was in perfect form for the second annual Biltmore International Rose Trials. A big shout out to Lucas Jack, Biltmore Rosarian & his crew and to Paul Zimmerman for his leadership and direction in establishing these trials.

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The Dynamic Duo … Lucas Jack and Paul Zimmerman

 The Garden…

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THE WINNERS…

Amidst a flurry of amazing blooms, these roses emerged as the winners:

Frances Meilland / Meilland / Star Roses & Plants
Pauline Merrell Award for Best Hybrid Tea

Francis Meilland (Picture courtesy Star Roses and Plants)
Francis Meilland (Picture courtesy Star Roses and Plants)

Tequila Supreme / Meilland / Star Roses & Plants
Edith Wharton Award for Best Floribunda

Tequila Sunrise
Tequila Supreme

Bejazzo / Kordes
Gilded Age Award for Best Climbing Rose

Bejazzo
Bejazzo Vased
Bejazzo in the garden...
Bejazzo in the garden… absolutely stunning from every angle.

Honorine de Brabant / Award of Excellence for Best Established Rose

Honorine de Brabant
Honorine de Brabant

Sweet Drift / Meilland
The Frederick Law Olmsted Award for Best Groundcover

Sweet Drift
Sweet Drift

Pookah / Polyantha / James Delahanty
The Honorable John Cecil Award for Open Group

Pookah
Pookah

Munstead Wood / David Austin Roses
Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil Award for Most Fragrant

Mun
Munstead Wood

AND, THE BIG WINNER…

Miracle on the Hudson
Miracle on the Hudson
Miracle on the Hudson
Miracle on the Hudson

Miracle on the Hudson / Robert Neil Rippetoe

Chauncey Beadle Award for Best Shrub
William Cecil Award for Best Growth Habit
Lord Burleigh Award for Most Disease Resistant
George & Edith Vanderbilt Award for Most Outstanding  Rose (Best in Show)

None of these roses were grown with any special attention and no chemical sprays were used. The idea is to grow these roses in conditions that mimic that of a novice backyard gardener.

It was my pleasure to be up-close and personal with these lovely roses, and to join with some of my very favorite rose friends to be a part of a process that will result in more beautiful and sustainable roses for our gardens.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!

More Pictures…

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House

For more on the Biltmore rose trials, read on.

Bloom Thyme Friday: This week in the garden…

| Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Here in my world the temps are lower than normal and that makes for some wonderful garden thyme! The garden is looking more like spring than fall this week as the roses are coming back to bloom! Know that I am totally in denial about the leaves on the trees that are beginning to change color and the cicadas that are singing!

Here are some of my pretties…

Poseidon
Poseidon
Julia Child
Julia Child
Peach Drift
Peach Drift
Francis Meilland
Francis Meilland
Beverly in bud...
Beverly in bud…
Beverly in bloom...
Beverly in bloom…

Here are some of the other blooms I’m getting to enjoy…

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And we have butterflies everywhere!

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Thanks for stopping by! I am wishing you a wonderful day filled with what you love best!

On Becoming a Rose Exhibitionist…

| Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I have many new roses coming this spring and several of them are roses that have been recommended as roses I “need” to have if I’m going to become an exhibitionist…

So, since I plan to take the plunge, I decided to start out with some of the best…

FRANCIS MEILLAND HYBRID TEA

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Star Roses and Plants award winning rose! Here’s how they describe it…

Francis Meilland® is a tall Hybrid Tea rose with a very large bloom, good exhibition form and strong fragrance. It is a multiple award winner in Europe for disease resistance as well as esthetics. It is one of the first Hybrid Tea roses to win the prestigious ADR contest in Germany. 2013 AARS winner.

This remarkable rose bears the name of a remarkable rose breeder, in honor of his 100th birthday.

My friend, Chris, The Redneck Rosarian, says this rose grew to about 9ft in his garden last year. Wo…. Now the big decision is where to plant the two I purchased from Edmunds!

Tall, disease resistance, beautiful fragrance and beautiful form … I can practically see a ribbon on my entry!

GEMINI HYBRID TEA

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The picture of this rose in the Edmunds catalog plus all the raves from those who grow this rose made it very difficult to resist.

Here’s what Edmunds has to say about this beauty…

Creamy white with a coral edge on perfectly formed blooms. You won’t have to look at your horoscope to see if you are a winner with this rose as every flower seems to have perfect form. Its color will intensify as it ages and you will find it with long cutting stems and terrific dark green leaves to offset the flowers. Gemini signifies twins so you will probably want to buy it in quanities of two.

A must have for all exhibitors. It wins often.

I ask you, could you resist??

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR…

This time of year hope springs eternal and all of us rose gardeners “know” that this will be the year. Any “issues” from last year have been forgotten and this year, well, it’s gonna be special… no more than a touch of blackspot, no drought, no thrips and certainly no more than a couple of Japanese Beetles. Add to that — big luscious blooms that the judges just can’t pass by!

I have a few more roses on my list that I’ll share a little later. In the meantime, do you have any exhibition quality roses, you think I might “need”? Please share.

And, if you are a “rose exhibitionist,” please leave me at least one tip.

Fingers crossed…