Meise Botanic Garden becomes judging location for Excellence Roses

The Dutch-Belgian inspections for Excellence Roses has added a new location: Meise Botanic Garden. The Excellence Roses quality mark stands for strong, healthy, rich and repeat-flowering roses, which give good results to end users without the use of plant protection products. These inspections have been taking place under the auspices of the ‘Culture Group for Roses and Rose Rootstocks under Anthos secretariat’ since 2018. 

As early as this autumn, new roses subject to the inspections will be planted in the Botanic Garden, bringing the number of judging locations to six: three in the Netherlands and three in Belgium. 

The Rose Garden in Meise Botanic Garden

The Rose Garden, opened in June 2019, is inspired by a budding rose and has a contemporary design. Here, Meise Botanic Garden turns the spotlight on the botanical roses. The labyrinth in the center, formed by two spirals, tells the story of the origin and evolution 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 garden constitutes 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. In this area, a place has already been reserved  for the roses that will soon compete in the three-year inspections. 

Full circle

Gardener Wouter Swaerts is preparing the garden for the new roses and explains why Meise Botanic Garden Meise is participating. ‘Our Rose garden is designed like a budding flower. In the center, we tell how botanical roses evolved. 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 are constantly searching for new, richly flowering and healthy varieties. Therefore, Excellence Roses is the puzzle piece that completes the story, the icing on the cake of the design of the budding flower.

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 is a match made in heaven with the philosophy of Excellence Roses.’

Strong and healthy

Judges assess the roses four specific times in a year for health, vigor, flower richness, fragrance, bottling and other criteria. Roses that have achieved a minimum number of points after three years earn the Excellence Roses designation. Currently, the tally stands at 76 rose varieties; all strong and richly flowering roses that produce good results in gardens and public green spaces without the use of plant protection products. All Excellence Roses can be found on the KVBC website.

Gardener Wouter Swaerts in the Rose Garden.