Boskoop’s Royal Horticultural Society (KVBC) honours ten roses with Certificates of Excellence

Left to right: Van der Louw, De Ruiter, Crooijmans, Proll, Vissers and Hanekamp. Departing chairman Hetty Crooijmans models 2 certificates of Kordes.

Boskoop’s Royal Horticultural Society (KVBC) has awarded ten garden roses with the coveted Certificate of Excellence.

Since 2017, Boskoop’s Royal Horticultural Society (KVBC) has been judging garden roses and awarding them the Certificate of Excellence.

Excellence Roses is a Dutch/Belgian mark of quality. To qualify for it, a rose must combine exceptional beauty, fragrance, and hip bearing with excellent health and reliability. Excellence Roses are also committed to sustainability, as they can be grown without using any crop protection products.

Each potential Excellence Rose is on trial for three years with rose trial gardens situated in Winschoten (rosarium Winschoten), Boskoop (Rosarium Boskoop),  Merksplas, Belgium (show garden De Kleine Boerderij), Mechelen, Belgium (Vrijbroekpark) and Lottum (Rozenhof Lottum).

Ruiter Innovations/Boot & Dart Boomkwekerijen received recognition for excellent rose breeding for the shrub rose ‘Pink Ricco Amorina’.

Belgian rose breeder Viva International received Excellence certificates for the miniature rose ‘Mini Pinkie’ and the shrub rose ‘Diamantino’.

German rose breeder Tantau earned Excellence recognition for its climbing rose ‘Perennial Domino’ and the ‘Pinocchio’ rose for patio pots.

Kordes Roses International reigned supreme at the award ceremony held at Wageningen Plant Research in Randwijk on 1 March, attended by more than 40 rose professionals. The German breeder took home five Excellence certificates, awarded to the groundcover rose Alexander von Humboldt and the floribunda roses. See you in Purple, Phoenix, Nautica, and Sunmaid.

Many new garden roses from international breeders will be planted for trialing in the Netherlands and Belgium for the upcoming season.

While Excellence Roses certification is essential when choosing a supplier, the end-consumer ultimately enjoys the benefits.

Excellence Roses is an initiative of the Culture Group for Roses and Rootstocks, with its secretariat running under the Dutch industry body Anthos.

To date, 76 garden roses have been awarded Excellence certificates.