Rosa Eskelund’s floribunda rose ‘Royal Estelle’ named Golden Rose of Baden-Baden

BADEN-BADEN, Germany: The eyecatching pink/apricot floribunda rose ‘Royal Estelle’ was chosen as the most beautiful new breed at this year’s rose competition in Baden-Baden, Germany. A panel of 45 rose experts gathered to vote the healthiest and most attractive garden roses among 127 new entries from 29 rose breeders.

‘Royal Estelle’ is a creation of Denmark-based Rosa Eskelund (Roses Forever) and the latest addition to the talented breeder’s succesful line of garden roses which trade under the Plant’N Relax brand.

The prize-winning rose is named after Princess Estelle, daugther of Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria.

Winning a medal at this year’s 69th Baden-Baden rose competition, held annually in the city’s ‘Auf den Beutig’ rose garden, means a lot to Rosa Eskelund as the judges’ criteria are extremely high. Eskelund told FCI that a carefully selected jury of rose specialists from around the world judge the new roses five times a year over two years, giving points for rose growth, flowering, health and fragrance.

Eskelund added that her treasure trove in roses are her trial grounds in Denmark. Here she keeps the very best of new, but unnamed varieties in a ‘live- archive’ and most of these roses have been created 10-15 years ago. “This is the time it takes to develop and select a garden rose. All of our roses are developed in Denmark and thoroughly tested for several years in fields across Denmark and the Netherlands,” Eskelund said.

She added that ‘Royal Estelle’ stands out for being a very vigorous, , delicately fragrant and repeat-flowering garden rose which is suited for rose hedges or solitary plantings where whirling butterflies will surround the rose.

‘Royal Estelle’ also scooped up a gold medal in the category floribunda roses and the honorary award for the city of Zweibrücken.