Abstract
The Rose Garden at Auckland Botanic Gardens displays rose cultivars which perform well and remain healthy in Auckland, New Zealand, without pesticide applications. Miticides, insecticides and fungicides are not used. Suitable cultivars are chosen for public display to inspire gardeners and encourage visitors to make their own rose selections based on personal preferences from an array of proven performers. These are identified to the public as ‘Star Performers’. Here the process of trialling, identifying and displaying old shrub and modern rose cultivars that have achieved Star Performer status over the past 20 years is presented. This work demonstrates the role that botanic gardens can play in promoting sustainable horticultural practices.
Highlights
Roses have a reputation of being difficult to grow and requiring chemicals to ensure plant health
Several schemes based in the USA, such as the American
Eighteen rose cultivars are promoted as Star Performers on leaflets and on our Plants for Auckland website database (Auckland Botanic Gardens, 2020), and a further 41 are Recommended Plants
Summary
Roses have a reputation of being difficult to grow and requiring chemicals to ensure plant health. Many public gardens in New Zealand maintain a regular chemical spray regime. Worldwide the trend towards chemical-free, low-input or low-maintenance roses is growing (Mackay et al, 2008). Several schemes based in the USA, such as the American. Rose Trials for Sustainability programme (American Rose Trials for Sustainability®, n.d.) and Earth-Kind Roses (Aggie Horticulture, n.d.), promote roses that do not require chemical applications to perform well. Some rose gardens and public gardens, such as New York Botanic Garden, have shifted their rose collections to include more sustainable chemical-free cultivars (Kukielski, 2015)
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