Rosy outlook
by Carla Caruso
Things are looking rosy for the International Rose Garden at the Adelaide Botanic Garden.
The spot is undergoing a significant revitalisation, with the aim of achieving international recognition this year through an Award of Garden Excellence from the World Federation of Rose Societies.
The upgrade will include new signage and plant labelling, educational interpretation, rose plant renewal and landscaping enhancements, among other improvements.
The Bicentennial Conservatory provides a striking backdrop to the International Rose Garden. Photo: Adelaide Botanic Garden.
It’s being funded by donors and in-kind contributions of more than $90,000 from the Adelaide Botanic Garden Foundation’s 2021 Annual Appeal. The revamp’s expected to be complete mid-year.
It’s well-timed as Adelaide is set to host the World Rose Convention in October, with experts and rose-lovers coming together for the large-scale public exhibition. (The event was postponed last year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.)
Along with the Botanic’s rose garden, the convention will highlight several other rose gardens in your Park Lands – in Parks 12, 14, 21, and 29. (Check out the rose garden in Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka as an example here.)
This rose garden in Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka (Park 14) was established around 1960. The Rose Society of South Australia wanted a garden that was similar to the Queen Mary Gardens in Regent’s Park, London.
On the International Rose Garden reboot, Michael Harvey, the director of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, said it’ll further enhance the experience of visitors.
“The rose is one of the world’s favourite flowers and we are excited to be putting Adelaide’s beautiful rose garden firmly on the global map for local, interstate and international visitors alike.
“As well as creating a beautiful new horticultural display, we are keen to share stories – exploring rose biology, and their long relationship with people through rose breeding, fragrance, literature and history.”
It’s hoped Adelaide’s premier rose garden will gain global recognition with its revamp. Photo: Adelaide Botanic Garden.
To be nominated for the World Rose Federation’s Award of Garden Excellence, the garden must be at least five years old, be open to the public, contain at least 500 roses and 100 rose varieties, and demonstrate sustained performance in conducting international rose trials.
Just four other gardens in Australia have received this worldwide accreditation, with none yet in South Australia.
The International Rose Garden will be judged on a number of categories including beauty, educational information, rose diversity, amenity and more.
The site is also home to the National Rose Trial Garden, where roses are tested for their suitability for the Australian climate before going on commercial sale. This provides an economic advantage for the nation’s rose industry.