Over the last 200 years breeders have mingled the genes from 100 or more species of natural roses to produce thousands of hybrids that flower in a multitude of shapes and hues.
Today, tens of thousands of hectares of land around the world are devoted to growing roses for the cut-flower trade. New cultivars are constantly appearing on the market.
Luck and experience combine to create the right recipe for success, with each new rose taking 10 years to develop. From 150,000 seeds planted in the first year, only one is chosen for release at the end.
The introduction of plant-breeders’ rights after the 1950s allowed a new wave of professionals to make their fortunes creating and branding superstar roses for the next generation of rose lovers.
Sam McGredy - An Irish Rose
Rosa 'Dublin Bay'
Rosa 'Sexy Rexy'
Rosa 'Olympiad' - Sam McGredy's most grown rose
Talk about pedigree, Sam McGredy (the fourth) is one of the great rose breeders of the 20th century. His great grandfather first began growing roses in his native Northern Ireland in the 19th century and each subsequent generation carried on the family tradition along with the name.
After several years of successful rose breeding on the family nursery in Portadown, Sam IV moved to Auckland in the 1970s. Here he continued to produce beautiful new roses. Sam’s star roses — ‘Dublin Bay’, ‘Sexy Rexy’ and ‘Olympiad’ — have been grown all over the world.
Doug Grant provides describes the process of professional rose breeding.
Rosa 'All My Love' - Doug Grant
Doug Grant is a plant breeder, specialising in pumpkins and onions, who also dabbles in the art of rose breeding. A trained scientist, Doug says the three main things to look for in a new rose are disease resistance, continual flowering and fragrance. He sits on the national executive of New Zealand Rose Society and Heritage Roses New Zealand.
