The sun shone on the 2025 Rochford International Rose Trials (RIRT) Awards Day, held in Hertfordshire at their Birch Green site.
The event celebrates the best garden-worthy roses, judged in a three-year trial and is attended by growers, breeders, and rose lovers from the UK and Europe.
Entrants for Trial 5 included roses from Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK. Commercial breeders usually dominate the entries but this time, a healthy contribution from amateurs featured. The roses are judged on their health, flowering, general appearance and fragrance. Top marks earn them a coveted Gold Award.

Rochfords have supported these trials for the last eight years and are keen to maintain a UK presence among the European trials held under the auspices of the World Federation of Rose Societies. Theirs is the last site for testing unnamed seedlings in the UK.
The Fragrance award went to a rose bred by Meilland in France. It’s fabulous in colour and form and I look forward to her coming into the commercial market.

With the strong interest from the public and designers in pollinator-friendly planting, the recently introduced Pollinator award went to Lens roses of Belgium. As the photograph shows she was extremely popular on the day with the bees.

Head rosarian at Rochfords, who judged this category, Kerry French, commented that it was always full of life and will perform well as a landscape rose.
The Persica style roses with the dark central eye are increasing in popularity and there were some excellent selections on display. The experienced Persica breeder, amateur Chris Warner from Shropshire, had two certificate-winning entries this year.

A new trophy was announced in memory of the late Peter Seabrook. His daughter Alison and son Roger were delighted to be present on this special occasion. The Peter Seabrook Award for Novelty in Rose Breeding was won by the excellent Kordes rose Lollipop from Germany. The orange and yellow striped blooms put on a great show and its health and vigour should make it one to watch.
Since the trials started in 2018, more than 300 new varieties have been assessed. RIRT is a not-for- profit venture , keen to promote roses and to support the industry.
If any landscaper, designer, specifier or rosarian would be interested in visiting next year, in summer or at the Awards Day, please get in touch.
Email : roses@rochfords.net
FB : Rochfords International Rose Trials
Instagram : RochfordsIRT