Love roses? It’s time to rate some newcomers

The American Rose Society invites gardeners coast to coast to take part in Roses in Review, a national survey to rate newly introduced rose varieties.

This is the 97th time that rose growers have participated in Roses in Review, one of the oldest active volunteer gardener efforts of its kind. The results are compiled into the ratings used in the ARS handbook and for rose recommendations. That means your observations will help rose growers choose what to plant in their own gardens for generations to come.

Anyone who grows roses can participate. Not all roses are rated every year – there are too many! (Thousands of roses have ratings.) Instead, the roses on the review list are mostly new varieties or ones that had not yet been rated but are becoming known to a wider audience. Most first hit nurseries in 2018 or later.

Among the roses on this year’s review list: Celestial Night, a purple floribunda with very full blooms (and lots of them).

Deadline is 5 p.m. Sept. 26. The survey is conducted online at www.rose.org. That’s also where you’ll find the list of candidates.