The American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) judges have announced the newest roses to be selected in their testing program. This year, there are three new winners.
The All America Rose Selection program ran from 1940 until 2013. The AGRS program began in 2016. Roses that have been selected in either program are the best ones for gardeners to try. Only about 4 percent of the roses tested in the AARS program were chosen for a national award. If you are looking in a garden catalog and see that a rose was the winner of either award, you can be sure it is a good rose.
Since the country has diverse climates, it makes sense that the AGRS judging is done by region. All roses entered into the AGRS are tested for two years in six different geographical regions, each containing at least two test gardens. Most of the test gardens are open to the public, so you can see for yourself which roses you like.
The roses are judged on their disease resistance, vigor, foliage proportion, plant habit, flowering effect, rebloom habit, bloom form, aging quality of blooms, fragrance, and hardiness. For a variety to be granted an award, it must demonstrate superior performance in at least three of the six regions. An award is also given for fragrance because many gardeners desire roses for their fragrance.
In an unusual twist, all three of the 2024 AGRS winners were submitted by the same grower, Star Roses and Plants.
Sweet Mademoiselle is a Regional Choice Winner in four regions—South Central, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest—and a Fragrance Award Winner. It is a hybrid tea rose with bright salmon pink double flowers with 35 petals. It grows to 5 feet tall in hardiness zones 5–11. The scent is classic rose and strong.
Sitting Pretty is a Regional Choice Winner in four regions—South Central, Southeast, Southwest, and North Central. It is a grandiflora with reddish-pink flowers with 25 petals. It grows 3–4 feet tall and wide. It can be grown in large pots or be used as a shrub in the landscape. It grows in hardiness zones 4–11.
Sunset Horizon is a Regional Choice Winner in four regions—South Central, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest. It is a floribunda rose with 15-petal flowers. The flower color varies. As the flower opens, it is bright yellow. It then changes to dark pink and bright cherry red. Each flower petal can be red on the outer third, white in the middle, and yellow at the center. The plant can have red, yellow, and pink flowers on it at the same time! It grows 3–4 feet tall and wide in hardiness zones 5–10.
To learn more about the American Garden Rose Selections, visit AmericanGardenRoseSelections.com
