Rogers Rose Garden - Hamilton

Roger’s Rose Gardens is a world-class rose garden right in the heart of the Waikato region, it is part of the Hamilton Gardens Complex with the rose gardens themselves covering approximately two hectares. Hamilton Gardens is unusual in that its theme is ‘the story of gardens’. This is explored through five garden collections, the best known being the Paradise Garden Collection representing major garden design traditions. In the Roger’s Rose Garden this theme is addressed through the rose collections demonstrating the history and development of the rose from species to the latest cultivars.

Surrounded by mature specimen trees the picturesque Roger’s Rose Garden is on undulating land beside the mighty Waikato River. The garden contains large informal beds of Hybrid Teas and Floribunda planted for mass colour, complemented by large lawn areas and single specimen trees with a backdrop of climbing roses displayed on frames, weeping roses on hoops and procumbent roses in a bed near the entrance to the garden. The impact when all the roses are in bloom is stunning.

As a point of difference the formal French Rose Garden with its white pergola covered in rambling roses, rose beds surrounded by box hedging, white “French style’ bench seats and tile paved stairway is sited overlooking the main rose garden. It is a traditional species rose garden with beds representing species from Persia, China, the Ancient world and North America. Three walks off it focus on three famous French rose breeders: Jean Baptiste Guillot, Francis Meilland and Empress Josephine.

There is also a solid gazebo built in 1983 by the Jack Family and the Hamilton East Rotary Club. The Jack Gazebo has become an icon of Roger’s Rose Garden and is used as a gathering area for events held in the rose garden.

In the summer months the Rose Gardens are a very popular venue for weddings with both the Jack Gazebo and/or the French Rose Garden being booked almost every Saturday (sometimes more than once). In February during the Hamilton Gardens Summer Arts Festival the Roger’s Rose Garden becomes the setting for “Outdoor Summer Shakespeare” as it is ideal for musical or other types of performances

Over 600,000 people visit Hamilton Gardens annually. There is easy access for the disabled with motorised chairs available for hire if required with a large carpark nearby. There are many park bench seats, mostly donated, for sitting and admiring the different viewpoints this garden has to offer. All of the rose beds are labelled with the name of the cultivar on raised plaques. In the Rose Gardens there is a plan showing the roses on trial. There is a children’s playground adjacent to the Rose Garden and toilets are nearby. Hamilton Gardens Information Centre has leaflets on “Rose Culture” and maps of Hamilton Gardens. Guided tours are available. The Waikato Rose Society make use of the Roger’s Rose garden for their cultural talks and to view the trial roses and watch their growth habits, health and general performance. Public pruning demonstrations are held in winter.

In November the Pacific Rose Bowl Festival is held in the Roger’s Rose Garden to coincide with other garden shows, this festival is based around an internationally recognised rose trial to determine the “New Zealand Rose of the Year”. This is complemented by the Waikato Rose Society’s Annual Spring Rose Show in the nearby Hamilton Gardens Pavilion where outstanding rose blooms are on display. Bushes of the best roses from around the world are entered to contest the Pacific Rose Bowl Trophy. This event lasts a week, judging is by popular vote of the general public. School groups get involved for the “Children’s Choice Award”. Other events in the festival include international speakers and seminars, walking tours around the Rose Gardens to discuss rose cultivars and culture and free entertainment in the rose garden. It is expected that this event will grow as other significant Rose Trial Gardens around the Pacific Ocean hold their own festivals and link the results internationally through the Pacific Rose Bowl Challenge Trophy. It is rapidly gaining an international reputation and becoming an iconic attraction in the Waikato.

Being in the public eye the bushes are kept healthy with minimal spraying of mild inorganic sprays, disease prone cultivars are replaced with healthy ones. The gardens staff are friendly, considerate and helpful, special consideration is given to the public during spraying and watering. They are also generous with blooms; for example Waikato Rose Society is given special permission to pick roses for Rose Judging Exams and public displays if required.

The Rogers Rose Garden is worthy of a WFRS Garden of Excellence Award as it is a rose garden that has evolved to keep attracting visitors whether they are gardeners, tourists or somebody looking for peace and beauty there is something to appeal to everyone.

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