There is a good reason Te Awamutu is called ‘Rose Town’ as senior writer Viv Posselt found when she took her notebook and camera to the 59th annual rose show last week and saw some blooming good displays.
Ōhaupō’s Sheree Gare, seen here with Te Awamutu Rose Society president Anne Oliedam, with some of the nine awards she won.
Ōhaupō’s Sheree Gare walked away from last week’s Te Awamutu Rose Show with a whopping nine awards in her hands – testimony to a hobby she says offers welcome down time from her job as a registered nurse at Waikato Hospital.
Sheree has been growing and showing roses for 35 years, enjoying success at both local and national level.
“There’s a lot of luck involved,” she said.
“It comes down to things like weather and picking the right flower on the day. My large garden allows me to choose from a lot of blooms for any particular show.”
Sheree was one of many who exhibited their roses at the Te Awamutu’s Rose Society’s 59th annual rose show, held on November 3 and 4 at the Te Awamutu Rugby Sports and Recreation Club.
Novice grower Lisa Fisher, left, pictured with Anne Oliedam, won the Best Exhibition Bloom and the Best Exhibit Bloom or Stem (novice) in the large roses category.
Rose Society president Anne Oliedam said it was the biggest show in recent years, attracting around 330 entries from around the region, including Hamilton and Matamata.
“The weather was not as kind as it could have been, but we have some amazing blooms here,” she said, leading into the official prizegiving.
Head judge at the show was longtime national judge Janet Pike.
“Two of our champion prizes were won by novice growers from our local group, Tess Smith and Lisa Fisher, which is wonderful to see.”
Head judge Janet Pike, who is president of the Waikato branch of the New Zealand Rose Society and a longtime national judge, said: “Considering the weather, the quality of the blooms is exceptional and there is a good number of entries. These exhibits are of a very high standard.”
She also won the award for the Best Large Stem in the large rose category.
Awards were presented in numerous categories.
Eileen Wilcox won the Rosetown Trophy for scooping the Champion of Champions (large roses) award – she also won awards for the Best Large Stem and Best Small Stem in the same category.
Eileen Wilcox holding the prized Rosetown Trophy for winning the Champion of Champions award in the large roses category. She also won several other awards.
Sheree Gare received the I & K Allcock Trophy for winning the Champion of Champions award in the miniature roses category. She also won the Best Decorative Bloom and Best Vase of Roses in the large roses category. In the miniature roses category, she won the Best Exhibition Bloom, Best Fully Open Bloom, Best Small Stem, and Best Vase of Roses, and attained the highest overall points of show, and highest overall points for miniatures.
Newcomer Lisa Fisher won the Best Exhibition Bloom, and Best Exhibit Bloom or Stem (novice) in the large rose category, while fellow newcomer Tess Smith took the Best Exhibit award (novice) in the miniature rose category and won the highest overall points for all novice classes.
The Pedestal Arrangement award went to Hadassah Jones. Diana Jones won the Best Large Stem in the miniature roses category, while Irene Taylor won the Best Decorative Bloom in the same category.
Phyllis Ferriman, 97, was delighted with the third prize she won with her daughter Shirley Brown for this fully open ‘Just Joey’ rose. A longtime grower in Auckland, Phyllis shifted most of her roses with her when she relocated to Te Awamutu a couple of years ago. They are now being nurtured on her daughter’s farm. Despite her longtime growing prowess this was Phyllis’s first win at a rose show.
