American Garden Rose Selections announces 2022 winners
American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) has crowned four cultivars as its 2022 winners.
Awarded on a regional basis, the AGRS testing program recognizes roses that are easy to care for, disease-resistant and suitable for different regions. In addition, awards are given for fragrance to help guide consumers who desire roses for their scent.
The 2022 AGRS winners are:
Celestial Night
Introduced by Weeks Roses and bred by Christian Bedard, Celestial Night is the Regional Choice Award winner in the South Central, Southeast, Southwest regions, as well as a Fragrance Award winner.
Easy on the Eyes
Introduced by Weeks Roses and bred by Tom Carruth, Easy on the Eyes won the Regional Choice Award in the North Central, Northwest, South Central, Southeast, Southwest regions and a Fragrance Award winner.
Pink Freedom
Pink Freedom won the Northeast, Northwest, South Central and Southeast Regional Choice award. Bred by Christian Bedard, the rose was introduced by Weeks Roses and Spring Hill Nursery.
Pretty Polly Pink
Pretty Polly Pink was introduced by Star Roses and Plants and bred by David Zlesak. The rose won the Regional Choice Award in the Northeast, Northwest, South Central and Southeast regions.
All roses entered into the AGRS program are tested for two years in six different geographical regions, with each region hosting two test gardens. The plants are also evaluated on vigour, foliage proportion, plant habit, flowering effect, rebloom habit, bloom form, aging quality of blooms, fragrance and hardiness. In order for a variety to be granted an award, the rose must demonstrate superior performance in at least three of the six regions entered.