Sunny weather with pleasant temperatures provided ideal conditions for the 63rd edition of the International Rose Competition. The event took place on Thursday, 3 July 2025, in the Rosarium at Westbroekpark in The Hague. "The leaders of the roses arrive a week after the leaders of the world," joked Ricardo Janssen from the Municipality of The Hague, referring to the NATO summit held in the city the week before.
© Mirthe Walpot | FloralDaily.com Judging at the trial field was in full swing, with no nameplates on display. Roses are assessed anonymously to ensure a fair evaluation based solely on their quality, with no advantage for any grower or breeder.
The Rosarium is home to 350 rose varieties, which are judged four times a year by a professional jury on qualities such as color, foliage, and growth habit. The final evaluation takes place during the International Rose Competition, where an international expert jury presents three main awards: the Golden Rose, the Fragrance Award, and the Audience Award.
Golden Rose
The prizes were presented by Mayor Jan van Zanen, who expressed his appreciation for the competition in a brief speech. With a big smile, the Golden Rose was awarded to Pepino, a red spray rose bred by German breeder Rosen Tantau. The jury praised the rose as "a beautiful, full-bodied red rose with healthy green foliage."
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Golden Rose for Pepino by Rosen Tantau
Fragrance Award
The Fragrance Award was also presented during the competition. To determine the best scent, a special fragrance committee evaluates the roses twice at different times of the day, as a rose's scent can vary between morning and evening. This year's winner was the climbing rose Peach Melba from German breeder Kordes. Last year, Kordes took home the Golden Rose. Breeder Thomas Proll accepted the award.
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Fragrance Award for Peach Melba by Kordes Roses
Audience Award
In addition to the jury's prizes, the public could also vote for their favorite rose. This year, The Pride, a light purple, large-flowered, fragrant rose from French breeder NIRP International, was the audience favorite. Visitors could vote for their top choice from the five nominees between 7 and 29 June — and many did. Last year, NIRP International won the Fragrance Award.
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Audience Award for The Pride by NIRP International — and according to Mayor Van Zanen, it smells fantastic too.
Heatwave concerns
The extreme weather earlier last week caused some concern among the organizers. "You can't control the weather, and we did worry about how the roses would hold up after the heatwave and subsequent rainfall," said Marco van Tol from the organizing team. "Because of the heat, the roses are a bit more mature than last year. Luckily, we had normal rain. If it had been a downpour like in the east of the country, the rose park could have been bare. But that wasn't the case. Visitors can still come and enjoy the beautiful roses."
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Bart and Alex Spek of Spek Roses with Tyler Francis of Francis Roses (USA)
Declining popularity
While garden roses remain special for enthusiasts, one visitor noted that their popularity is declining, with some breeders paying less attention to them. "English-style gardens, where roses were widely used, are less fashionable these days. People are opting for low-maintenance plants that still add color."
