PICTURES. Discover the flowers of the 6th International Rose Competition
More than 70 unique specimens to discover at the Princess Grace Rose Garden.
” What’s so special about a rose that makes it so much more than a flower? While the words of Princess Grace of Monaco remain engraved on a stone in the Rose Garden, the jury of the Sixth International Rose Competition must precisely determine what makes one of the 70 flowers in competition so much more than a rose.
This Wednesday, May 4, the breeders of the four coins of the globe are presenting their new roses, with a single objective: to win one of the Prizes of the Monegasque competition.
” It must be a new creation, but in business for at least five yearsexplains George Restellini, curator of the competition. These roses, we will keep them for two years, until the next competition, and they will be exhibited for the public. Then, overwinter them and replant them in the gardens of Monaco. »
To decide between these flowers, a jury made up of twelve members, with very different profiles: “ There are professionals from the World Federation of Roses, perfumers and artists. The professional will look at the sanitary quality, if the rosé is beautiful, if it has aphids… The perfumer will be interested in the perfume and the artist will give his opinion on the color and shape of the rose. »
And among the artists, Mr OneTeas, well known in the Principality, in particular for his great collective work produced on the occasion of March 8, in which Prince Albert II took part.
Jury for the first time, the artist said he was impressed by the diversity of the flowers exhibited: ” for me it’s a real pleasure to be here for a completely new activity, where I learned a lot and where I met people with exceptional knowledge. I was very surprised to see that some flowers are roses but don’t look like roses, it’s very original! »
His crush? A pink rose, with a divine olfactory aspect. » It is this pretty rose named Eudora, from the breeder NIRP INTERNATIONAL SA, which won the Perfume Cup. But the fragrance can only bring a maximum of ten points to the flower, out of a total of 100. The remaining 90 are divided between the general impression, the appearance of the rose and its resistance to diseases.
Depending on the number of points awarded, the roses received gold or silver medals. The flower with the highest score wins the Piaget Prize. This year, the winner is the Catherine Frot rose, from breeder Marie-Françoise Dorieux.
Thereafter, and until June 15, Internet users can vote online for their favorite rose, for the Public Prize.
” Often, the public chooses an “old” rose, with a slightly pointed shapecomments Georges Restellini. The new varieties are rather romantic: the petals are less pointed, almost flat, like a peony. The public also tends to prefer bright, eye-catching colours. »