First “Rose Day” at UC Davis draws enthusiastic rosarians, gardeners and industry crowd

University of California, Davis
May 8, 2008

More than 100 people gathered for an inside look into the rose industry during the inaugural Rose Day at UC Davis on April 25, 2008. 
   
Rose enthusiasts and avid gardeners joined nursery industry professionals and commercial growers to hear presentations from national and international leaders for insights into rose production, hybridization and breeding, marketing, and pest and disease issues. The UC Davis Foundation Plant Services (FPS), which provides clean, disease-free nursery stock to growers, held its first-ever open house to its eight-acre rose nursery in the afternoon and offered 14 different rose varieties for sale. The event was jointly presented by FPS and the California Center for Urban Horticulture (CCUH), one of the newest statewide projects of the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“I was pleased with the turnout at Rose Day and the quality of the presentations was exceptional,” said Dave Fujino, CCUH executive director. “I don’t know how we’ll top it, but we’re looking forward to making this an annual event.”

Industry speakers, who volunteered their time, included Brian Correiar and Keith Zary from Jackson & Perkins; Tom Carruth from Weeks Roses;  Anthony Tesselaar of Australia’s Anthony Tesselaar International;  Jacques Ferare of Meilland-Star Roses; Mike McCaffrey, president of the Garden Rose Council; and Ann Chase of Chase Horticultural Research, Inc.

Correiar provided an overview of field production of garden roses at the wholesale level. Zary and Carruth are among the top rose breeders and hybridizers in the industry. Tesselaar detailed a successful worldwide marketing campaign for his company’s garden roses. Ferare explained how research is integrated into the selection and marketing of new roses. Chase addressed common garden-rose diseases and their prevention and treatment.

Speakers emphasized the versatility of roses in landscaping.  Recently introduced varieties with low-maintenance requirements are finding new uses – such as in median strips along roadways. Many newer varieties also show greater disease resistance.

Rose breeders are constantly seeking new, more-attractive roses that are easy to maintain. “We’re still looking for the elusive hybrid tea that will grow everywhere,” Ferare said.

Tesselar noted environmental concerns, especially water use requirements, are becoming increasingly important.

Most commercial roses are produced on an enormous scale. They are an essential part of California’s $3.5 billion nursery, greenhouse and floriculture production. In California alone the 2005-2006 value of rose plants was $56.3 million, according to the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers.

FPS Director Deborah Golino credited the Garden Rose Council with helping make the event a success. “Mike McCaffrey and the council have been very supportive of our work in roses for 15 years,” she said. “They donated all the roses we’re selling here today and paid the travel of all our guest speakers.”

Nanette Londeree of Marin County was one of a number of master gardeners and consulting rosarians who attended the event. “I walked away with a greater appreciation of what it takes to bring a rose to market,” she said. “It’s really extraordinary.”

For more information, contact the program websites for CCUH at ccuh.ucdavis.edu and FPS at fpms.ucdavis.edu.

Media contacts:

• Dave Fujino, California Center for Urban Horticulture, UC Davis,(530) 754-7739, dwfujino@ucdavis.edu
• Deborah Golino, Foundation Plant Services, UC Davis, (530) 754-8102, dagolino@ucdavis.edu
• John Stumbos, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Davis, (530) 754-4979, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu