Award of Excellece Winners (AOE)

By: Luis Desamero

Citing the increasing popularity of miniature roses and the integral part these roses were beginning to play in national, regional and local rose shows, in 1973, the American Rose Society Board of Directors resolved to undertake an active, impartial testing, scoring and rating program exclusively for miniature roses.

Each entry was to be tested for a two-year period, with no more than five awards given in any year and no award given if no entry warranted recognition. Thus the ARS Award of Excellence for Miniature Roses was born.

The purposes of the AOE evaluation program are parallel to those of the All-America Roses Selections:

• To foster the development of new and better roses in and for the United States;
• To foster the establishment of rose test gardens in the United States for the purpose of testing, judging and rating new kinds, species and varieties and acquainting people with the most worthy roses;
• To make awards to new rose varieties of superior quality and marked distinction as determined by their performance in the official test gardens and to publicize and recommend those varieties which receive such awards.

Elements used in the two-year evaluation include novelty, bud form, flower form, opening color, finishing color, substance, habit, quantity of flowers, vigor/renewal, foliage, and disease and insect resistance. Following the establishment of the miniflora class in 1999, the ARS Board of Directors voted in 2000 to accept these roses as eligible for the AOE award. Miniature roses and minifloras are evaluated for AOE recognition in six test gardens by teams of ARS members:

• American Rose Center, Shreveport, LA
• Fernbank Science Center, Atlanta, GA
• Hershey Gardens, Hershey, PA
• Toledo Botanical Gardens, Toledo, OH
• Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, CA
• International Rose Test Garden, Portland, OR
• Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ
• Ringling Gardens, Sarasota, FL

These are the winners for each year the Award has been offered:

• 1975 Beauty Secret, Judy Fischer, Lavender Lace, Magic Carrousel, Mary Marshall, Over the Rainbow, Sheri Anne, Starglo, Toy Clown, White Angel
• 1976 Hula Girl, Peachy White, Red Cascade
• 1977 Jeanne Lajoie, Peaches ‘n’ Cream
• 1978 Avandel, Gloriglo, Humdinger, Rise ‘n’ Shine
• 1979 Cuddles, Puppy Love, Red Flush, Zinger
• 1980 Holy Toledo, Pink Petticoat
• 1981 Pacesetter, Party Girl
• 1982 Center Gold (not awarded)
• 1983 Cornsilk, Cupcake, Hombre, Snow Bride, Valerie Jeanne
• 1984 Baby Eclipse, Hot Shot, Julie Ann, Little Jackie
• 1985 Black Jade, Centerpiece, Jennifer, Loving Touch, Winsome
• 1986 Jean Kenneally, Rainbow’s End
• 1987 Ring of Fire, Sequoia Gold
• 1988 Old Glory, Heavenly Days
• 1989 Dee Bennett, Jim Dandy, Nighthawk, Tipper
• 1990 Regine
• 1991 Golden Halo, Good Morning America, Just for You Suzy
• 1992 Cal Poly, Debidue, Figurine, Sincerely Yours
• 1993 Billie Teas, Boomerang, Child’s Play, Kristin, Palmetto Sunrise
• 1994 Hot Tamale
• 1995 Jingle Bells
• 1996 Angelica Renae
• 1997 Tropical Twist
• 1998 Playgold
• 1999 Little Flame, Autumn Splendor, Little Tommy, Tucker, Sweet Caroline
• 2000 Ralph Moore, Applause, Lemon Gems
• 2001 Ruby Sun, Sprinkles, Michel Cholet
• 2002 Merlot, Best Friends, Sweet Diana
• 2003 Baby Boomer, Doris Morgan, This Is The Day
• 2004 Andie MacDowell, Picotee, Salute
• 2005 Harm Saville, Chattooga, Life Lines
• 2006 Caliente, Iced Raspberry, Baby Bloomer
• 2007 Leading Lady, Bonfire, Saluda
• 2008 Edisto, Joy, Show Stopper, Power Point
• 2009 De ja Blu, Ambiance, Warm and Fuzzy
• 2010 Magic Show, First and Foremost, Daddy Frank, Spirit Dance

Announcement of the varieties elected to receive the Award of Excellence are made at the ARS National Miniature Conference and Rose Show each year. Anyone with questions or anyone interested in submitting roses for consideration in the trials, should contact AOE Committee Chairman Luis Desamero prior to December of each year. You may write to him at 3053 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604-4214.

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