Breeders' Panel

Topics & Speakers

Meet the Rose Hybridizers Forum - Up Close & Personal

Jack Harkness (UK) once described rose hybridizers, a talented and unique group of people, as “The Makers of Heavenly Roses”. This self-ordained group of individuals have been blessed with the driving passion for creating beauty in roses. They span the globe in their eternal ultimate search for that perfect rose. What exactly makes a rose breeder tick and how do they view the world through their rose colored spectacles?

The forum will attempt to extract their secret philosophies while exploring personal anecdotal tales from the past embellished with a modicum of humor spiked with wit. This is a golden opportunity to delve into their past, present and future dreams. The audience will also be invited to participate by asking questions from this international panel of famous rose breeders representing the great houses of Europe and North America who have made unique contributions to the profession and are contemporaneously active in the 21st century.

		Tommy Cairns - Moderator Tommy is an internationally renowned rose expert and exhibitor. He holds judging credentials both in the Royal National Rose Society of Great Britain and the American Rose Society. He has judged international rose shows in South America, Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Europe. Prior to his election as President of the World Federation of Rose Societies for 2003-2006, Tommy served as the 50th President of the American Rose Society in 2000-2003. He was editor of both Modern Roses 10 and Modern Roses XI - THE WORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ROSES and currently is editor of World Rose News. His recent literary efforts have been chronicled in Botanica’s Roses and the series of popular books, namely All About Roses, All About The Easiest Roses to Grow, and The Complete Guide to Roses, published by Ortho/Meredith Books. His latest work is The Ultimate Rose Book, published in October 2007 by Abrams, New York. Tommy has won many awards for his involvement in roses, including the Dean Hole Medal by the Royal National Rose Society, regarded as the top award in the rose world, and the ARS Gold Honor Medal. At his home, he enjoys almost 1,000 award-winning rose bushes.
		Beatrice Barni - Italy Born in Pistoia, Beatrice attended the Natural Science program at Florence University in Italy where she studied genetic lab techniques and other aspects of plant reproduction. Since 1998 she has dedicated her time and expertise to the family business where she is in charge of public relations and the breeding of new rose varieties. Beatrice works with a variety of different cultivars to produce new rose varieties, including hybrid teas, floribundas, ground covers, shrubs, and climbers. Beatrice also teaches rose pruning and cultivation at the Barni family nursery and to various Gardening Societies.
		Brad Jalbert - Canada Brad Jalbert graduated top of his class in Horticulture from the University College of the Fraser Valley, BC. He opened a rose nursery in 1990 and established a hybridizing program that to date has introduced over 50 roses to the world rose market. His varieties, ranging from miniatures to hybrid teas and shrubs, are recognized for their unique qualities and remarkable colour range. Brad has co-written two books, ‘’Roses for British Columbia’’ and ‘’Roses for Washington and Oregon’’. He has also written for many Canadian garden magazines, contributed articles to various rose bulletins in Canada, and is an international speaker and guest on TV gardening programs. He is the Past President of the Vancouver Rose Society and a member and a regional director of the Canadian Rose Society.
		Alain Meilland - France Alain Meilland represents the 5th generation of the Meilland family and the 6th generation has already started to work with him. The Meilland dynasty dates from the year 1850 when Joseph Rambaux started producing roses. From 1884 until 1914 his son-in-law, Francis Dubreuil, created sixty-four varieties. In 1936, the House of Meilland introduced its first catalogue in colour and in 1949 the House of Meilland obtained its first patent protecting the “Rouge Meilland” rose. In addition, four Meilland roses have received the award of the Hall of Fame from the World Federation of Rose Societies: PEACE in 1976, PAPA MEILLAND in 1988, BONICA in 2003 and EDEN ROSE, PIERRE DE RONSARD in 2006. Thanks to his passion, communicative enthusiasm, vast professional knowledge and experience, as well as his concern for perfection, Alain Meilland has succeeded in developing the heritage he received from his ancestors and especially from his father, Francis, and his mother, Louisette.
		Thomas Proll - Germany Thomas Proll was born in 1967 in the town of Barmstedt, not far from the premises of W. KORDES’ SÖHNE where he started apprenticing in 1987 as nursery gardener. In 1995 he qualified in Horticultural Sciences at the University of Hannover, producing his diploma on “Resistance and susceptibility of Rosa species and hybrids to Powdery Mildew”. In 1996 Thomas began working for Kordes-Roses and is now head of the breeding department, responsible for the development of new garden and pot rose varieties. In 1990 Kordes-Roses completely stopped using fungicides in garden rose selection and trials. For the last 13 years Thomas has worked towards his goal of creating new rose varieties that combine beauty and fragrance with a high level of disease resistance.

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Did you know…?

Imagine - A rose with your name on it.

Enter a draw to name a rose by registering and paying for the Rose Convention and booking your accommodation at the Westin Bayshore Hotel by October 15, 2008. The "Name a Rose" contest is sponsored by breeder Brad Jalbert of Select Roses.