"Dear Test Garden Supervisors and Judges:

As you are likely aware, today�s difficult economic conditions have created challenges for many American businesses. Unfortunately, All-America Rose Selections is not immune to these realities. As a result, we have been forced to make some very difficult decisions. I am sorry to inform you that at the recent AARS board meeting we have decided to stop our trial program effective immediately and will also cease to exist as an organization."

This is a sad day. I have witnessed first hand the progress that has been made in creating roses that were free of black spot fungus at least for the two years some of the roses were in trial. In the Dallas metroplex Blackspot is the number one problem of roses. The AARS test gardens have not used chemicals for the last 5 or 6 years.

bill cashin

Argyle, Tx

Couldn't stand it, I grabbed Francis Meilland. With such a name, how can it not be spectacular?

I'm not so sure about the value of the (now defunct?) AARS. Although they talk about disease resistance, they must not have been testing the roses in blackspot prone areas. At least, my experience has not proven their winner to be blackspot resistant. In looking over the list of their past winners, I see I have grown at least 4 of them. Three I gave away because they periodically suffered BS problems (Love & Peace, Crimson Bouquet, Cherry Parfait). I'm keeping one of their winners -- Elle-- because I like her so much, but like the others I gave away, she tends to get some BS in between blooming cycles. I just don't have time to mess with BS prone roses in general, and the AARS winners haven't shown themselves to be much of an improvement over other roses.

Sorry to be so critical of them, but disease resistance is a HIGH priority for me, not just one criteria lost among a dozen other criteria.

Kate