Roses seem ubiquitous in gardens across the United States, but their use in landscapes has slowed in recent years. With constant introduction of new varieties to market, there is also rapid turnover in what is popular. These market factors mean that there are new additions to the FPS rose collection every year, but sales of many cultivars have slowed or altogether stopped. A thorough review of the finances of the rose program found that, even buoyed by NCPN funds, it has been operating at a loss. In an effort to right-size the collection to match funding received from NCPN and the sale of plant materials, rose nurseries have been surveyed to help determine the most important public cultivars that should continue to be maintained. Additionally, rose breeding companies who have entrusted their proprietary material to FPS are being asked to evaluate each cultivar for priority, and whether its maintenance should continue.
Using feedback from the surveys, FPS will gradually repropagate and test roses from its current Brooks South block, for inclusion at the Russell Ranch rose block. This process is expected to take many years, but eventually Russell Ranch will completely replace Brooks South, and the collection will have been right sized to match annual funding. The Russell Ranch block will be maintained at a higher disease standard than Brooks South, with regular virus testing.
There has previously been no maintenance fee for proprietary roses in the FPS collection, but in order to ensure its continued operation FPS is implementing an annual fee, to begin this year. Please, if you are a rose aficionado do not fret just yet! FPS does not intend to begin retiring or removing cultivars until the priority cultivars for Russell Ranch are identified, so there is still time to secure the materials you desire.
Comments