ARTS Rose Trial

Lasdon Park and Arboretum has a long history of scientific plant research.  On our grounds are a chestnut study that was started in 1992, a new oak study growing trees from acorns gathered on the east coast of the United States and an hemlock study in three plots in the park.

Now we have started a two year trial for roses!

Our partner in this endeavor is ARTS, American Rose Trials for Sustainability®. This group runs rose trials around the country to identify ‘the most disease- and pest-resistant, hardiest, and most garden-worthy rose cultivars’.  

Find our rose blocks on the top of the Memorial Garden. There are 20 roses in the trial planted in each of the beds in a randomized planting scheme. In this blind study, the roses are all labelled as 2025-x, we don’t know what rose we have!  Evaluations will be done monthly between May and October for the trial based on their strict protocol. Our rose beds will not be sprayed with pesticides nor treated with fertilizers.  We will not be deadheading and just a three inch layer of mulch will keep weeds down and supply the soil with nutrients.

A.R.T.S.® awarded rose introductions are beautiful because they are ecologically-responsible as well as gorgeous to look at.  They require minimal input for maximum performance in the landscape.  Results of the trial will appear in ‘Nursery Management Magazine’.

Please come by and check our newest additions to the beautiful gardens at Lasdon Park.