Altman Plants’ Rosarian Receives Biltmore Rose Award

Altman Plants‘ rosarian Ping Lim received an award for his rose, “Double 10.” The rose was awarded the Pauline Merrell Award for Best Hybrid Tea at the 2016 Biltmore International Rose Trials.

The event took place Sept. 24. An international jury judged the final round of the trials and attendees observed the varieties of roses displayed at the estate. The family-owned Biltmore estates in Asheville, North Carolina, has remained preserved since its construction in 1895 and has trialed roses for the past five years.

Roses are put through a two-year trial and are tested four times per year. The flowers are evaluated based on their resistance to disease, vigor, ability to rebloom annually as well as fragrance.

Altman Plants entered the “Double 10” based on a voted decision. Curious about the name, Ping Lim answered, “Double 10 means October 10, which is the irthday of the Republic of China,” Ping said. “It was revealed at a ceremony by the Taiwan Consulate in Houston last October.”

The “Double 10” is a patented rose that has been created for minimal care and increased resistance to disease. All patented roses created by Altman Plants are environmentally friendly, which means that the plants are not sprayed, according to the company.