Whanganui rose breeder Bob Matthews gets national recognition

Bob Matthews wearing the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture medal beside his rose My Best Mate which flowers all year round. Photo / Samantha Matthews

Whanganui nurseryman Bob Matthews says the time it takes to invent a new rose breed always surprises people.

It can take six to 10 years to make a new type of rose for release, but the labour of love is worth it. A selection of Matthews’ roses has earned him the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture Plant Raisers Award for 2024.

Matthews said he was “very chuffed” to be recognised with the award.

There are eight full-time staff at Matthews Nurseries and up to 20 during the busy winter harvesting season. About 50,000 roses a year are grown at the nursery and are then sold on to garden centres.

“Sales are steady, but we’re going forward well.”

The business is led by the family and has now reached the third generation with Matthews’ children also working in rose breeding.

Matthews said he was brought up in the rose field, with a love of plants being instilled in him by his father.

“I can remember travelling to Christchurch to pick seeds off a tree that my father knew about, that were for a seed merchant in the Hawke’s Bay.”

Now, he is constantly thinking ahead about what his next set of breeding crosses will be in the nursery.

What makes a good rose?

The roses Matthews creates have to possess the “wow factor” as well as being healthy and long-lasting plants.

That involves selecting good parents and background checking their genetics, or using wildcard roses from outside Matthews’ nursery to create surprising varieties.

It is a competitive business between breeders because each new type of rose becomes intellectual property.

The rose My Mum was named after Bob Matthews' mother because it was her favourite of all his roses.

“The rose My Mum was named after my mother because she was always ringing me up saying it was her favourite of the seedlings I gave her for her garden.

“She just raved about it.”

The next challenge Matthews is working on is to create a new petal shape and more variations of striped colours within the roses.

The passion and trends for particular colours of roses were always changing and it was often difficult to predict, he said.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.