THE GREAT ROSARIANS OF THE WORLD™(GROW™) Lecture series was originally conceived in 2001 by Clair G. Martin, III, Shannon Curator Emeritus of the Rose & Perennial Gardens, The Huntington Botanical Garden, San Marino, CA. It was intended to be an annual lecture series to honor notable rosarians from around the world and provide them with a forum to present their work to a broader American audience.
The goal of this event was to invite major figures in the world of roses, authors, hybridizers, nurserymen and scholars and ask them to present a program that would offer gardeners the opportunity to acknowledge their accomplishments and to honor their work creating and promoting our chief love, the rose. The event became famous worldwide. Past honorees have included notable figures in the world of roses such as Peter Beales, Ralph Moore, Miriam Wilkins, Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix, Peter Harkness, Viru and Girija Viraraghavan, Wilhelm Kordes, III, William J. Radler, Marilyn Wellan and Stephen Scanniello, David Austin, Ruth Knopf, Alain Meilland, Dr. Walter Lewis and Dr. Malcolm Manners, Danielle Hahn and Dr. Wang Guliang.
In addition to the GROW™ award two other awards were also given - Great Rosarians of the World™ International Friend of the Rose Award and Great Rosarians of the World™ Rose Garden Hall of Fame Award.
GROW™ was a bicoastal event. GROW™ West took place at the Huntington Botanical Garden, San Marino, CA under the direction of Clair G. Martin, III. GROW™ East took place in New York, under the direction of Pat Shanley and the Manhattan Rose Society. The first GROW™ East event took place in 2007 and was hosted by the New York Botanical Garden and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Queens Botanical Garden became a host garden in 2013. 2016 was the last event.
Honorees
2001 Peter Beales
2002 Ralph Moore
2003 Miriam Wilkins
2004 Roger Phillips & Martyn Rix
2005 Peter Harkness
2006 Viru & Girija Viraraghavan
2007 Wilhelm Kordes, III
2008 William Radler
2009 Marilyn Wellan & Stephen Scanniello
2010 David Austin
2011 Ruth Knopf
2012 Alain Meilland
2013 Dr. Walter Lewis & Dr. Malcolm Manners
2014 Danielle Hahn
2016 Dr. Wang Guoliang
Great Rosarians of the World™ Rose Garden Hall of Fame The following gardens were recognized by GROW™ as outstanding and received recognition.
2009 San José Heritage Rose Garden, San José, California Sacramento City Cemetery Historic Rose Garden, Sacramento, California
2010 David Austin Nursery Rose Garden, Albrighton, Wolverhampton, UK Peter Beales Nursery Rose Garden, Attlebrough, Norfolk, UK Mottisfornt Abbey Rose Garden, Hampshire, UK Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at The New York Botanical Garden
2011 Antique Rose Emporium, Brenham, Texas Columbus Park of Roses, Columbus, Ohio Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Glen Ellen, California
2012
2013 Elizabeth Park Rose Garden, Hartford, Connecticut San José Municipal Rose Garden, San José, California
2014 City of Sakura Rose Garden, Sakura, Japan Portland International Rose Garden, Portland, OR Balboa Park Rose Garden, San Diego, California Heritage Rose District, New York City, New York Biltmore Rose Garden, Ashville, North Carolina Edisto Rose Garden, Orangeburg, South Carolina En Tian Rose Park, Taicang, China
2016 Beijing Botanical Garden, Beijing, China Chambersville heritage Rose Garden, Chambersville, Texas Il Roseto Botanica ‘Carla Fineschi’, Cavriglia, Italy
Great Rosarians of the World™ International Friend of the Rose Award 2010 William Grant Jill Perry
2011 Ambassador Faith Whittlesey Robert E. Edberg III Patricia Shanley Gene Waering Emina Darakjy Judy Polinsky Myriam Hu