Hosted by the Southern Highlands Regional Rose Society at the Mittagong RSL Club, the NSW-wide championship included nearly 300 different entries from across the state. 

The winning entry was a red ‘sprayer’ miniature rose plant, that featured the ‘four stages of life’ – flowers in their four stages of growth, from buds to full bloom. 

Entrants were judged by three members of the NSW Rose Society – president Colin Hollis, Richard Walsh and Judith Oyston. 

Mr Hollis said there was a specific set of criteria the judges drew on to assess the flowers. 

“It has to be true to its character,” he said. 

“You’re looking at the form of the rose, the freshness, the attractiveness of it.”

Mr Hollis said increasing interest in the miniature rose and mini flora market motivated the society to create the new competition. 

“The days of the quarter acre block filled with roses are rapidly coming to an end. 

”More and more people, as they downsize their gardens, are growing miniatures in pots. 

“We will continue to have our ordinary rose shows but once a year we will hold this kind of show because it’s a class of roses we are interested in promoting. 

Entrants travelled from Maitland, Newcastle and the Sydney region to participate in the show.