Everything was looking rosy for two multi-year champions at the Otago Rose Society Annual Show on Saturday when friends and rivals Wilma Graham and Daphne MacFarlane claimed multiple "champion of champions" awards for their exhibits at the event.
Mrs Graham held up one of her winning entries in the miniature category "Dinky Pinky" next to Mrs MacFarlane, who held up "Gisborne 2000", with which she and husband John won the "champion of champions" title in the large rose category.
"We’re both great friends and big competitors, and roses just grow so well for me," Mrs Graham said.
Otago Rose Society president Dave Cannan said there were bouts of bad weather leading up to the event and he was concerned it would affect the presentation of some of the entries.
However, the judges, who had travelled from Oamaru, were treated to a pristine display from the members which filled the room with fragrance.
"I’m absolutely thrilled with the turnout," he said.
They had asked the public to "add a rose to a bottle" in the entryway of the event so that everyone could be represented.
Many people had chosen to join in by placing an array of brightly coloured blooms in the bottles as their "unofficial entries".
