Interview with Ping Lim

Two Russian gardening magazines (February and May, 2012) featured roses bred by Ping Lim, and they noted a group of 23 new generation variety of roses:  Easy Elegance from the USA. These cultivars have been raised and successfully tested in a wide range of Russian landscapes for several years with amazing landscape effect.

These two articles repeatedly emphasized that roses bred by Ping Lim are not only beautiful but also cold and disease resistant as well. They are the superior choice for the garden, especially suitable for Russian geographical and climatic environment difference.

One of the authors, Ksenia Surina, a European rose adjudicator, generously claimed that Ping Lim is one of the main 21st century rose breeders from the United States.

These reports caught the attention of Sergey Kalyakin, the deputy Editor-in-Chief of Sadovnik (Gardener) magazine from Moscow headquarters. Sergey started to pay attention to Roses by Ping since then, and in the beginning of this year, Sergey contacted Ping for an interview. The interview was printed in the Spring of 2013, in the 99^th issue of Gardener magazine. Gardener magazine is one of the largest gardening magazines in Russia. Distributed throughout Russian and East Western European countries with more than 150,000 copies per issue, Sadovnik (Gardener) magazine belongs to Bonnier media group (Bonnier Publications Russia), founded in 2005. Volokolamskoye Shosse 2, Moscow 125993 Russia http://www.supersadovnik.ru/Next issue (May) will be number 100.

I am flattered and thankful for the interview from this great nation which was posted on March 18, the website and published in two full-color pages, some of Roses by Ping cultivars also promoted on the edge page, most of these roses are available and can be purchased in nursery around Moscow, including the popular "love and Peace" and the latest bi-color variety: "Music Box".

It is translated by Google then edited by Jana Lim from Russian original text, I try to keep the original version without much supplement modification:

U.S. citizen, a Chinese-descendent: Ping Lim made his American dream comes true as successful rose breeder. His creations are beautiful and hardy. What else could a Russian rosarian ask for?

The following is the interview report from Sergey Kalyakin, Chief editor of The Gardener the magazine from Moscow.

Editor ：Your 'Pullman Orient Express' is one of the most popular roses in Russia. Tell us about its history.

Ping ：In America and the UK this brand is sold under the name 'Love & Peace'. It was introduced in 2002, and today it has won 5 or 6 medals. I think it is much more popular in Europe than in the U.S.. Very beautiful and healthy rose. Incidentally, one of the military schools in Minnesota (WestPoint), chose her as the school symbol, love and peace instead of war. The famous 'Peace', or 'Gloria Dei' is the "Father" of this rose cross with a healthy seedling.

Editor ：How do you choose a pair of parents for new bred varieties on what characteristics to look for?

Ping：When selecting "parents" we believe in what we want to get. The basic foundation of the goals must be set, that is, resistance to disease. At least one of the "parents" always has to be very strong and healthy. And the other must carry beauty, fragrance, or have even some other features that we want to see in the offspring. In addition, the rose-"mother" should set good seeds - abundant in number and well-germinating. Successful choice of the mother plant is the most difficult in the breeding program, or you may just lose time and effort. Thus, the basics are : health, beauty, fragrance, novelty. Then I consider which "mother" will create the best results.

Editor ：What is your experience on the seedlings trial for winter hardiness and disease resistance?

Ping：We generally do not treat roses on our test fields with chemicals. Selected seedlings are left in the field without shelter for the winter and treatments. They have to either grow or perish, so-called natural selection. After three years field testing, only 30-40% remain at their best. These are all original own-rooted roses (none budded), so again, we multiply by own root those selected cuttings and send to further field test field in Minnesota (it's between zone 4 and 5) and even test in the winter there frosts down to -30 degrees(Canada), continue tested in the same way for the next three years. So it takes a minimum of six years of observation before introduce to commercial. We have test fields around the nation, and have University researchers and Rosarians help us to evaluate the plants. The  northern Sweden (Splandor) Plant is also testing our seedlings.

Editor ：Would you like to try out a few new varieties in Russia?

Ping: Of course, it would be great to test varieties in Russia. I would love to visit your country, to see Moscow and St. Petersburg, and at the same time find a way to test my seedlings. I know that the Russian love flowers. And for me (without given any other fact), this is my first impression of highly civilizaion.

Editor ：Do you try to breed hardy without protection roses for zone 3, such as testing in Siberia and beyond ?

Ping: It is easier to commit suicide! We tested our seedlings in zone 3, at Winnipeg, Canada – and did not really have a good result. It's better to let Canadians do it. Zone 3 breeding is very difficult.

Editor ：By the way, how are the results of your closest colleagues and competitors at the same time - Canadian breeders?

Ping: I would rather call it my friends and teachers. They helped me a lot in my breeding program, and I use some of their brands. A competition among the breeders for frost resistant roses needs long time commitment. Otherwise there are too few varieties to work with. I would say that we urgently need more breeders to pursue this effort.

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Editor ：What do you think of radiation techniques in breeding, which often are applied by breeders themselves?

Ping: I used this technique once, but with that experience realized that radiation does not add to seedlings’ exclusive novelty- in fact, it weakens them.

Editor ：Does your government support or funding your breeding program for cold-resistant roses, as it’s done in Canada?

Ping:No. In the U.S., government does not really get involved: either you're self-sufficient and successful, or the business is closed – there is no other choice.

Photo of new novelty selections from Ping Lim 

'Music Box': Height 90 cm, shrub. The flowers are double, with a moderate sweet fragrance.

'Survivor':Height of 90-120 cm, shrub. Flowers double.

'Fiesta':Height of 60-90 cm, shrub. Flowers double.

'The Finest'：Height of 90-120 cm, Hybrid Tea. flowers with a strong fragrance.

'Love and Peace'：Height of 120-180 cm, Hybrid Tea.fully double flowers, moderate fragrance.

Text: Sergey Kalyakin and Ping Lim

(translation Russian to English by Google, edited by Jana Lim, authenticated by  Sergey Kalyakin)    

References:

http://rosarium.su/publikatsii/kak-i-za-chto-sudyat-rozy.html

http://rosarium.su/publikatsii/krasota-po-amerikanski.html

http://www.supersadovnik.ru/article_plant.aspx?id=1003768