Rose-lovers from the United States were among the 12-strong team labelling more than 1000 heritage rose bushes grown by Murray and Noeleen Radka at their Brandy Hill property in Springvale.
The team placed name tags on each of the bushes last week, recording the names for posterity. Mr Radka was grateful for their efforts.
''Now, when I'm no longer around, there will be a permanent record of the rose names. It would be impossible for me to get around and get everything permanently labelled,'' he said.
Auckland Botanic Gardens' rose collection curator Paula Lollback and Wellington Botanic Gardens gardener Rachel Solomon were also in the team labelling the Radkas' roses.
''The collection is unique in New Zealand and even in Australasia,'' Ms Lollback said. The cataloguing task was enjoyable, she said.
''You get to see roses you've never seen before. It's such a huge collection and really exciting to work in. You end up sniffing them all on the way past.''
The hillside garden setting was ''just glorious,'' Ms Solomon said.
Roses were among the prized possessions of the early settlers in this country, she said.
''Some of those early settlers who came out on the boats had roses hidden away in their sacks of potatoes, to keep them safe, so they could plant them once they were settled.
''It might have been a piece of their granny's rose, but whatever it was, it was memories of home for them, in a different country.''
Rosarian Gregg Lowery,
from California, said the Radkas' collection was internationally recognised.
''It's a beacon for other people in the world who know old roses.''
Mr Lowery certainly knows his heritage roses - his own collection comprises between 3500-4000 bushes. The collection is now owned by a non-profit organisation, to secure its future.
He and fellow rose enthusiasts Pamela and Michael Temple, also of California, ''jumped at the chance'' to help with cataloguing the Radkas' roses.
''This collection is phenomenal,'' Mr Temple said. The Temples have spent about 20 years developing their own extensive rose gardens. Heritage roses had many attractions, Mrs Temple said.
''The flowers are so beautiful, and so are the leaves and the scents and then there's the history behind them. We keep finding room for more,'' she said.
