Roses for travelling

The climbing rose Florentina, red as passion

The climbing rose ‘Florentina’ is named after an Italian city famous for its wealth of art and architecture. Its beautiful red colour, large double cup-shaped flowers, tightly packed petals, and branches that reach up to 2.5 metres contribute to its perfect aesthetic. The climbing rose ‘Florentina’ combines the strengths of both old and modern roses. It belongs to the Super Conquerant® series created by the German breeder Kordes. It is resistant to diseases and produces abundantly charming old-fashioned flowers from June to October. They bloom in generous bouquets both on the bush and in a vase, where they last a long time. The climbing rose ‘Florentina’ is indeed vigorous and shows excellent health, as evidenced by the A.D.R label it received in 2016. While the foliage of this rose is deciduous in winter, it beautifully highlights the colour of the roses in spring and autumn. Ideal for adorning a wall or an arch in an English-style garden, it pairs well with other climbing plants such as the clematis ‘Etoile Violette’, fragrant jasmine, or large gypsophilas and nepeta that enhance the ground at its feet.

Rosa ‘Florentina’ (photo Sailko) and to the right, the Rose Garden in Florence

The old rose Varieta di Bologna, the freshness of red and white

Another flower for lovers of red, the old rose ‘Varieta di Bologna’ takes its name from another city in Northern Italy. It combines the charm of old roses with the freshness of its red and white colours, and blooms generously in June and July, offering bouquets of round, cabbage-shaped roses, beautifully striated. Double and all different, the roses emit a lemon-scented fragrance, and as the rosebush can reach a height of 1.80 metres, it can be grown as a climber, just the right height to perfume strolls in the garden. In autumn, it offers a second small flowering. For the record, the old rose ‘Varieta di Bologna’ was introduced in 1909 by the Italian rosarian Bonfiglioli and is derived from the ‘Bourbon’ rose, which originates from the island of Réunion, born from a cross-breeding between Rosa damascena Semperflorens, Damask roses, and Rosa chinensis, Chinese roses. Vigorous, it does have a slight weakness: it is sensitive to humid climates, where it can develop black spot disease. In a garden, whether grown as a climber or on an arch, it brings a romantic and elegant touch, and pairs well with flowers in neutral and soft tones, such as snowball viburnums or white foxgloves, which will highlight its beauty.

Rosa ‘Varieta di Bologna’ (photo Wikipedia); on the right, Basilica di San Petronio and Piazza Maggiore (photo Szs-Wikimedia)

The pink patio rose Impala, the romance of hues

With its stunning orange and apricot hues, abundant flowers from May to October, and a bush that can be grown in a bright garden bed or in a romantic terracotta pot on the balcony, the Impala patio rose is sure to charm rose lovers. While the flowers are small, they are nonetheless generous and appear in clusters against dark green foliage. This creation by the German rose breeder Kordes combines aesthetics with disease resistance, as evidenced by the A.D.R. label. It belongs to the ‘Patio Rose’ series, renowned for their abundant flowering and suitability for pot cultivation. This hybrid tea rose with soft colours reminiscent of dawn pairs well with perennials in delicate tones and white or mauve roses.

Rosa ‘Patio Rose Impala’ and a herd of impalas in Tanzania (photo Remi Jouan)

The Pacific Dream cluster-flowered rose, the uniqueness of blue roses

Let’s continue our journey to the ocean and stop at a rose bush native to England. The ‘Pacific Dream’ cluster-flowered rose offers unique blue roses, with mauve tones that, when at ripeness, are close to slate blue. It blooms from June to October, producing abundant bouquets with a delicate fragrance of violets and lemon. This bush, which can reach a height of 80 cm, is a creation of the English breeder James J. Peter, developed in 2006. It won the Innovert competition at the Salon du Végétal in Angers in 2008 as a plant novelty in the nursery category. It belongs to the cluster-flowered cultivars (floribunda), derived from polyantha roses and tea roses. It can be grown both in a garden and in a pot on a terrace, provided it is watered regularly and given fertiliser. It pairs easily with other roses, combining its mauve colour with pink, white, or red tones, or in small flowering beds with bush salvias or Caryopteris.

Rosa ‘Pacific Dream’ and Pacific Ocean – San Francisco Bay (photo @S@ndrine-Flickr)

The large-flowered rose Angel's Bay, delicate and elegant

The large-flowered rose ‘Baie des Anges’, in addition to bearing the name of a Mexican region, catches the eye with its generous flowers reminiscent of peonies and the delicacy of its white hues sometimes tinged with pink. Romantic to the core, it shines in the garden, in pots, and even in bouquets for special occasions. Amidst its elegant dark green, satin foliage, magnificent roses appear from May to October. Initially tight buds tinged with pink, its roses bloom into large, double flowers rich in petals, white with a cream or sometimes pale pink centre. The flowers exude a sweet scent of old rose. This vigorous rose was born from the imagination of the Italian rosarian Barni, known for his charming and whimsical creations, in 2014. This rose, reaching a height of 80 cm, is stunning in borders with colourful perennials or other roses, which will highlight the brightness of its hues.

Rosa ‘Baie des Anges’ and view of the bay ‘Bahía de los Ángeles’ in Mexico (photo Cdw1952)

To travel even more

Among the many other roses inviting you to travel, also consider the shrub rose ‘Nevada’ for its rustic charm, the climbing rose ‘Etoile de Hollande’ for its intense fragrance, or the climbing rose ‘Guinée’ for the velvety texture of its flowers.

And to delve deeper into exploration, discover our complete range of roses!

Rosa ‘Étoile de Hollande’ (photo Wikipedia), Rosa ‘Nevada’ (photo A.Barra), and Rosa ‘Guinée’ (photo T.Kiya)