Rosa grandiflora Covent Garden

Rosa Covent Garden, dedicated to the famous London flower and fruit market, is part of a series of modern hybrids called English Legend, gathering varieties created in England in the 1990s by breeder Robert Harkness. These repeat-flowering and delicately scented creations with a slightly old-fashioned style embody all the charm of English roses. Covent Garden is a small bushy shrub covered in healthy foliage. It bears large double roses in a delicate cream-pink colour on a white background. Their fresh fragrance reveals notes of lemongrass and nectarine. It is an excellent variety, flowering in abundance from spring until the first frosts.

Rosa Covent Garden, a hybrid tea rose, is characterised by a highly branched habit, almost as wide as it is tall. This bush quickly reaches about 80cm (32in) in all directions. Its thorny stems bear reddish young shoots that unfold into dark green, shiny leaves, divided into 5 finely toothed leaflets. The foliage is relatively resistant to diseases under good growing conditions. Its flowering is long and abundant, renewing in successive waves from May-June to October if the soil remains moist. The flowers are gathered in small clusters of 3 to 5 units. With a diameter of 9cm (4in), they consist of 30 to 40 petals arranged in a cup shape. The heart of the flower is warmed by a more salmon hue, with the petals being almost white on the periphery. Their fragrance is of medium intensity, reaching its peak at noon and in the evening, especially after a hot and sunny day. The foliage is deciduous and falls in autumn.

English shrub roses can be used to create beautiful small hedges, planted mixed along the edge of a patio, or in small-sized shrub beds. Combine them with Mexican orange blossoms or bluebeard, for example. They are good companions for panicle phlox and tall baby's breath. Covent Garden will be enhanced when planted in groups of 3, forming an extremely bright bush. It can be surrounded by catmints and perennial or shrub salvias with blue, mauve or white flowers, for example. This hardy rose requires little maintenance. It will thrive in full sun or partial shade, where it will delight all gardeners, whether expert or novice. Its delicately scented roses are wonderful in romantic bouquets.