Rosa x floribunda Berleburg 'Poulbella'

The 'Berleburg' Rose is a fairly recent Danish creation, a floribunda bush rose that is both very floriferous and has the charm of old roses. This variety is not very tall, but forms a delightful, well-branched bush with abundant foliage, which disappears from June to October under bouquets of very double roses, in a shade of Indian pink to very bright fuchsia pink, which holds up well in the sun. It is a very consistently flowering and fragrant floribunda, rewarded twice for its floribundity and its resistance to rose diseases. It is a must-have for all lovers of very pink roses, whether in a small flower garden or in a carefully chosen large pot on the terrace.

The clustered-flowered rose 'Berleburg' (Poulbella) is part of a recent series of roses called Castle, created by the Danish rose breeder Poulsen. It has received the certificate of merit in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as in Belfast, Ireland. Castle roses are defined as modern floribunda roses, very compact bushes with many flowers, offering blooms that resemble old roses and are often fragrant. These varieties are also selected for their resistance to rose diseases and their vigour. They are particularly well suited to container gardening, but also thrive in flower beds, alongside perennials.

'Berleburg' forms a small bush, 80cm (32in) in height and 60cm (24in) in spread, very branched, vigorous and bushy, with beautiful abundant and healthy foliage, dark green and slightly glossy. Its flowering period is remarkably long, lasting 5 to 6 months. This bush continuously produces its very double, informal, slightly flattened corollas, 4cm (2in) in diameter, formed by 40 imbricated petals. They are gathered in generous terminal clusters. The tightly closed buds open into slightly fragrant roses with a more relaxed appearance. The exact colour of the flowers, from bud to full bloom, is a medium bright pink, with some touches of light pink.

Floribunda roses can be used to create beautiful small hedges, planted mixed along the edge of a terrace or in small shrub beds. They can be paired with abelias, nandinas, or caryopteris, for example. They are good companions for paniculate phlox and tall gypsophila. They can also be planted in groups of 5 as solitary plants in a small garden; surrounded by a border of catmints or carnations, they will create a beautiful mass of flowers throughout the season. The modest size and floribundity of 'Berleburg' make it a very interesting variety for container gardening.

Breeder: Olesen (Denmark) in 1989