Rosa x floribunda PARFUMA Duchesse Christiana - Floribunda Rose

The Rose 'Duchess Christiana / La Belle Rouet' is a wonderful new addition to the Parfuma collection developed by the rose breeder Kordes with the aim of offering demanding enthusiasts exceptional roses on perfectly robust plants, tested in the harsh German climate. On this small bush, clusters of small roses delicately tinged with very pale pink on a cream background bloom in successive waves, exuding a powerful and complex fragrance. Superb in borders, with small bushes or perennials, its modest growth also makes it suitable for container cultivation.  Its absolutely delightful flowers are very beautiful in a vase.

Rosa x floribunda 'Duchess Christiana/ La Belle Rouet', introduced in 2013, was awarded the highly selective German ADR label in 2015 for its exceptional disease resistance among other criteria. The bush, of modest size, is characterised by an upright and bushy habit, well-branched. It reaches about 70 cm (28in) in height and 40 cm (16in) in spread. Its thorny stems bear medium green leaves, glossy and divided into 5 finely toothed leaflets, resistant to diseases. Its flowering period is long, with successive waves from June to October if the soil remains moist. The pale pink buds, enclosed in green sepals, open into globular cups 5 cm (2in) in diameter filled with a multitude of tightly packed petals. The petals are light pink in the centre of the flower, and cream-coloured on the outer edges. The roses are grouped here in small terminal clusters.

Their fragrance has been analyzed and described as follows: it welcomes us with an unusual top note, the first impression evokes lemon, sparkling like champagne bubbles, with a touch of elderberry and a hint of ripe raspberry. However, the heart note is dominated by freshness. An impression of an apple picked from the garden after a summer rain escapes from the flower cups. The base note accompanies it, tender, sweet, pleasant, luminous, mixed with a bouquet of classic roses.

Floribunda roses can be used to create beautiful small hedges, planted mixed at the edge of the patio or in small shrub borders. Combine them with abelias, Mexican orange blossoms, or caryopteris, for example. They are good companions for phlox and baby's breath. This variety 'Duchess Christiana' will be enhanced when planted in groups of 3, forming a wonderfully romantic bush. You can surround it, for example, with catmints, lavenders, and perennial salvias with blue, fuchsia, mauve, or white flowers. Also combine it with white ground cover roses (Swany, Marie Pavie...), bellflowers, or delicate grasses like Stipa (barbata, pennata, tenuifolia). This very hardy rose that requires little maintenance will thrive in full sun or partial shade. It will satisfy all gardeners, whether beginners or experienced.