Rosa x floribunda 'Friesia' - Standard Rose - 90/100cm

The 'Friesia' Standard Rose forms a small tree with a single trunk and a rounded crown covered in flowers from May until the first frost. The plant is vigorous, resilient to bad weather and disease-resistant. Its double and full roses, gathered in bouquets, display a bright golden yellow colour when they open, fading slightly when they wither. Their fragrance, very present, reminds me of both iris and patchouli. An excellent variety, radiating a good mood, to be prominently placed in the garden or even on the terrace.

To create standard roses, a process called grafting is used. This involves taking a variety of rose, such as Friesia, and attaching it to the upright stem of a different rose species, such as Rosa canina, R. laxa or R. multiflora. The graft is typically at a height of 90 cm (35in) to 1 m (3ft) from the ground. If you live in a cold region, it may be necessary to protect the rootstock during the winter months.

The 'Friesia' Rose is a German creation by Kordes, dating back to 1973. Grafted as a standard, it has a characteristic upright habit. Its crown is composed of vigorous and highly branched thorny stems. They bear healthy deciduous foliage with large leaflets, starting red and turning dark green in summer. Its flowering is abundant from May until October-November. Its wide corollas, measuring 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3in), are double, slightly ruffled, gathered in bouquets of 5 to 7 flowers with a somewhat blurry pattern and undulated petals. The tightly closed buds open into round and fully open cups, producing bright yellow roses with a nuance of red at the centre. Their floral fragrance is well-pronounced. 

The 'Friesia' standard rose is ideally planted in a prominent position, at the centre of a bed, among perennials or low-growing shrubs, along a pathway, near a terrace, or even in a large pot on a balcony. It can also be planted in groups of 3 subjects, arranged in a triangle, or as a standalone on a lawn. It pairs well with perennial geraniums (Geranium Blue Cloud, Anne Folkard, Nimbus, Orion), bellflowers (lactiflora, rapunculoides), catmints, snapdragons, foxgloves. Standard roses are perfect for adding volume to bush or ground-cover rose beds.