Rosa x polyantha SANS CONTRAINTES Toscana - Standard Rose

The 'Toscana' rose bush grafted on a tall stem will charm with its unique, almost weeping habit and its abundant raspberry red flowering. Its miniature, but very double, roses bloom for months in frothy clusters on a very dense, shiny dark green foliage that remains decorative until the end of the season. Robust and very hardy, this rose from the 'Sans contraintes' series requires little attention and care from even the beginner gardener. It will look proud in the centre of a perennial bed, along a pathway, or in a container on the patio.

Standard roses are obtained by grafting a variety (here Toscana) onto a single, vertical stem belonging to a different rose (Rosa canina, R. laxa or R. multiflora), with the graft being done at a certain height, here at 90-100 cm (35-39in) from the ground. In very cold regions, it may be useful to protect the rootstock in winter.

The flowers of Rosa Toscana ('Korstesgli'), gathered in terminal clusters, come from the polyantha rose, an old hybrid resulting from the crossing of Rosa multiflora and Rosa chinensis. This excellent German variety obtained the highly selective and demanding German A.D.R label in 2001 for its great disease resistance, among other criteria. It was introduced in 1999 by the rose breeder Kordes. Kordes' 'Sans contraintes' roses grow on their own, requiring no pruning or chemical treatments, and will reward tenfold the little care they receive.

Grafted on a stem, the Toscana rose eventually forms a flattened dome that is 60-70 cm (24-28in) wide. The vegetation is dense and covers well, made up of spreading branches covered in prickles. The very double flowers, 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter, gathered in large clusters, are produced abundantly and continuously from May-June to October if the soil remains moist in summer. In this Toscana variety, the flower buds open into spherical flowers composed of a multitude of very undulate petals. The plant develops elegant, dense foliage from spring, with small, thick, shiny leaflets that range from bright green to dark green. The leaves turn yellow in autumn before falling.

The 'Toscana' standard rose looks great when planted in a prominent position, in the centre of a bed, among perennials or low shrubs, in a row along a pathway, near a patio, or even in a large pot on a balcony. It can also be planted in groups of three, arranged in a triangle, or as a solitary specimen 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 height to shrub roses or groundcover roses.