ANDRE LE NOTRE ® – pink tea-hybrid rose – Meilland
Let ANDRE LE NOTRE ® bring a sense of seaside calm to your coastal veranda or compact family garden, where its romantic blooms give you sheltered corners for tea and reading. This hybrid tea’s pastel petals open from creamy peach-pink buds into large, very double flowers that hold beautifully in a vase, so you can enjoy the same mood indoors. Strong, fruity fragrance drifts on salty breezes, while its upright habit naturally forms a gentle wind-filter in exposed plots, helping your space feel more comfortable on blustery days and echoing the soft dunes of Cornwall or Devon. As an own-root rose it offers quiet longevity, regrowing strongly from the base if ever cut back hard, and keeping its ornamental value year after year with stable, true-to-type flowering. In its first season it concentrates on roots, then builds confident new shoots in year two before reaching its full, luxuriant ornamental presence by year three, with season-spanning blooms that reward even time-poor gardeners.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Small coastal front garden by the veranda |
The naturally upright growth makes it easy to create a light, airy wind-filter that softens gusts without blocking sea views, ideal where you want to sit with a mug of tea in salty air after a walk on the beach, especially for beginners. |
| Feature rose in a large container (40–60 litres) |
In a substantial pot this rose shows off its large, pastel pink blooms at eye level, and its own-root form anchors and stabilises the plant for the long term on exposed balconies and verandas where space is precious for urbanites. |
| Cutting patch for home-arranged bouquets |
The extra-large, very double flowers with long, straight stems are made for cutting, letting you gather armfuls of nostalgic, pastel roses to enjoy indoors without needing a formal rose garden, a pleasure for busy homeowners. |
| Season-long focal point near seating |
Its remontant flowering and plentiful second flush keep colour and interest running from early summer well into autumn, meaning there is usually something in bloom when you step outside with guests, reassuring for relaxed hosts. |
| Sheltered, sunny coastal border |
Positioned in a bright, protected spot it copes well with breezy, maritime conditions, offering a calm, pastel counterpoint to tougher shrubs and perennials while benefiting from reasonably free-draining soil and thoughtful watering for attentive gardeners. |
| Informal romantic “girly” corner |
The soft, powder-pink and peach tones pair beautifully with silvery foliage and pale grasses, giving a feminine, dreamy feel that fits a shingle courtyard or veranda where you unwind with a book, perfect for romantic stylists. |
| Fragrant evening seating area |
Its strong, fruity fragrance gathers in sheltered nooks, so placing it close to a bench or French doors lets you enjoy scented air after supper, even on cooler evenings by the sea, appealing to scent-loving enthusiasts. |
| Mixed coastal-style planting with grasses |
Among sea kale, Festuca and low Lavandula, its medium height and upright build weave easily into coastal schemes and help create a more comfortable microclimate in places that often face brisk winds and salt-tinged air for design-conscious families. |
Styling ideas
- Veranda-Nook – Place one rose in a 50–60 litre pot beside a bistro set, underplanted with trailing thyme to soften the rim – ideal for coastal balcony owners who want a single, statement plant.
- Seashell-Border – Line a short shingle path with three plants, interwoven with blue Festuca and sea kale for a soft dune effect – suited to small front gardens near the sea.
- Pastel-Cuttings – Create a sunny cutting strip with ANDRE LE NOTRE ®, white Achillea and soft grasses for armfuls of cottage-style vases – perfect for home florists who love arranging.
- Tea-Corner – Flank a bench with two roses and low lavender, using their upright habit as a gentle screen from the wind – good for families who linger outdoors on breezy evenings.
- Romantic-Accent – Use a single specimen as a focal point in a gravel courtyard, with pale pots and soft pink accessories to echo its blooms – an easy update for style-led veranda spaces.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose from the Romantica® collection; registered as MEIceppus, marketed as ANDRE LE NOTRE ® Romantica® MEIceppus; ARS exhibition name Betty White™. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alain Meilland (Meilland International, France), from Pink Panther × Charleston ’88 × Yakimour; bred 2000 in France and introduced commercially in 2001. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated exhibition rose with multiple 2000 awards, including gold medals in Rome and Kortrijk, fragrance awards and public choice honours in Monza, plus a Geneva fragrance award. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea, around 100–140 cm tall and 65–95 cm wide, with moderately dense, glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickliness; flowers need deadheading due to weak self-cleaning. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, XL blooms with 40+ petals, cupped form and a pronounced, medium raised centre; mostly solitary, remontant, with reliable repeat and a generous second flush in good conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Soft pastel pink with warm peach at petal bases; creamy peach-pink buds fade to very pale, almost ivory pink as blooms age; colour retention is modest, giving a gentle, romantic washed effect. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, sweet fruity fragrance noted by fragrance awards; primarily ornamental rather than pollinator-focused, as the very full, petal-packed form largely hides and shelters the stamens. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally sparse due to very double flowers; when present, produces small, spherical red hips around 10–14 mm in diameter, adding occasional late-season interest. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zone 3); tolerates heat if watered, but has moderate susceptibility to powdery mildew and black spot and high rust sensitivity. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny, sheltered sites with good drainage; allow 50–55 cm in mixed borders or 90 cm as a specimen; needs regular feeding, watering in drought and consistent plant protection. |
ANDRE LE NOTRE ® combines generous repeat flowering, a rich fruity fragrance and an upright, long-lived own-root structure that settles reliably into family gardens and verandas; consider it if you enjoy romantic roses and steady, enduring beauty.
