BLUE MONDAY® – lavender purple tea-hybrid rose - Tantau
Let BLUE MONDAY® bring a wash of cool, lavender romance to your coastal garden, combining elegance with true garden endurance in a compact, upright hybrid tea that suits family plots and breezy verandas alike. Its refined, high-centred blooms make it ideal for relaxed “girly” gatherings, offering reliably repeat-flowering colour for vases and beds from early summer onwards, even where light salt-laden winds and changeable showers demand secure rooting and steady anchoring. Planted as a pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL own-root rose, it builds quietly from root strength in the first season, gathering above-ground vigour in the second, and reaching its full ornamental impact by the third year, rewarding minimal care with long-term reliability in small and medium UK gardens.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Small coastal front garden bed |
The compact, upright habit keeps BLUE MONDAY® neatly within typical Cornish and Devon front plots, giving structure without overwhelming narrow beds beside paths or drives. Its easy-care nature and own-root longevity appeal to the occasional gardener and the busy beginner. |
| Coastal veranda container (40–60 litres) |
In a generously sized 40–60 litre container, this hybrid tea offers elegant, high-centred blooms at a comfortable viewing height, while its strong own-root system gradually secures the plant against wind and variable moisture. Ideal for the veranda rose-lover. |
| Cut-flower corner in a family garden |
Blue Monday® was bred as a tea-hybrid cut rose, so its long, straight stems and classic form make it perfect for a small cutting patch, providing repeat waves of fragrant, lavender-purple blooms for indoor arrangements. A pleasure for the home bouquet-maker. |
| Low-maintenance mixed border with grasses |
Its moderate height and neat, upright structure sit beautifully among sea-themed grasses such as Festuca and Carex, creating a calm, textural foil for the cool-toned flowers, while the rose’s good disease resistance keeps maintenance predictable for the casual planter. |
| Wind-exposed yet sheltered-by-fence bed |
Placed by a fence or low wall, the plant copes well with typical coastal gusts while benefiting from some shelter, combining deep rooting and upright growth with weather-tolerant foliage that handles blustery showers and light salt spray, supporting the seaside homeowner. |
| Feature specimen near a seating area |
As a single specimen at the recommended wider spacing, its glossy dark foliage and pale lavender blooms become a calm focal point beside a bench or tea table, offering an easy-care, fragrant highlight that matures steadily for the garden relaxation-seeker. |
| Informal lavender and sea-kale strip |
Partnered with sea kale, Lavandula and blue sedges, BLUE MONDAY® extends the flowering season with refined, remontant blooms that bridge gaps in colour, while its reliable framework adds quiet order to loose planting schemes, supporting the coastal-style enthusiast. |
| Small urban back garden with clay soil |
In heavier UK clays improved with grit and compost, its own-root system settles progressively, giving a stable, long-lived plant whose moderate water needs are easy to manage, offering structure and colour without fuss for the time-pressed city gardener. |
Styling ideas
- Sea-Breeze Feature – Position BLUE MONDAY® as a single specimen near a bistro set on a sheltered veranda, where its lilac-blue blooms echo sea and sky – for the contemplative tea-drinker.
- Shingle Ribbon – Thread several plants through a shingle bed with sea kale and blue sedges, letting the cool-toned flowers punctuate the silvery foliage – for lovers of naturalistic coastal schemes.
- Lilac Cut-Flower Strip – Create a narrow border by a sunny fence, spaced for easy access, to harvest long-stemmed blooms all summer – for home florists who like simple, reliable cutting rows.
- Grassy Calm – Weave it into a drift of Festuca and Crocosmia, using its upright form as a quiet anchor amongst looser textures and warm accents – for gardeners seeking low-fuss sophistication.
- Veranda Duo – Plant one rose per 40–60 litre pot, paired with trailing thyme or low lavender, giving a long-lived, fragrant welcome by steps or doors – for compact-space coastal veranda owners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose; registered as TANnacht, marketed as BLUE MONDAY® and also known as Blue Moon in exhibitions; premium gold quality, authenticated for vivianarose.co.uk customers. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Mathias Tantau Jr. (Rosen Tantau, Germany) from ‘Sterling Silver’ seedling × unknown seedling; introduced and registered in 1964, with NIRP International as initial distributor. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds the ADR award from 1964, signalling robust garden performance and dependable health in trial conditions, plus a National Rose Society Certificate of Merit the same year for floral quality. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, moderately thorny shrub reaching about 85–115 cm in height and 75–105 cm spread; moderately dense, glossy dark green foliage provides a tidy, architectural presence in beds. |
| Flower morphology |
High-centred, pointed, double blooms with 26–39 petals, classic cut-flower profile on mostly solitary stems; medium-sized flowers, strongly remontant with a generous, reliable second flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Lavender-purple, cool-toned blooms with a silvery sheen; colour lightens in strong sun but holds better in cooler weather; buds open from crimson-purple through pale lilac to gentle lilac-blue. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength fragrance combining sweet and fruity notes; well-scented for close seating areas and cutting, yet not overpowering, adding a refined perfume to small family gardens. |
| Hip characteristics |
Due to its very double flowers, hips are sparse; when formed they are small, globular, 12–18 mm across, with warm orange-red colouring, offering modest late-season ornamental interest. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated resistant to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 3, USDA 6b), with moderate heat and short-term drought tolerance if watered. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with improved drainage on heavier soils; plant 55–100 cm apart depending on use; deadhead for neatness; regular watering in hot spells keeps repeat flowering consistent. |
BLUE MONDAY® offers refined lavender blooms, reliable repeat flowering and a compact, long-lived own-root structure that settles in steadily, making it a thoughtful choice for relaxed coastal and family gardens.
