BORDEAUX® – burgundy bedding floribunda rose – Kordes
Bring a touch of seaside glamour to your garden with Bordeaux®, a compact floribunda bedding rose whose deep wine-red blooms echo the richness of its French namesake. Ideal for shingle beds and coastal verandas, it settles in reliably even where breezes are brisk and soils need thoughtful drainage for confident anchoring in exposed family plots. Upright, bushy growth and dense, glossy foliage create an easy, low-hedge structure that frames seating areas or children’s play spaces without dominating a small garden. Prolonged, repeat flowering adds long-season colour from early summer well into autumn, while its mild fruity fragrance feels fresh rather than overpowering on a sheltered terrace. Bred by Kordes for modern health, it offers robust disease resilience, so you spend more time relaxing and less on spraying. In its own-root form, Bordeaux® develops a stable, long-lived presence, recovering well from knocks or coastal weather and maturing steadily – first focusing on roots, then stronger shoots, and by the third year giving its full ornamental display. In containers of at least 40–50 litres it provides reliable impact on sunlit balconies or verandas, with minimal fuss for busy coastal homeowners.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Front-of-border bedding in coastal family gardens |
The upright, bushy habit and 70–100 cm height make Bordeaux® ideal for front or mid-border planting in small to medium gardens, giving structure without blocking views, especially useful for families who want clear sightlines to children at play, particularly for beginners. |
| Compact flowering hedge along paths or driveways |
Planted at around 30 cm centres, the dense foliage and repeat flowering create a low, colourful edging that guides guests and subtly shelters seating areas from breezes, while coping well where wind and salt spray demand good anchoring and sensible drainage, suiting coastal homeowners. |
| Large container or veranda tub (40–50 litres minimum) |
Its moderate spread and strong, upright framework perform reliably in generous containers, provided regular watering is given; the own-root form ensures long life in pots, even if shoots are cut back harder after storms, reassuring busy balcony-gardeners. |
| Mixed rose or perennial bed with seaside character |
Bordeaux® flowers in generous clusters, offering deep burgundy tones that blend beautifully with silvery grasses, sea kale or low lavender, giving a coastal, holiday feel without demanding expert care, an attractive combination for relaxed stylists. |
| Low-maintenance front garden planting |
With strong resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, Bordeaux® keeps its dark, glossy foliage with little intervention, providing tidy, long-season colour where time for spraying and complex pruning is limited, appealing to time-poor owners. |
| Cutting patch for informal home arrangements |
The large, double, cupped flowers on clustered stems give plenty of usable blooms; their refined, mild fruity scent suits indoor spaces without overwhelming them, allowing simple yet elegant jugs of flowers for everyday hosts. |
| Small urban garden focal point |
In limited space, the rich wine-red colour and glossy foliage deliver strong visual impact from a single specimen at 55 cm spacing, while the own-root habit supports long-term regeneration after accidental damage, reassuring cautious new gardeners. |
| Family garden bed with summer-long colour |
Remontant flowering means Bordeaux® returns with abundant second and subsequent flushes across the season, keeping beds lively through school holidays and weekend gatherings, with only modest deadheading needed by casual enthusiasts. |
Styling ideas
- Harbour-hedge – line a path with Bordeaux® at 30 cm spacing for a neat, wine-red edging that withstands breezy conditions – ideal for coastal homeowners wanting order with romance.
- Veranda-vignette – plant a single Bordeaux® in a 50-litre tub with blue Festuca and trailing thyme – perfect for balcony-gardeners seeking a low-care focal point.
- Shell-garden – mix Bordeaux® with sea kale and compact lavender in a shingle bed for a seaside feel – suited to coastal stylists creating a relaxed, holiday mood.
- Sunset-border – combine Bordeaux® with pale pink perennials to let the deep blooms glow at dusk – appealing to hosts who enjoy evening teas outdoors.
- Family-ribbon – weave a short hedge of Bordeaux® along a lawn edge to frame play space without high barriers – good for gardeners who prize visibility and structure.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose; registered as KORelamba, marketed as Bordeaux® Bedding rose KORelamba; bush rose for exhibition and garden use with deep burgundy colouring. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes, W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany, from unknown parentage; breeding completed 2004, introduced and registered internationally around 2014–2015 for modern garden use. |
| Awards and recognition |
Widely trialled and awarded: multiple silver medals in Geneva, Kortrijk and Glasgow, gold medals in Rome and Australian National Trials, plus a Monza Journalist Award, confirming strong garden and show performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy, compact shrub reaching about 70–100 cm high and 45–65 cm wide; moderately thorny shoots with dense, dark green, glossy foliage providing good ground cover and a tidy, bedding-type outline. |
| Flower morphology |
Floribunda clusters of large, double, cupped blooms with roughly 26–39 petals; flower size around 7–10 cm, produced in repeat flushes throughout the season, with medium self-cleaning that benefits from occasional deadheading. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Initially deep wine-red with ruby tones, buds dark burgundy; blooms age through magenta and fuchsia-purple, fading slightly in strong sun, yet overall effect remains rich and velvety across successive flushes in the season. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild, pleasant scent with a light fruity character; not overpowering, suited to seating areas and verandas where a gentle background fragrance is preferred rather than a strongly perfumed display. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips form only sparsely due to the double flowers; when present they are small, about 10–14 mm, globular, and dark red (RHS 45A), adding discreet late-season interest without significant seeding. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Very good resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, reducing need for treatments; winter hardy to approximately −23 to −21 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6a), with reliable performance across much of the UK climate. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; spacing varies from 30–55 cm depending on hedging or specimen use; suitable for beds, borders, parks, large containers and cutting, with generally low maintenance demands. |
Bordeaux® Bedding rose KORelamba offers compact structure, repeat flowering and strong disease resistance in a durable own-root form, a thoughtful choice if you want long-lived colour with little complication.
