GARDEN OF ROSES® – apricot bedding floribunda rose – Kordes
Imagine stepping onto your veranda after a breezy coastal walk, a cup of tea in hand, and being greeted by a low, shimmering bank of apricot blooms that sit neatly above glossy dark green foliage. Garden of Roses® is a compact floribunda that fits beautifully into small family gardens, raised beds or a large container by the back door, giving you relaxed colour without demanding complicated maintenance. Bred by Kordes and honoured with ADR and RHS awards, it offers reassuring disease resistance and a naturally tidy, bushy habit that stands up well where strong winds meet moist air, helping your beds cope with blustery showers and salt-tanged breezes. Its pastel rosette flowers repeat freely from early summer well into autumn, so even a busy or beginner gardener can enjoy a long, reliable display with only light deadheading. As an own-root rose, it settles in for a long life, quietly regenerating from the base and keeping its shape attractive year after year, ideal when you want planting that will last rather than constantly need replacing. Give it a sheltered, well-drained spot or a 40–50 litre container, and it will anchor the space with calm, feminine colour and a gentle, sweet fragrance.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front of a mixed border in a small family garden |
The compact, bushy habit and modest height allow Garden of Roses® to form a soft, apricot-coloured edging that does not overwhelm nearby perennials or paths, while flowering steadily through the season for easy, low-maintenance structure for busy homeowners. |
| Coastal-style shingle or gravel bed |
Dense foliage and a well-rooting own-root system help the plant anchor itself firmly, offering dependable colour where strong winds meet moist air and salt-laden spray, pairing naturally with silvery grasses and sea-kale for coastal garden lovers. |
| Large container on a sunny veranda or patio |
Its rounded shape and medium-sized clusters of rosette blooms are ideal for a 40–50 litre pot, creating a tidy, generous display that is easy to water and move if needed, suiting modest outdoor spaces for urban veranda owners. |
| Low bedding scheme along a path or driveway |
The floribunda clusters and repeat flowering give a long ribbon of colour with minimal upkeep; own-root vigour supports recovery from accidental knocks or pruning, providing a durable edging choice for practical gardeners. |
| Informal rose bed with perennials and ornamental grasses |
Its pastel peach and cream tones blend gently with lavender, hardy geraniums and Festuca, creating a soft, “girly” seaside palette that remains visually calm even in full bloom, a good fit for style-conscious planters. |
| Low flowering hedge around a seating area |
Planted at hedge spacing, the bushy, evenly branched growth forms a continuous, knee-high band of foliage and flowers, providing a lightly enclosing, wind-filtering backdrop without casting deep shade for tea-corner users. |
| Family garden bed in areas with variable summer weather |
Good heat tolerance and strong disease resistance mean fewer worries about black spot or mildew in damp spells, while remontant blooming keeps interest through hot, dry weeks when watering is managed carefully for weather-conscious owners. |
| Long-term feature in a low-intervention planting plan |
The own-root form supports regeneration from the base and a long lifespan, building up from root establishment to fuller flowering over the first seasons, giving steadily increasing value without complex pruning for beginner gardeners. |
Styling ideas
- Seaside-border – Combine with sea kale, Festuca and driftwood edging for a breezy, shingle-garden feel – ideal for coastal veranda owners seeking a relaxed, feminine look.
- Courtyard-pot – Plant a single shrub in a 50 litre clay pot with gravel mulch and a small obelisk for presence without clutter – perfect for small urban patios.
- Pastel-ribbon – Create a low front-of-border sweep interplanted with hardy geraniums for a soft, shell-pink and apricot band – suited to family gardens needing gentle structure.
- Tea-nook – Line a seating corner with a short hedge of Garden of Roses® backed by lavender for scent and subtle screening – good for homeowners who entertain outdoors.
- Low-maintenance-drift – Mass-plant in a curved bed with blue globe thistle and airy grasses for a modern, water-wise display – attractive to those preferring minimal upkeep.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose, bed rose group; registered as KORfloci01, traded as Garden of Roses®; exhibition floribunda suitable for both bedding use and cutting for the vase. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes, W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany, from ‘Bernstein-Rose’ × unknown seedling; bred 1997, introduced and registered in 2006 with initial distribution by Kordes. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated cultivar: ADR certification in Germany, Rose of the Year 2011 in the UK, RHS Award of Garden Merit, and multiple medals in European and Japanese rose trials. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Compact, bushy shrub reaching about 45–70 cm in height and 50–80 cm spread, with dense, glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickles, forming a neat, low mound in beds or containers. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, rosette-shaped blooms with 40+ petals, produced in medium-sized clusters; flower size medium, approximately 4–7 cm across, with reliable remontant flowering in successive flushes. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Pastel peach to cream blooms; warm peach-pink inners with softer cream outers, lightening at the edges with age; ARS AB, RHS 11D outer and 36C inner; colour holds best in cooler conditions. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Gently sweet, restrained fragrance, noticeable at close range but not overpowering; double flower form makes it primarily ornamental rather than a scent-dominant or pollinator-focused variety. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips form sparsely due to the very double flowers; when present they are spherical, around 10–14 mm diameter, and mature to a red-orange tone corresponding approximately to RHS 40A. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Strong resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust; hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (USDA 6b, RHS H7, Swedish Zone 3), tolerating heat well but needing watering in extended dry periods. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to beds, borders, parks and containers; plant at 50–60 cm for hedges or massing, 90 cm as a specimen; prefers sun or light partial shade and well-drained soil, with low maintenance needs. |
Garden of Roses® brings compact, award-winning apricot colour, dependable repeat flowering and durable own-root vigour to everyday family gardens, making it a thoughtful choice if you value beauty with little ongoing work.
