NEON ® – deep pink bedding floribunda rose - Kordes
Bring a touch of seaside glow to your family garden with Neon, a compact floribunda that thrives where others struggle, even in exposed spots with brisk breezes and careful drainage on heavier soils. Its bushy habit and glossy foliage create an easy green backdrop for intensely coloured, deep pink flower clusters that seem to shine even on overcast coastal days. Massed in beds or in a generous 40–50 litre container, Neon offers reliable, low-fuss colour from early summer well into autumn. As an own-root rose, it establishes steadily for a long, dependable lifespan, rebuilding itself from the base if ever cut back hard. Simply plant, water in, and let Neon grow from strong roots in year one to fuller shoots in year two, before reaching its confident, high-impact display by year three.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Coastal veranda planter (40–50 litre container) |
Neon’s compact, bushy habit and dense, glossy foliage make it ideal for a single large pot on a sunny, sheltered veranda, where its vivid pink blooms provide a “girly” focal point with little pruning beyond light deadheading – perfect for busy coastal veranda owners. |
| Small front garden bed in townhouses |
The modest height and spread allow Neon to fit neatly beneath windows without blocking light, while its continuous flowering offers strong street-side impact in limited space with minimal upkeep – an easy choice for time-pressed urban homeowners. |
| Informal shingle border in coastal gardens |
Paired with free-draining shingle or gravel mulches, Neon copes well with sun and wind, its deep pink clusters standing out above the stones and echoing a seaside feel, while you simply water during longer dry spells – ideal for coastal-style lovers. |
| Low maintenance family play-area edge |
The rounded, slightly thorny bushes form a colourful edging to lawns or play spaces without demanding weekly attention; disease resistance reduces the need for spraying, keeping maintenance simple – well suited to busy family gardeners. |
| Long-season colour strip by garden seating |
Planted in a narrow bed beside a bench or patio, Neon’s repeat flowering delivers months of bright pink bloom against tidy foliage, with only basic deadheading required to keep the show going – a pleasure for relaxed hobby gardeners. |
| Mass planting in informal coastal-style beds |
Set out at recommended spacing, groups of Neon create a strong visual block of colour that reads clearly from a distance, useful in breezy gardens where fine details are lost, and their structure helps anchor planting in wind-swept conditions – reassuring for exposed-site gardeners. |
| Mixed border with resilient companions |
Neon teams beautifully with sea kale, Festuca and Lavandula, its saturated pink flowers popping against silvery and blue foliage while sharing similar sun-loving, low-input care requirements – attractive for design-conscious but practical beginners. |
| Long-term own-root feature in a family garden |
As an own-root rose, Neon maintains varietal character over time, regrowing from the base if cut back by weather or renovation, so once established you enjoy stable colour and form for years with only routine care – reassuring for long-term garden planners. |
Styling ideas
- Veranda-Glamour – One Neon in a 50 litre clay pot with pale gravel mulch, flanked by lanterns, creates a chic, low-care coastal terrace accent – for style-focused coastal veranda owners.
- Shingle-Ribbon – A ribbon of Neon along a shingle path, interplanted with sea kale and Festuca, gives a breezy, seaside feel with strong colour blocks – for those designing informal coastal walkways.
- Pink-Cushion – Use three to five plants in a small front bed with dwarf lavender for a soft, fragrant cushion of blue and deep pink – for homeowners wanting impact in a tiny space.
- Family-Edge – Line a lawn edge with Neon and hardy geraniums to frame play areas in long-lasting colour that copes with family life – for busy families seeking robust edges.
- Urban-Jewel – Combine Neon in a large trough with glaucous Carex and sweet alyssum to create an easy-care, jewel-bright display by the front door – for beginners wanting instant kerb appeal.
Technical cultivar profile
| Attribute | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose; registered as KORenon, marketed as Neon ® RigoRosen® KORenon; approved exhibition name Neon in ARS; part of the RigoRosen® landscape collection. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Wilhelm Kordes III. (W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany) from ‘Kiss’ × unknown seedling; registered 1998, introduced 2001 in Germany, selected for reliable garden and landscape performance. |
| Awards and recognition |
ADR rose (Germany, 1999) with strong trial performance; Gold Medals at Bagatelle and Hradec Králové 2004, Silver Medal Kortrijk 2004, Certificate of Merit at The Hague 2004. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Compact, bushy shrub 50–70 cm high and 40–60 cm wide, slightly thorny shoots, dense canopy; glossy, dark green foliage offers strong backdrop for flowers and good visual cover in beds. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, double blooms with 26–39 petals in cupped, then flatter clusters; flowers borne in large trusses, with abundant repeat flushes providing strong second flowering later in the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Vibrant deep pink with slight magenta tone (RHS 55A, 57B); buds cyclamen-pink, opening bright and uniform, then fading to warm pink with paler edges but retaining good colour contrast to yellow stamens. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Primarily ornamental; fragrance very faint and barely noticeable in normal garden use; dense petal structure and vivid colour emphasise visual rather than scented effect in mixed plantings or mass beds. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional small spherical hips, 6–10 mm across, red when ripe; generally unobtrusive in standard maintenance regimes, but can add fine-textured seasonal interest if left after flowering. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good overall health with resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardy to around –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Sweden Zone 3) with moderate heat tolerance given watering in dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun; spacing 30–55 cm depending on use, 8.2–9.4 plants/m² for mass planting; low maintenance demands; suitable for beds, edging and urban plantings, including high-traffic public sites. |
NEON ® – deep pink bedding floribunda rose - Kordes offers compact, long-season colour, dependable disease resistance and enduring own-root vigour; a considered choice for relaxed, low-effort family and coastal gardens.
