AKAROA – dark pink bedding floribunda rose - Matthews
Let Akaroa bring a sense of quietly joyful colour to your garden with clusters of warm raspberry-pink blooms that sit beautifully against glossy dark foliage, creating a cottage feel in even the smallest Dublin front patch. Bred in New Zealand for reliability, this compact, upright floribunda is easy to manage in typical Irish conditions, even where frequent showers and cooler summers meet heavier soils and you value dependable repeat flowering. In its first year it focuses on strong roots, the second year builds sturdy shoots, and by the third season you enjoy full ornamental impact from a well-settled, long-lived own-root shrub that fits comfortably into busy family-life gardens.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front-of-border cottage bedding |
Compact, bushy growth and 7–10 cm double flowers give generous colour at a tidy 75–105 cm height, ideal for edging mixed borders without overwhelming other plants, suiting relaxed Irish cottage-style front gardens for the beginner. |
| Low flowering hedge along paths |
Recommended spacing of about 50–55 cm allows you to form a continuous, upright ribbon of pink for path edges or driveways, offering neat structure with medium maintenance that a time-pressed homeowner can still manage comfortably. |
| Feature plant in small family beds |
As a specimen at about 90 cm spacing, its dense foliage and repeated flushes of medium-deep pink blooms add focus without demanding expert pruning, bringing long-season interest that suits a busy urban gardener. |
| Large containers on patios or terraces |
In a 40–50 litre or larger container with good drainage, Akaroa’s compact, upright habit and moderate drought needs are easy to look after with regular watering, offering reliable colour close to the house for the balcony or patio owner. |
| Part-shade town and terraced gardens |
Its tolerance of partial shade makes it a good choice for Dublin terraces where walls and neighbouring houses limit sun, still giving satisfying flowering in softer light that appeals to the city-front-garden resident. |
| Long-season flower beds for everyday colour |
Remontant flowering with an especially abundant second flush keeps borders lively through cooler Irish summers, providing a sense of ongoing cheer without complex feeding schedules for the relaxed, pleasure-focused gardener. |
| Low-maintenance own-root planting schemes |
Supplied as an own-root plant in a 2-litre container, it establishes steadily and reshoots reliably from the base over time, helping preserve shape and colour for many years with modest intervention, reassuring the cautious beginner. |
| Family gardens with heavier, wetter soils |
With sensible preparation for drainage, this bushy floribunda copes well where Atlantic breezes, regular rain and heavier ground meet, giving stable ornamental value once settled, a practical match for the typical family-garden owner. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-edge – Line a path with Akaroa and soft catmint drifts for a relaxed, raspberry-pink and lavender-blue froth – ideal for lovers of traditional Irish cottage style.
- Pink-focus – Mass-plant Akaroa in a small front bed as a single-colour statement, keeping maintenance simple – perfect for busy homeowners wanting impact with little fuss.
- Pot-parlour – Grow Akaroa in a 50 litre terracotta pot, underplant with trailing thyme for scent – suited to balcony or patio gardeners seeking easy daily enjoyment.
- Soft-screen – Create a low, informal hedge along a boundary, interspersed with lavender for fragrance and structure – good for families needing gentle privacy without hard fencing.
- Romantic-mix – Combine Akaroa with catmint and airy ornamental grasses for movement and long-season bloom – appealing to design-conscious urban gardeners wanting a modern yet soft look.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose, trade name Akaroa Bedding rose MATtanstill, registered as MATtanstill; part of the Bedding rose collection and classed as a Rósra bhláthchlóis type. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Bob Matthews at Matthews Nurseries Ltd, Whanganui, New Zealand; registered in 2010 and introduced commercially in New Zealand in 2014, with parentage not publicly documented. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Compact, upright, bushy habit with dense, glossy dark green foliage (RHS 137A); typically 75–105 cm high and 65–95 cm wide, moderately thorny stems, medium vigour once established. |
| Flower morphology |
Floribunda clusters of large, 7–10 cm double, cup-shaped blooms with 26–39 petals; flowers borne in trusses, with good repeat performance and an especially strong second flush in season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Vivid dark pink with raspberry tones; buds intense raspberry–coral, opening to medium-deep pink, then gently fading to a powdery cream-pink before petals drop, with colour retention rated moderate. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild, classic rose scent with a restrained intensity; fragrance present but not overpowering, suited to close planting near paths and seating where a gentle perfume is preferred. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces few hips; occasional small, 8–12 mm, spherical fruits in medium red (RHS 40A), mainly ornamental and not typically a feature of the variety’s garden performance. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3); moderate tolerance to heat and drought, average disease resistance with possible mildew, blackspot and rust in humid seasons. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in well-drained soil with regular watering in warm spells; suitable for beds, edging, larger containers and cutting, with spacing of 50–90 cm depending on hedge, mass or specimen use. |
Akaroa Bedding rose MATtanstill offers long-season colour, compact structure and steady establishment on its own roots, making it a considerate choice if you would like a reliable, easy floribunda for everyday garden enjoyment.
