BÉKE - PEACE – light yellow with pink petal edges tea-hybrid rose - Meilland
Step outside after a shower and you can imagine BÉKE – PEACE beading with raindrops, its pastel blooms glowing in the soft Irish light. This classic Hybrid Tea offers generous, repeat flowering on upright, well-branched stems, giving you armfuls of elegant, XL blooms for cutting as well as for your front garden display. The medium-maintenance habit simply means the odd tidy-up of spent blooms, while its proven resilience and famous garden performance keep your effort low and the reward high. Being grown on its own roots, it settles steadily and rewards your patience as roots establish in year one, top growth builds in year two and full ornamental value appears by year three – a reassuringly long-term investment for a family plot with damp soil and good drainage coping with regular Atlantic showers and breezes. The flowers open creamy yellow with a blush-pink edge, slowly unfolding more colour nuances as they mature, all accompanied by a medium-strength, soft fragrance that suits close-up seating areas. With dense, glossy, dark green foliage and strong stems that also excel in the vase, BÉKE – PEACE works beautifully in “girly” cottage borders or Dublin terrace fronts where you want a sense of calm, reliable beauty without complicated gardening.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Front garden focal shrub |
Its upright, 110–150 cm habit and XL solitary blooms create an immediate focal point beside a gate, path or bay window, giving structure without overwhelming smaller Irish front gardens; ideal for the busy homeowner |
| Cottage-style mixed border |
Continuous remontant flowering brings wave after wave of pastel blooms, threading soft colour through perennials from early summer into autumn, perfectly suiting informal Irish cottage borders that need long, reliable display for the romantic gardener |
| Cutting and vase use |
Very double, cup-shaped flowers on strong stems make classic, long-stemmed cuts, so one shrub can furnish the house with scented arrangements as well as dressing the garden, especially appreciated by the fragrance lover |
| Own-root long-term planting |
Grown on its own roots, it ages steadily, regenerating well from lower buds after pruning or winter damage, so its ornamental value stays stable over many years, giving reassurance to the long-term planner |
| Clay-soil family gardens |
Once established in well-prepared, drained planting holes, its moderate care needs and robust structure suit typical Irish clay gardens that see frequent rain and wind, supporting dependable roses for the practical beginner |
| Medium-height rose hedge |
Planted 55 cm apart, its dense foliage and repeated flushes of bloom form an elegant, season-long, shoulder-height partition, softening boundaries in terraces and suburban plots for the urban gardener |
| Large container feature |
In a 40–50 litre or larger container with good drainage, its glossy foliage and pastel flowers dress patios or doorways, while own-root vigour allows steady regrowth after pruning, making seasonal care straightforward for the balcony and patio owner |
| Showcase specimen with historic value |
World-famous awards and its symbolic 1945 naming give both garden presence and a story to share, combining beauty, history and moderate disease resistance that suits thoughtful gardeners seeking meaning as well as flowers for the heritage enthusiast |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-curve border – Plant BÉKE – PEACE in a gently curving front path bed, weaving between dwarf asters and chives for soft, romantic colour – perfect for lovers of informal cottage charm
- Pastel-terrace welcome – Use a single shrub in a large pot by the front door, underplanted with lavender cotton for silvery texture – ideal for city residents wanting an elegant, low-fuss greeting
- Cutting-strip row – Line a sunny fence with evenly spaced plants to create a personal cut-flower row that still looks decorative from the street – suited to home florists and bouquet makers
- Memory-corner rose – Combine one specimen with a bench and soft grasses to create a quiet corner where its historic “Peace” story and gentle scent invite reflection – appealing to reflective, meaning-seeking gardeners
- Family-play backdrop – Place a loose hedge of these roses behind lawn or play space, giving height and colour while keeping maintenance manageable – great for families wanting beauty around everyday life
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid Tea rose known as BÉKE – PEACE, premium gold merit rating, ARS exhibition name ‘Peace’; unregistered cultivar name, commercial Meilland introduction widely recognised in gardens worldwide. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Francis Xavier Meilland, France, from complex Hybrid Tea parentage; raised in 1935 and launched in 1945 by Meilland International, becoming a globally distributed classic Hybrid Tea variety. |
| Awards and recognition |
All-America Rose Selection 1946, RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993, World Federation of Rose Societies World’s Favourite Rose and American Rose Society Hall of Fame, both awarded in 1976. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright Hybrid Tea shrub, about 110–150 cm tall and 75–105 cm wide, with dense, glossy dark green foliage and moderately thorny stems, forming a strong, medium-sized structural feature in borders. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, 40+ petalled, XL (10 cm+) solitary blooms, cup- to chalice-shaped; classic exhibition-type flowers on long stems, with moderate self-cleaning so spent blooms benefit from regular deadheading. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Delicate light-yellow base with warmer creamy centres and pink-edged outer petals; colour softens in heat, brighter pink in cool weather; multiple remontant flushes, with plentiful second flowering in season. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, soft, classic rose fragrance best enjoyed at close range; scented blooms perform well both on the plant and as cut flowers, offering a gentle, not overpowering, perfume in the garden. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional, small spherical hips, around 12–18 mm in diameter, orange-red when formed; generally incidental to display, as regular deadheading for repeat flowers reduces hip development. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about -26 to -23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4); disease resistance moderate overall, with good black spot resistance but some susceptibility to powdery mildew and rust in humid periods. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny, well-drained soil; water in prolonged dry spells and deadhead for repeats. Space 55–100 cm depending on use; mass plant at roughly 2.5–2.9 plants/m² for full, richly flowering displays. |
BÉKE - PEACE offers remontant XL blooms, glossy foliage and award-winning reliability on a durable own-root shrub, making it a thoughtful choice for gardeners seeking lasting beauty with moderate effort.
