BLACKBERRY NIP™ – purple tea-hybrid rose – Somerfield
Step out to your front path after a shower and you will notice how the velvety, plum‑purple blooms of BLACKBERRY NIP™ seem to glow in the soft light, carrying a fruity and sweetly spicy perfume that lingers on your walk to the gate, even when the air is damp and cool. This hybrid tea settles happily into Irish cottage borders and compact Dublin front gardens, coping well with cool summers and regular rain in our gardens with heavy soil and sheltered corners. The bushy, self‑cleaning habit keeps the plant looking orderly with little work, while own‑root vigour means a long‑lived, reliable shrub that regenerates well after pruning or weather damage. Plant it once, water and mulch sensibly, and over the next few seasons you can watch roots establish, then strong new shoots, and finally a full display of blossoms at its best. Whether you tuck a single plant by the door or line a short path, the dense foliage and beautifully formed, exhibition‑style buds give a quietly luxurious feel to everyday family spaces. Ideal if you want romantic colour, character and fragrance without fussy deadheading or expert skills, this is a dependable rose that rewards even busy gardeners with weeks of elegant flowers and a sense of relaxed contentment.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden specimen by the door |
Dense, bushy growth with large, high‑centred blooms makes an elegant focal point beside a path or doorway, giving visitors an instant hit of colour and perfume with minimal shaping or fuss, especially suited to the style of a Dublin terraced-house gardener. |
| Cutting patch for home bouquets |
Long, strong stems and high‑centred buds give classic florist-style blooms for vases; the very strong, long‑lasting scent fills a room, so a few stems from a small bed can provide luxurious bunches over the summer for a fragrance-loving homeowner. |
| Cottage-style mixed border |
The velvety plum‑purple flowers weave beautifully through perennials, while own‑root plants settle in steadily and flower reliably year after year, building up from root establishment to full display for a patient but time-poor beginner. |
| Low informal rose hedge |
Moderate height and good spread allow planting at 60–70 cm intervals to form a softly structured boundary that needs only light seasonal pruning, staying tidy thanks to its good self‑cleaning habit, ideal for a low-maintenance family-garden owner. |
| Small family garden feature bed |
One to three shrubs spaced at about 110 cm create a long-flowering feature that does not demand constant attention; own‑root plants recover well from children’s play or weather damage, reassuring for a busy young-family gardener. |
| Large container on patio or terrace |
In a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage, BLACKBERRY NIP™ brings exhibition-quality blooms and fragrance right up to the seating area; regular watering is the main task, manageable even for a space-limited urban gardener. |
| Part-shade side path or wall |
Suitable for partial shade, it still produces richly coloured blooms and strong scent where many roses struggle, making use of side returns or east-facing spots that otherwise go bare for a practical small-garden planner. |
| Rain-exposed, cool-summer border |
This variety copes well with our cool, damp summers and regular showers, needing only occasional preventive care where fungal pressure is high, fitting neatly into everyday Irish conditions for a realistic Atlantic-climate gardener. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage romance – Combine BLACKBERRY NIP™ with blue globe thistle and airy calamint to create a soft, old-fashioned border with modern reliability – ideal for a cottage-garden appreciator.
- Front-rail drama – Plant a short row along a low fence so velvety blooms lean over the pavement, giving daily colour and scent – perfect for a sociable street-front gardener.
- Evening perfume – Place a specimen near a bench or patio door where the strong, sweetly spicy fragrance can be enjoyed after work – suited to a relaxation-focused homeowner.
- Plum-and-silver – Underplant with grey-green foliage and pale perennials to echo the silvery petal edges and glossy leaves – attractive to a design-aware city gardener.
- Family cutting corner – Dedicate a sunny square for a few bushes, teaching children to pick and arrange their own scented stems – appealing to a creative family gardener.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
BLACKBERRY NIP™ hybrid tea rose (Rós taehibride); trade and exhibition name ‘Blackberry Nip’. Collection: Hybrid tea rose; commercial type hybrid tea rose intended for garden and cutting use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Rob Somerfield, Glenavon Roses Ltd., Tauranga, New Zealand; introduced and registered in 1996, with parentage not publicly recorded; selected for colour intensity and fragrance. |
| Awards and recognition |
Silver Star of the South Pacific and Certificate of Merit, Palmerston North Trials (1998); Auckland Rose of the Year and Fragrance Award, Auckland Rose of the Year competition (1999). |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy shrub, typically 100–140 cm high with 85–115 cm spread; dense, slightly glossy grey‑green foliage and plentiful prickles; maintains an upright, well-branched framework in borders or hedges. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, 7–10 cm, very double, high‑centred blooms with 40+ petals; classic pointed hybrid tea buds borne mainly singly on stems; remontant with a generous second flush in suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
RHS 79A outer and 71B inner petals; flowers open deep plum-purple with magenta tones, then soften to violet‑pink with silvery edges, fading more in strong sun; colour richest in cooler, mild light. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, long-lasting perfume with a sweetly spicy, blackberry‑like character; fragrance carries well in still, humid air, making it suitable both for garden enjoyment and scented indoor arrangements. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces hips only rarely; when present, they are small, 4–6 mm, spherical and red, with little ornamental impact, so the plant is grown primarily for its repeat-flowering blooms. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated hardy to about –21 to –18 °C (H7, USDA 6b); moderate resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust; benefits from good air circulation, mulching and timely watering during dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Plant in well-drained, improved clay or loam with neutral to slightly acidic pH; space 60–110 cm depending on use; water deeply in dry weather and prune annually to renew flowering wood. |
BLACKBERRY NIP™ brings velvety plum-purple, powerfully scented blooms on an easy-care, self-cleaning shrub that thrives long term on its own roots, making it a thoughtful choice for everyday Irish gardens.
