CARINA® – pink hybrid tea rose – Meilland
Imagine stepping outside after soft rain, the air filled with fragrance from tall, elegant pink blooms of CARINA® in your Irish front garden. This classic hybrid tea carries a full, traditional rose perfume on long, upright stems, ideal for cutting and for admiring from your kitchen window. Its large, high‑centred flowers open to glowing mid‑pink, holding their colour beautifully even in bright weather, while the dark green foliage gives a neat, tailored backdrop. Bred for strong health with ADR recognition, it offers reassuring reliability in damp, changeable seasons and copes well where summers are cool and short with frequent showers and breezy spells. As an own‑root shrub it develops steadily, with roots in the first year, more generous shoots in the second, and full ornamental impact by the third, giving you a long‑lived, low‑fuss garden companion. Simply give it good drainage on heavier soils, a little mulch, and enjoy its long‑lasting, strongly scented blooms every early summer.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Feature rose in a small front garden bed |
CARINA® grows upright to about 80–110 cm with a 50–70 cm spread, so one or three plants easily create a strong vertical accent without overwhelming a typical Dublin or suburban front patch. The impressive flower size makes it a natural focal point for passers‑by and visitors, even where space is tight, suiting the needs of the urban homeowner. |
| Cutting patch for home arrangements |
The high‑centred, florist‑style blooms on long, straight stems are ideal for cutting, giving you armfuls of classic pink roses for vases during their flowering window. Strong fragrance carries indoors, turning even a simple jug into a statement arrangement. Moderate thorns and a tidy habit make cutting straightforward for the home flower‑lover. |
| Low‑maintenance mixed border in a family garden |
With proven resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust, this variety fits well into busy family gardens where chemical spraying is undesirable. Once established, it generally needs just seasonal feeding, light pruning and occasional deadheading to look presentable. Its dependable health appeals to the time‑pressed gardener. |
| Neat short hedge or row along a path |
Planted at 50–60 cm intervals, CARINA® forms a tidy, flower‑lined edging that gives structure without taking over lawn or play space. The upright habit and moderate foliage density help keep paths clear, while uniform colour and size create a smart, ordered look that suits the design‑conscious owner. |
| Own‑root planting for long‑term reliability |
Because it is grown on its own roots rather than grafted, the shrub keeps its varietal character even after hard pruning or occasional winter setbacks. Over the years it can regenerate cleanly from the base, supporting a long garden lifespan with steady, predictable form, reassuring the cautious beginner. |
| Flower bed in cooler, damper Irish conditions |
The strong disease resistance and reliable growth make CARINA® well suited to areas with regular showers, lush growth and fungal pressure, where many roses struggle. You can place it in a flower bed or border without constant spraying, getting confident performance in typical Irish seasons, which is welcome for the Atlantic‑coast gardener. |
| Border in partial shade near the house |
This variety tolerates partial shade, so it can be sited near north‑ or east‑facing walls where it still flowers well but benefits from some shelter. In tight terraced‑house plots this flexibility opens up planting spots where sun is limited, making it a versatile choice for the city dweller. |
| Statement rose in a large container |
In a 40–50 litre or larger pot with good drainage, CARINA® works as a movable accent on a patio or beside a front door. The upright habit, XL blooms and strong scent give impact without needing a big border, while maintenance stays simple for the balcony‑and‑patio gardener. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage‑front romance – Underplant CARINA® with soft pink and white perennials like astrantia and campanula for a gentle cottage feel beside a low wall – ideal for lovers of traditional charm.
- Elegant pink border – Combine with blue nepeta, pale salvia and silver foliage to frame a lawn, letting the large pink blooms provide a refined focal point – suited to those who enjoy classic formality.
- Scented entrance – Place a container‑grown CARINA® either side of the front steps, adding lavender at the base to echo the perfume – perfect for homeowners who want a welcoming doorway.
- Structured path edging – Plant a short row along a straight garden path, interspersed with low evergreen box or hebe to keep winter shape when the rose is out of flower – appealing to fans of neat design.
- Cutting‑garden corner – Dedicate a small sunny strip with CARINA® flanked by annuals like cosmos and sweet peas, giving armfuls of stems for vases – great for gardeners who love home‑grown bouquets.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea florist rose, registered as MEIchim and marketed as CARINA®; hybrid tea rose (Rós taehibride) with ARS exhibition name ‘Carina’, suitable for garden and cutting use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alain Meilland, Meilland International, France, from ‘White Knight’ × (‘Happiness’ × ‘Independence’); introduced 1963 and distributed by Conard‑Pyle (Star Roses) in the USA shortly afterwards. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holder of ADR certification from 1966, indicating strong garden performance and health; awarded First Prize in Genoa in 1966, underlining its ornamental and exhibition quality in international trials. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush reaching 80–110 cm high and 50–70 cm wide, with moderately dense dark green foliage and moderate prickliness; forms a well‑shaped shrub suitable for beds, borders, hedging and large containers. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, high‑centred, pointed buds opening to XL blooms over 10 cm; mainly solitary on stems, classic exhibition hybrid tea form; blooms once per season rather than repeating, with moderate self‑cleaning of spent flowers. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Clear, vivid mid‑pink with uniform saturation; deep pink in bud, bright mid‑pink at full bloom, softening to powder‑pink before petals fall; colour holds well without strong fading, giving a clean, consistent display in the bed. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, full classic rose scent that is noticeable from a distance in still air; ideal for scented beds, near seating areas and for cut flowers brought indoors; floral character suits traditional rose lovers and perfume enthusiasts. |
| Hip characteristics |
Due to very double blooms, hips are sparse; when present they are small spherical orange‑red fruits around 10–14 mm across, adding occasional late‑season interest but not a major ornamental feature of the cultivar. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust; hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zone 3), suitable for most Irish regions with normal winter protection and reasonable site drainage. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in fertile, well‑drained soil with regular moisture; space at 50–60 cm in rows or 90 cm as a specimen; tolerates partial shade; feed and prune annually, and use containers of at least 40–50 litres for potted cultivation. |
CARINA® Hybrid tea rose MEIchim offers strong fragrance, reliable health and impressive XL blooms on an own‑root shrub that matures gracefully over years, making it a thoughtful choice for your next garden planting.
