DELSTROBLA – red-white bedding floribunda rose – Delbard
Step outside for a few quiet minutes, and let the painterly blooms of this Henri Matisse-inspired floribunda bring a feeling of gentle contentment to your Irish garden. Its raspberry-and-cream flowers glow in soft light, even after showers and breezy spells, coping well with typical Irish rainfall and damp conditions when given reasonable air flow. You will enjoy weeks of colour as the remontant flushes follow one another through the short summer, with clusters of large, fully double blooms perfect for a quick indoor bouquet. Planted as an own-root shrub, it builds a dependable framework over time, giving you a relaxed, low-fuss routine in the garden and a rose that can regenerate strongly from the base. Think in terms of roots in the first year, shoots in the second, then full impact by the third, as this bushy, upright rose settles into a family garden or Dublin front patch where drainage is good and enjoyment is the priority.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front-of-border cottage bed |
The bushy, upright habit and dense dark foliage make a tidy edge for mixed cottage borders, with large, fully double flowers repeating from early summer to autumn for long seasonal display; ideal for relaxed, flower-loving beginners. |
| Dublin terraced-house front garden |
Its compact 75–105 cm height and 45–65 cm spread fit neatly into small front gardens, giving strong visual impact without overwhelming narrow spaces, while own-root planting promises a long-lived, reliable structure for busy urban homeowners. |
| Low, informal flowering hedge |
Planted at 35 cm intervals, the upright, evenly branching bushes knit into a low hedge, offering repeated flushes of raspberry-and-cream blooms that define paths or driveways with minimal shaping work for time-conscious gardeners. |
| Bedding rose in mixed planting |
At around 40 cm spacing in beds, this floribunda forms colourful drifts; regular deadheading is straightforward and rewarded by abundant remontant flowering, suiting those who enjoy easy, light tasks rather than intensive work-focused hobbyists. |
| Cut-flower corner near the house |
The large, fully double, beautifully marbled blooms on clustered stems are ideal for cutting, bringing fruity, raspberry-scented flowers indoors from a small picking patch convenient for fragrance-oriented residents. |
| Own-root long-term feature shrub |
As an own-root rose, it can regenerate from the base after weather damage, maintaining form and flowering quality year after year, giving stable ornamental value without complicated graft-management for cautious planners. |
| Family lawn island bed |
Its moderate maintenance needs and medium disease resistance suit average Irish conditions, provided you ensure good drainage on heavier soils often holding winter wet in family lawns, making care manageable for busy parents. |
| Large container on a sunny patio |
In a 40–50 litre pot with free-draining compost, the compact, upright growth and repeating flowers create a movable accent that copes with breezy, showery weather, adding colour close to windows and seating for patio-loving couples. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-border focus – Combine with soft pinks, catmint and low grasses to echo a “girly”, Irish cottage feel while the upright, bushy form keeps the front of the border structured – perfect for romantically minded beginners.
- Painterly duet – Pair its red-and-white striping with white blazing star and pale gypsophila for a light, airy contrast that highlights the artistic bloom pattern – ideal for style-conscious urban homeowners.
- Front-garden ribbon – Plant as an informal hedge along a path, underplanted with groundcover thyme, to frame your entrance with repeated colour and gentle scent – great for small front-garden keepers.
- Patio centrepiece – Grow one plant in a 40–50 litre terracotta pot with trailing lobelia or ivy to soften the rim, giving a movable, fragrant focal point beside seating – suited to balcony and patio dwellers.
- Family-cut corner – Dedicate a small square bed near the back door to several plants, allowing easy cutting of striped blooms for the kitchen table – enjoyable for families who like to pick their own flowers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose DELstrobla (registered as DELstrobla), marketed within the Les Roses de peintres® collection and exhibited under the American Rose Society name ‘Henri Matisse’. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Georges Delbard in France from ('Lara' × 'Candia') × ('Aromaepi' × 'KORpek'); introduced and registered around 1993–1994 as part of a painter-themed garden rose series. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub reaching about 75–105 cm in height and 45–65 cm spread, with dense, glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickliness, forming a compact, well-filled garden rose. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, 7–10 cm, fully double, cup-shaped blooms with 26–39 petals, produced in clusters; remontant flowering gives a strong main flush followed by equally generous repeat bloom later in the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Carmine-red ground with vivid irregular white streaks (ARS RB, RHS 53B and 155D); as flowers open, tones soften to raspberry-pink and creamy white, with striping retained, especially in moderate sunlight. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Clearly noticeable, medium-strength scent with a fresh, fruity character reminiscent of raspberries; fragrance is appreciable both on the plant and when stems are cut for indoor arrangements. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips are sparse due to double flowers; where formed, they are small, ovoid, 8–12 mm in diameter and orange-red, contributing modest autumn interest without significant self-seeding. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Moderate resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardy to approximately –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, USDA zone 6b, Swedish zone 3), suitable for most Irish garden conditions with basic care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers full sun, fertile, well-drained soil and regular deadheading due to weak self-cleaning; plant 35–60 cm apart depending on use, and monitor for common fungal issues in humid seasons. |
DELstrobla offers a compact, upright floribunda with painterly red-and-white blooms, fruity fragrance and reliable repeat flowering on its own roots, making it a long-lived, easy-care choice worth considering for your garden.
