GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA ® – golden yellow hybrid tea rose – Meilland
Step out to your front path after a shower and let the sunlight of GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA ® greet you with its large, golden-yellow blooms and strong, citrusy fragrance. This classic hybrid tea brings exhibition-style elegance to ordinary Irish cottage and terraced gardens, while coping reliably with our cool summers and frequent rain, even where the soil needs improved drainage to handle heavier clays. Bred for consistently high bloom quality, it forms an upright, medium-tall bush that works beautifully as a single specimen or in a short row for home-cut bouquets. As an own-root plant it settles in steadily, building roots in the first year, stronger shoots in the second, and reaching full ornamental value by the third, for long-term reliability and less fuss. In a 40–50 litre container or a sunny border, this is an easy-care touch of movie-star glamour you can enjoy on everyday walks past your door.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Front-garden feature by the path |
The tall, upright habit and XL golden-yellow blooms create an elegant focal point you will notice every time you walk to the door, giving cheerful colour without needing complex pruning, ideal for a style-conscious beginner. |
| Cutting corner for indoor vases |
Hybrid tea form with long stems and very full flowers makes this rose perfect for classic, fragrant home bouquets, so you can cut generously through the season while the plant keeps producing more, suiting the home that enjoys regular arrangements. |
| Sunny cottage-garden border |
Strong, citrusy perfume and warm, lasting golden-yellow tones pair beautifully with traditional perennials, adding romantic charm to small Irish cottage borders where scent and colour matter to the relaxed weekend gardener. |
| Own-root long-term planting near a terrace |
As an own-root rose it regenerates well after harsh weather or accidental damage, keeping its shape and flowers year after year, which suits families wanting dependable structure with minimal replacements in a lived-in garden. |
| Container on a sunny patio (40–50 litre) |
A large pot in a bright, sheltered spot lets you enjoy the glamorous blooms at nose height, while controlled soil and watering make care straightforward for busy urban households needing compact but high-impact colour. |
| Small, formal rose bed |
Regular repeat flowering and consistent, exhibition-quality blooms make a neat, formal planting easy to maintain; moderate disease resistance only asks for occasional checks, which suits the tidy, design-minded owner. |
| Family garden hedge or short row |
Planted at the suggested spacing, it forms an upright, moderately dense flowering line that guides paths or frames lawns, bringing structure and scent without demanding specialist skills, ideal for a practical household planner. |
| Mixed border on heavier Irish soils |
Performs well in our cool, damp climate as long as drainage is improved in heavier clay soils that hold winter wet, matching the needs of typical suburban plots and the time-pressed but enthusiastic homeowner. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage Glow – Combine with soft pink cranesbill and creamy echinacea for a relaxed, romantic cottage feel – ideal for those who want gentle charm from a single, easy-care feature rose.
- Golden Avenue – Line a short front path with evenly spaced plants for a low, fragrant avenue – perfect for terraced-house fronts needing structure without high hedges.
- Patio Showpiece – Grow one plant in a 40–50 litre terracotta pot near seating, underplanted with trailing ivy – suited to balcony or small-yard gardeners craving a touch of classic luxury.
- Sunset Trio – Group three bushes in a triangle with purple asters behind for long-season contrast – great for hobby gardeners planning a simple but high-impact focal bed.
- Elegant Screen – Use a row of plants to soften a low fence, backed by ornamental grasses – ideal for families wanting privacy with year-round structure and summer fragrance.
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as MEIlivar; marketed as GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA ® – Classics collection. ARS exhibition name Gina Lollobrigida; premium gold merit rating within the antoniaROSE® range. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alain Meilland, Meilland International, France, from ‘Laura’ × ‘Parador’®. Breeding completed 1986, registration in 1990 with later introductions via Meilland and Star Roses internationally. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright shrub, typically 110–150 cm tall and 75–105 cm wide, moderately dense mid‑green, slightly glossy foliage, moderately thorny stems; suitable as specimen, row planting or mixed-border structural element. |
| Flower morphology |
Very full, fully double, cup-shaped blooms with over 40 petals, XL size over 10 cm, usually borne singly on stems; remontant habit with a particularly abundant second flush in suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm golden-yellow flowers, ARS dy, RHS 12A–12B; colour retains well, fading only moderately yet remaining yellow without pink or brown tones from bud to fall of petals, giving a consistently clean display. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, fresh citrusy perfume typical of quality hybrid teas, best appreciated in still air or when blooms are cut for the vase; ideal where scent is a key selection factor in family or front gardens. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips set sparsely due to the fully double flowers; where formed they are ellipsoid, 10–14 mm, orange-red, adding discreet autumn interest without dominating the plant’s overall ornamental effect. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about −15 to −12 °C (RHS H6, Swedish Zone 2, USDA 7b). Disease resistance moderate overall: resistant to black spot, with moderate susceptibility to powdery mildew and rust in humid seasons. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers sunny positions and fertile, well-drained soil; avoid waterlogging on heavy clay by improving drainage. Water in dry spells, deadhead faded blooms, and monitor for disease as needed for best garden performance. |
GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA ® offers glamorous golden-yellow, fragrant blooms on a long-lived own-root shrub, rewarding simple care with years of reliable colour and scent, making it a refined choice if you value lasting elegance in your garden.
