NAVELINA – yellow-red bedding Floribunda rose - Dickson
Let NAVELINA bring a cheerful splash of colour to your Irish garden with its compact floribunda habit, glowing yellow-red clusters and friendly, upright shape that suits both a soft cottage border and a tidy terraced front. This own-root plant settles in steadily for a long, reliable life, giving you stable ornamental value and the reassuring ability to regrow from the base if winter or pruning are a little heavy-handed. In our cool, damp climate it copes well with breezy, showery weather and the kind of rainfall that would flatten many blooms. Its mild, fresh fragrance and dense, glossy foliage create a cosy, girly mood without demanding daily attention, and the medium maintenance needs are mostly about light deadheading rather than specialist care. Over time it rewards simple, consistent care with a stronger root system, fuller top growth and more generous flowering – think roots establishing in year one, shoots building shape in year two and full, glowing colour impact by year three for an easy-going, long-lived bedding partner in a family garden or compact city frontage.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front-of-border in a small to medium family garden |
The compact, bushy habit and 60–90 cm height make Navelina ideal near paths and lawns where children and adults pass by daily, without overwhelming the space or neighbouring plants; perfect for the time-poor but style-conscious homeowner. |
| Bedding and mass planting in cottage-style borders |
Uniform growth and rounded, upright form create neat, harmonious drifts that still feel relaxed, giving that “girly” cottage look with minimal shaping, ideal for those who like strong colour blocks yet prefer easygoing planting schemes beginners. |
| Urban front gardens and Dublin terrace forecourts |
Its tidy footprint, repeat clusters of fiery yellow-red blooms and dark glossy foliage offer high visual impact from the street, while coping well with typical Irish showery, breezy weather and frequent rainfall in exposed suburbs urbanites. |
| Own-root replacement for short-lived grafted roses |
Being grown on its own roots helps Navelina recover more readily from accidental damage or harsh pruning, maintaining ornamental value and extending planting life compared with many grafted alternatives, attractive for those seeking low-fuss longevity planners. |
| Mixed shrub and perennial borders with seasonal interest |
Remontant flowering gives waves of colour across the short Irish summer, while dense foliage fills gaps between perennials; a little deadheading keeps new clusters coming, suiting gardeners who want steady reward from light, regular attention busy-owners. |
| Containers and large tubs on patios or paved areas |
Best in a generously sized 40–50 litre container with good drainage, where its compact roots and upright top growth form a bright focal point, well suited to renters or balcony and patio users who garden mainly in pots container-gardeners. |
| Partially shaded corners with morning or afternoon light |
Its tolerance of partial shade means it flowers reliably where many roses sulk, such as east- or west-facing walls, enabling colour in awkward spots for gardeners without ideal south-facing beds shade-challenged. |
| Informal low hedge or edging row |
Planting at 45 cm intervals creates a low, glowing ribbon of foliage and blooms that subtly defines paths or drives, with moderate maintenance centred on occasional trimming and deadheading, ideal for relaxed yet coordinated garden layouts design-minded. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Ribbon – run Navelina in a sinuous line along a path, underplanting with pink Verbena hastata and soft grasses for a playful cottage feel – for romantic border lovers.
- Front-Door – flank a doorway with two large containers of Navelina, adding trailing ivy and white lobelia at the rim – for city terrace and townhouse owners.
- Sunset-Drift – mass-plant Navelina in a small bed, backing it with blue salvias to make the yellow-red blooms glow – for those who like bold, easy colour.
- Hedgerow-Edge – weave a low line of Navelina in front of evergreen euonymus for year-round structure and summer fire – for gardeners wanting soft but tidy boundaries.
- Family-Corner – combine Navelina with long-flowering perennials in a play-area border, using its compact form to keep thorns mostly away from lawn edges – for family gardens with children.
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose; registered as DICwitness, traded as Navelina Bedding rose DICwitness; exhibition floribunda and shrub rose categories for shows and displays. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Patrick Dickson, Dickson Nurseries Ltd., Northern Ireland; cross of ‘Mr. JCB’ × ‘Gypsy Dancer’; bred 1999 in the UK, introduced 2000 through Dickson Nurseries. |
| Awards and recognition |
Rose of the Year, Great Britain 2000; RHS Award of Garden Merit; silver medal at Glasgow International Rose Trials 2001, underlining proven garden and exhibition value. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright compact floribunda habit reaching 60–90 cm high and wide; dense, glossy dark green foliage; moderately thorny stems; forms neat, uniform bedding groups and short hedging lines. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized double flowers, 4–7 cm across with 26–39 petals; cupped form in clustered trusses; remontant with a generous second flush, especially when regularly deadheaded after main flowering. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Yellow-red blend: bright orange outer petals and golden-yellow inner tones; ARS yb, RHS 28A outer, 14B inner; colour may soften slightly in strong sun but remains warm and glowing as blooms age. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild, fresh, vibrant fragrance rather than heavy perfume; noticeable at close range on still days, complementing the vivid colour without overpowering nearby seating or dining areas in small gardens. |
| Hip characteristics |
Limited hip set due to double flowers and routine deadheading; when present, small spherical scarlet-red hips 6–10 mm across, offering occasional late-season decorative interest in mixed plantings. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3); moderate resistance to black spot, mildew and rust; performs well with basic hygiene and an open, well-prepared planting site. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suitable for beds, borders, containers, low hedges, urban greens and parks; prefers moist, well-drained soil with mulching; water in dry spells and deadhead to encourage renewal and tidy appearance. |
NAVELINA rewards you with vivid yellow-red colour, compact bedding form and steady repeat flowering on a resilient own-root plant that promises lasting structure and charm, making it a thoughtful choice for easygoing Irish gardens.
