LIVIN' EASY – orange flower‑bed floribunda rose – Harkness
If you dream of a cottage‑style front garden that still feels effortless to look after, LIVIN' EASY brings glowing orange clusters of blooms that shrug off showers and wind, brightening your borders in every soft spell of Irish sunlight. This floribunda was bred precisely for generous, repeat flowering with good self‑cleaning, so your beds stay tidy without constant deadheading, while glossy, mid‑green foliage creates a lush backdrop in small family plots. As an own‑root plant it establishes steadily and keeps its shape for the long term, coping well as hedging, in mixed borders or as a cheerful focal shrub in a 40–50 litre terrace pot. Expect a gentle first year of rooting, stronger shoots in year two and, by year three, full garden impact that rewards you with an easy, walk‑out‑the‑door moment of contentment whenever it’s in bloom.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden flowerbed beside a path |
LIVIN' EASY’s upright, bushy habit and 100–140 cm height make a welcoming, colourful line along a front path, while its good self‑cleaning keeps things looking smart between visits with the secateurs – ideal for the time‑pressed beginner. |
| Low informal hedge in a family garden |
Planted about 60 cm apart, its dense foliage and repeat‑flowering orange clusters form a soft, informal hedge that screens play areas or bins without feeling heavy, and its own‑root stamina supports a long‑lived planting – reassuring for the practical homeowner. |
| Mixed cottage border with perennials |
Set at roughly 110 cm from other shrubs, this floribunda threads warm orange through perennials like coneflowers and ornamental grasses, its remontant flowering giving continued colour even when the Irish summer feels brief – perfect for the romantic cottager. |
| Container on a sunny terrace or patio |
In a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage and mulch, LIVIN' EASY makes a compact flowering shrub that copes well with radiated heat and moderate dry spells, its own‑root system regenerating reliably after pruning – attractive to the balcony‑minded urbanite. |
| Colour‑themed orange and peach bedding scheme |
The vivid orange, warming to peach tones as blooms age, creates a graduated colour effect in bedding blocks at around 70 cm spacing, and its cluster‑flowered habit ensures beds remain bright through the season – a pleasure for the colour‑focused stylist. |
| Family play‑area edge planting |
Moderate prickles and dense, glossy foliage form a gentle visual boundary around lawns or play spaces, while the plant’s robust structure and winter hardiness reduce replacement needs over the years – a comfort for the safety‑aware parent. |
| Low‑maintenance town garden border |
With moderate disease resistance, strong black spot resistance and good self‑cleaning, this rose suits small Dublin‑style gardens where you want reliable flowers but only occasional pest checks and feeding – just right for the busy commuter. |
| Front‑of‑house showpiece by the doorstep |
Bred from classic parents and decorated with major awards, LIVIN' EASY offers a familiar, trustworthy garden presence whose mild, sweet scent and glowing colour feel uplifting even in blustery weather and coastal showers – appealing to the tradition‑loving gardener. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-curve bed – Sweep a curved bed by the front gate with LIVIN' EASY spaced at 70 cm, underplanted with low honeysuckle and catmint for a soft, storybook look – ideal for cottage‑garden admirers.
- Terraced-bright pot – Place one rose in a 50 litre terracotta pot by the front door, with trailing thyme and violas to soften the rim and echo the orange blooms – suited to city‑terrace owners.
- Sunset-hedge line – Create a low hedge along a driveway using regular spacing, weaving in Mexican feather grass for movement and texture beside the glowing flowers – great for suburban families.
- Easy-care ribbon – Run a ribbon of LIVIN' EASY through a lawn island bed, mulched deeply so maintenance stays minimal and colour continuous for casual evening strolls – perfect for busy professionals.
- Warm-toned mix – Combine this rose with peach and apricot perennials such as coneflowers and daylilies, using its upright shape as a repeating anchor in the border – appealing to colour‑driven planners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose, collection Bedding rose; registered as HARwelcome, traded as Livin' Easy, exhibition floribunda; American Rose Society name Livin’ Easy, premium silver cultivar. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by John A. Harkness, Harkness & Co Ltd, Hitchin, UK, from ‘Southampton’ × ‘Remember Me’; breeding completed 1988, registered 1995, introduced internationally after 1995. |
| Awards and recognition |
RNRS Gold Medal 1990, All-America Rose Selections 1996, Portland Gold Medal 1997, Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit 2001 for reliable garden performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy floribunda rose reaching about 100–140 cm tall with 80–120 cm spread; dense, mid‑green glossy foliage and moderate prickles, suitable for bedding, hedging and specimen roles. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, cup‑shaped cluster blooms, 7–10 cm, with 26–39 petals; remontant flowering with particularly abundant second flush; good self‑cleaning as most faded blooms drop naturally. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Strong warm orange with peach tints; buds deep orange, opening vivid coppery orange, later softening to peach‑cream; ARS orange blend, RHS 28B outer, 28A inner; colour lightens in strong sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild, slightly sweet fragrance, noticeable at close range rather than at distance; primarily ornamental display value, with dense petals reducing stamen access and limiting pollinator interest. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional ovoid red hips, about 12–18 mm diameter, adding a modest seasonal accent; not a heavy fruiting variety and hips are usually secondary to the floral display. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about −26 to −23 °C (H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4); good heat and moderate drought tolerance with watering in long dry spells; black spot resistant, moderate to mildew and rust. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny sites with well‑drained but moisture‑retentive soil; plant 60–110 cm apart depending on use; 2.0–2.3 plants/m² for mass plantings; medium maintenance, with periodic pest checks. |
LIVIN' EASY offers generous repeat flowering, reliable self‑cleaning and long‑term own‑root resilience in a compact floribunda, making it a thoughtful choice if you’d like easy, lasting colour near your home.
