Nimbus – pink‑purple shaded bedding floribunda rose – Le Grice
With its softly moody, rain‑cloud colouring, Nimbus brings an instantly distinctive, cottage‑garden charm to small Irish gardens, thriving even where showery days bring cool air and soft light and the soil needs care after heavy rainfall. The bushy shrub form fits beautifully into front borders and narrow beds, while the medium height works neatly below windows, paths, or along picket fences, adding a drift of colour without blocking your view. Large, fully double blooms appear in repeating flushes through summer, so you enjoy weeks of display with just simple deadheading and basic care. Grown on its own roots, Nimbus builds a durable, well‑balanced plant with the reassuring rhythm of year‑by‑year development – roots in the first season, strong framework in the second, then full ornamental presence by the third – giving long‑term value with very little fuss.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Sunny Irish cottage front garden bed |
Nimbus thrives in a good sunny spot, giving generous, repeat flushes of dusky grey‑lilac blooms that suit old stone walls and painted cottages, while own‑root vigour promises a long‑lived, reliable clump for beginners. |
| Dublin terraced-house front border |
The compact, bushy habit and 80–100 cm height fit neatly into narrow front strips, providing stylish, tidy structure with moderate maintenance; simple deadheading keeps plants smart and rewarding for busy urbanites. |
| Romantic mixed border with perennials |
Clustered, very full flowers partner beautifully with lupins, calamint and airy verbena, giving a soft, feminine “girly” look while own‑root stability maintains the planting design for many seasons for thoughtful stylists. |
| Small family back garden seating area |
Medium‑strength, sweet fragrance and large, cupped flowers create a calm, intimate mood around patios or benches, with dense foliage providing a green backdrop that matures steadily for relaxed evening gardeners. |
| Low informal hedge or edging row |
Recommended spacing of 35–40 cm allows a low, continuous flowering line; the bushy structure and repeat blooming build a soft, cloud‑like border that frames lawns and paths for practical, design‑conscious owners. |
| Feature specimen in a large container |
In a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage, Nimbus’s dense foliage and striking mauve‑grey blooms create a portable focal point, with manageable care and easy seasonal top‑dressing suiting balcony and courtyard residents. |
| Family garden bed on heavier Irish clay |
With sensible drainage and mulch, Nimbus rewards typical Irish clay soils by building a deep own‑root system, coping well with cool, damp spells and soft showers that often refresh the plant for practical homeowners. |
| Cutting patch for home arrangements |
Large, very full, long‑lasting blooms in unusual grey‑lilac tones make atmospheric cut flowers; repeat flowering ensures stems right through summer, ideal for creative, fragrance‑loving arrangers. |
Styling ideas
- Soft-cloud border – Plant Nimbus in drifts with pale foxgloves and soft grasses to echo its rain‑cloud tones and long flowering, perfect for relaxed cottage‑style front gardens – for romantic homeowners.
- Girly pastels – Combine Nimbus with pink lupins and airy pink verbena so the mauve‑grey blooms weave through pastel spires, extending colour for months – for lovers of feminine, playful borders.
- Evening terrace – Use a single Nimbus in a 50 litre pot by a bench, where the sweet scent and silvery lilac blooms catch low light on summer nights – for balcony and patio sitters.
- Structured hedge – Line a path or drive with evenly spaced plants, letting the bushy habit and repeat flowering create a soft yet defined low hedge – for tidy, design‑minded gardeners.
- Moody focal point – Set Nimbus against dark fencing or brick to let its unusual grey‑lilac flowers glow, supported by its durable own‑root framework – for fans of distinctive, long‑lasting features.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding shrub rose; registered as LEGgrey, traded as Nimbus Bedding rose LEGgrey; ARS exhibition name Nimbus; premium gold cultivar merit rating. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Bill Le Grice, United Kingdom, from ‘Grey Dawn’ × unknown seedling; LeGrice Roses origin, introduced after 1989, registered 1989, initially distributed by Bill LeGrice Roses. |
| Awards and recognition |
Cleveland Rose Society Show 2001, Floribunda (One Bloom) award; appreciated by collectors for its distinctive grey‑lilac colouring and elegant show‑bench performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy shrub reaching about 80–100 cm high and 50–70 cm wide; dense, slightly glossy medium‑green foliage; moderately thorny stems; forms a compact, well‑filled bedding or border plant. |
| Flower morphology |
Large 7–10 cm, very full, cupped, cluster‑flowered blooms with 40+ petals; good repeat flowering, with a plentiful second flush following the main summer display when regularly deadheaded. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Gentle dusky grey‑lilac with rosy tone; buds deep mauve‑greyish purple, opening to bluish‑purple centres; ageing to pale lilac‑grey with silvery sheen; ARS Mau, RHS 79C outer, 79D inner. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Clearly perceptible, medium‑strength fragrance with a softly sweet character; scent best appreciated near seating areas, doorways or paths where the large, double blooms can be enjoyed up close. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional ovoid orange‑red hips, about 10–14 mm diameter; egg‑shaped and decorative in small numbers, generally secondary to the long flowering and ornamental display of the blooms. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 3, USDA 6b); moderate disease resistance with occasional mildew and black spot, good rust resistance; needs irrigation in prolonged dry, hot spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun; spacing 40 cm for beds, 35 cm for hedges, 65 cm as specimen; 6.3–7.2 plants/m² for mass; medium care level with deadheading; suitable for borders, containers and cutting. |
Nimbus Bedding rose LEGgrey offers long repeat flowering, compact bushy growth and durable own-root performance that will quietly reward your garden for years, making it a thoughtful choice for your next planting.
