PETTICOAT® – cream-coloured bedding floribunda rose – Kordes
If You dream of a soft, romantic front garden that still copes calmly with Irish rainfall and weekend-only gardening, PETTICOAT® is a charming, easy-going choice. This floribunda carries clusters of rosette blooms in creamy white with a hint of peach, lending a gentle cottage feel to small beds and narrow terraces. Bred by Kordes for strong health, it shrugs off typical fungal pressure and keeps its glossy dark foliage neat and dense with little effort. Its remontant habit means generous flushes of flowers from early summer well into autumn, so Your family can enjoy a bright, welcoming entrance for months. As an own-root rose it builds a stable, regenerating framework over the years, settling in steadily from roots to shoots to full beauty by the third season. In groups or low hedges it creates a long-lived, harmonious border that feels both airy and abundant. For pots, choose a minimum 40–50 litre container to give its roots room to thrive.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden border for Dublin terraces |
Compact, upright growth with a 70–95 cm spread makes PETTICOAT® ideal for slim beds along railings or paths where space is tight. Repeating creamy blooms brighten the street scene without demanding complex care, suiting busy urban gardeners. |
| Irish cottage-style mixed bed |
The soft cream-and-peach rosettes blend beautifully with cottage favourites like catmint and scabious, echoing traditional country borders. Reliable repeat flowering keeps the bed colourful even in a short Irish summer, appealing to romantic cottage enthusiasts. |
| Low flowering hedge along a path |
Recommended spacings of 55–65 cm allow PETTICOAT® to knit into a low, informal hedge, guiding visitors to the door. Dense, glossy foliage and constant flower clusters create a tidy yet welcoming line, perfect for family-home entrances. |
| Small family lawn island bed |
As a floribunda shrub around 85–115 cm tall, it gives enough presence for a central island without overwhelming modest lawns. Own-root vigour and low pruning needs keep maintenance light over many seasons for time-pressed householders. |
| Mass bedding in front of evergreen shrubs |
Square or hexagonal planting at 2.5–2.9 plants/m² forms a billowing, long-flowering carpet against darker backgrounds. Colour holds well as blooms age, so the planting stays clean-looking despite frequent rain, suiting neatness-loving gardeners. |
| Large patio container (40–50 litres+) |
In a generous pot with free-draining compost, PETTICOAT® offers season-long colour right at the doorstep. Robust roots on its own stock support long life in containers with only standard feeding and deadheading, ideal for apartment and balcony owners. |
| Family play-area edge planting |
Its moderately thorny, upright habit and dense foliage create a soft visual boundary without becoming a spiky barrier. Consistent health and cold tolerance mean it stays reliable even through wet, windy spells, reassuring careful parents. |
| Easy-care rose group in heavy Irish clay |
With strong disease resistance and low maintenance needs, PETTICOAT® suits gardens where improving drainage once is more realistic than ongoing fuss; once established it copes steadily with cool, damp conditions and frequent showers, supporting practical beginners. |
Styling ideas
- COTTAGE RIBBON – Plant a loose ribbon of PETTICOAT® along a path, weaving through low catmint and Knautia for a light, “girly” cottage mood – ideal for nostalgic front-garden owners.
- CREAM CARPET – Use close spacing to create a soft cream bedding strip in front of dark yew or laurel, giving long-season brightness with minimal upkeep – perfect for low-maintenance seekers.
- PASTEL PARTNER – Combine PETTICOAT® with English bluebeard and airy grasses for a pastel, gently moving border that copes well with Irish showers – for design-conscious city gardeners.
- WELCOME HEDGE – Line a driveway or short front path with a single row for a flowering hedge that stays neat and manageable – ideal for families wanting structure without formality.
- PATIO SHOWPIECE – Grow one or three plants in large 40–50 litre containers near seating, where repeated blooms can be enjoyed at eye level – suited to balcony and terrace rose lovers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose; registered as KORgretaum, marketed as Petticoat® Flowerbed rose KORgretaum, exhibition name Petticoat; shrub / exhibition floribunda category. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes, W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany, from ‘Margaret Merrill’ × unknown seedling; bred 1993, introduced 2004, EU registration 2004, US Plant Patent 16,937 in 2006. |
| Awards and recognition |
ADR quality award in 2004 confirming strong garden performance and health; Honourable Mention at Hradec Králové 2007; Certificate of Merit, Australian National Rose Trials 2007. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy habit 85–115 cm high, 70–95 cm spread; very dense, glossy dark green foliage; moderately thorny stems; suited to beds, groups, edging and low hedging uses. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, rosette-form blooms with 40+ petals, medium-sized at 4–7 cm; produced in clusters on floribunda-type trusses; remontant, with an abundant second main flowering flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Creamy white outer petals (RHS 155D) with inner peach tones (RHS 23C); buds greenish-cream with peach tip; colour fades gently to off-white while holding a clean, fresh overall appearance. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Classic rose-like scent but very weak and barely noticeable in normal garden use; fragrance is not a key feature, making it suitable where strong perfume is not desired close to windows. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces moderately abundant, small spherical hips, about 6–10 mm in diameter; hips colour to orange-red as they ripen, offering a modest decorative effect in late season if spent blooms are left. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Resistant to powdery mildew and rust, moderate against black spot; hardy approximately to –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 3, USDA 6b); suited to cold, wet winters with standard care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Plant 55–65 cm apart in beds or hedges, 100 cm as specimens; prefers well-drained but moisture-retentive soil; low maintenance with light annual pruning and regular mulching in heavy clay. |
Petticoat® Flowerbed rose KORgretaum offers long-season creamy flowering, reliable disease resistance and durable own-root growth, making it a thoughtful, low-effort choice for Your Irish family garden.
