PICASSO™ – red-white bedding floribunda rose – McGredy
Step outside to soft Irish light and discover the playful charm of PICASSO™, a compact floribunda rose whose semi-double clusters are truly hand-painted: vivid cherry-red petals brushed with cream, streaked and spotted in pink, all glowing above dark foliage. Bred by McGredy for reliable garden performance, this bushy, medium-height rose repeats its blooms steadily through a short summer, even when gardens face cool days and frequent showers in coastal air. Its own-root form offers reassuring longevity and recovery after stress, so you can enjoy a gentle, low-effort planting rhythm – roots settling in year one, branching and shape in year two, then full, confident ornamental value by year three.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front cottage-style flower bed |
The compact, bushy habit and cluster-flowering make PICASSO™ ideal near a path or window where its brush-stroke blooms can be admired up close. Once established, it needs only light pruning and basic feeding, so it fits easily into relaxed cottage-style borders for beginners. |
| Dublin terraced-house front garden |
Its moderate height and 50–75 cm spread suit the narrow beds often found in urban front gardens, providing colour without overcrowding. Good disease resistance means fewer sprays in tight city spaces, supporting a tidy yet characterful frontage for busy-owners. |
| Low-maintenance family border |
With low maintenance needs and solid resistance to black spot, rust and powdery mildew, PICASSO™ is a practical choice where children play and time is short. Simple deadheading and annual mulch normally suffice to keep it flowering for time-poor. |
| Small group planting in heavy Irish soils |
Planting three to five roses at 40–65 cm spacing creates a lively block of colour, while leaving room for air circulation in damp conditions. On heavier clay, a little added grit and raised planting help drainage, supporting healthier growth for home-gardeners. |
| Mixed border with pollinator-friendly accents |
The semi-double flowers offer accessible stamens and a mild scent that, while not overwhelming, still add some wildlife interest. Combine with herbaceous perennials and nectar-rich companions so the garden hums gently through summer for nature-lovers. |
| Colour-themed bedding schemes |
The red-and-white pattern is striking in massed planting at 5,7–6,5 plants per m², forming a painterly carpet of repeat blooms. Its remontant habit ensures the effect lasts across the season, rewarding simple routine care for design-conscious. |
| Own-root, long-term planting plan |
As an own-root rose, PICASSO™ retains its character even after hard pruning or winter damage, with new shoots arising true to type. This underpins a long lifespan and stable display, giving confidence that effort put in now will keep paying off for planners. |
| Container on patio or balcony (large pot) |
In a 40–50 litre container with good drainage and regular watering, this moderately drought-sensitive rose performs reliably, even in breezy, damp conditions near the coast where sunshine comes between passing showers. Its compact, bushy form suits close-up enjoyment for city-dwellers. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Edge Border – weave PICASSO™ along a path with foxgloves and hardy geraniums, letting the hand-painted blooms echo an old Irish cottage palette – ideal for romantically minded gardeners.
- Urban Welcome Strip – line a short Dublin front wall with a repeat of PICASSO™ and low evergreen edging, creating a cheerful, professional-looking entrance that needs little attention – ideal for busy commuters.
- Painter’s Colour Block – plant a bold drift of PICASSO™ with white daisies and soft grasses, using its striped blooms as the focal “brush strokes” in a loose canvas of texture – ideal for creative planters.
- Family-Friendly Mix – combine PICASSO™ with tough shrubs like Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’ and fragrant herbs so children can explore colour and scent in a robust, easy-care setting – ideal for young families.
- Balcony Feature Pot – give one PICASSO™ a 50 litre container, underplant with trailing thyme and lobelia, and enjoy months of patterned flowers from a single, manageable display – ideal for small-space gardeners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose, registered as MACpic, marketed as PICASSO™ in the Hand-painted roses collection; cluster-flowered exhibition floribunda suitable for beds and borders. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Samuel Darragh McGredy IV, McGredy Roses International, from ‘Marlena’ and complex hybrid parentage; introduced and registered in 1971, with breeding work completed in the late 1960s. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds significant honours including RNRS Certificate of Merit and Belfast Special Prize in 1970, plus the Gold Star of the South Pacific from the New Zealand Rose Society in 1973. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, medium-height shrub reaching about 65–85 cm tall and 50–75 cm wide, with moderately dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and a moderately thorny framework suited to bedding uses. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, cup-shaped blooms of 4–7 cm, opening flatter in clusters; around 13–20 petals; remontant with a generous second flush, on branching stems ideal for repeat garden colour. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Cherry-red petals with a white base and pink-red streaks; ARS code pb, RHS 53C and 155D; colours fade towards pink and cream as blooms open, while the distinctive striping pattern remains visible. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild fragrance, subtly noticeable at close range rather than at distance, complementing the strong visual effect of the patterned petals without overwhelming mixed plantings or small enclosed spaces. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rosehip production is generally sparse; occasional small spherical hips 6–10 mm across may form, maturing to orange-red, but they do not significantly feature in the plant’s ornamental impact. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; reliably hardy to about -21 to -18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zone 3) with moderate heat tolerance needing watering in prolonged drought. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers sunny positions and well-drained soil; plant at 35–65 cm spacing depending on use; suitable for beds, borders, parks and mass plantings, with generally low maintenance once established. |
PICASSO™ offers distinctive hand-painted flowers, dependable repeat blooming and long-lived own-root resilience, making it a thoughtful choice if you wish to enjoy artistic colour with reassuringly simple care.
