CECIL DE VOLANGES – pale pink nostalgia rose - Kimura
Step out to meet soft light and gentle colour with CECIL DE VOLANGES, a romantic shrub rose whose rosette blooms shift from pearly pink to almost white, echoing a cottage walk in drizzle where foliage glistens after showers and breezes carry a hint of sea air and rainfall. Its clusters of large, very double flowers create a nostalgic mood, ideal beside a small gate, low wall or path in a Dublin terrace or Irish village garden, where you can enjoy its remontant flushes from early summer into autumn. As an own‑root shrub, it settles in steadily for long-term stability, rewarding patient planting as roots establish, then shoots build up, and by the third year it reaches its full character in your family garden.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal shrub |
CECIL DE VOLANGES forms a compact, upright shrub, around 85–115 cm high and 40–60 cm wide, perfect for a single statement beside a front door or bay window without overwhelming a small Irish garden. The controlled size keeps paths clear while still looking generous in bloom, suiting beginners. |
| Cottage-style mixed border |
The very double, rosette flowers and soft pastel colour give a romantic, old-world look that blends beautifully with traditional cottage plants such as foxgloves, hardy geraniums and soft grasses. This nostalgic character helps create a storybook feel along stone walls or picket fences, especially appreciated by romantics. |
| Season-long repeat flowering bed |
Remontant flowering means the shrub blooms in waves from early summer, with a particularly generous second flush that keeps borders from looking bare, even in shorter Irish summers. Regular deadheading and feeding keep the cycles going, rewarding those who enjoy ongoing colour, including colour-lovers. |
| Lightly scented seating area |
The fragrance is gentle and fresh rather than overpowering, with a soft rosy character that sits comfortably near a seat, doorway or path where you pass close by. It adds a refined background scent that never dominates, especially pleasant for fragrance-sensitive. |
| Own-root long-term planting |
Supplied on its own roots, this rose can live and perform for many years without worrying about graft failure, giving a steadier shape and the ability to regenerate from the base if winter or pruning are a little harsh. That long-lived reliability particularly benefits busy-owners. |
| Clay-soil family garden bed |
Once planted into well-prepared, free-draining clay with added organic matter and a surface mulch, this shrub builds a stable root system that supports strong top growth, even where soils are heavy and wet in winter; such practical resilience suits typical-gardens. |
| Small informal hedge or edging |
Planted at about 30 cm centres, its compact habit and repeated flowering can define the edge of a path or separate a play area from a flower border, giving soft structure without harsh lines. The pale blooms reflect light on grey days, appreciated by family-gardeners. |
| Wildlife-friendly pastel border |
Although the flowers are very double, their clusters and partially visible stamens still offer some interest to visiting insects, and you can underplant with blue sedges, penstemons and dwarf marigolds to increase nectar choice, echoing a soft, breezy Atlantic garden for nature-lovers. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage Gate Charm – Plant CECIL DE VOLANGES on either side of a low gate with foxgloves and blue sedge to frame the entrance in soft, romantic pastels – ideal for village and cottage-front owners.
- Dublin Terrace Welcome – Use one shrub in a 40–50 litre container by the front step, underplant with dwarf marigolds for contrast and enjoy a gentle, scented welcome – perfect for city terrace residents.
- Pastel Ribbon Hedge – Create a low hedge along a path at 30 cm spacing, weaving in penstemons for deeper tones and a loose, storybook look – appealing to informal-border gardeners.
- Reading-Corner Rose – Position a single shrub near a bench, with soft grasses and lavender for movement and a mild fragrance while you sit and unwind – suited to quiet-evening gardeners.
- Romantic Feature Bed – Make a circular bed around a small tree, ringed with CECIL DE VOLANGES and pale perennials, to create a gentle focal point – great for homeowners seeking a central garden highlight.
Technical cultivar profile
| Aspect |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Trade name CECIL DE VOLANGES – pale pink nostalgia rose – Kimura; shrub rose in the Romantic rose collection; commercial group Rós rómánsúil; registered cultivar name not published. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Takunori Kimura for Keisei Rose Nursery, Japan; breeding, introduction and registration all dated 2011; parentage unknown; developed as a nostalgic-style shrub rose. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Compact shrub, around 85–115 cm high and 40–60 cm wide; moderately dense, mid-green, slightly glossy foliage; growth upright yet bushy; moderately thorny stems suit beds, borders and specimen use. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, 7–10 cm, very double rosette blooms with 40+ petals; carried in clusters; remontant with an abundant second flush; overall effect is full and romantic, suited to ornamental display rather than cutting. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Pale pastel pink, ARS LP, RHS 65C outer, 65D inner; buds soft pearly pink, opening medium pink and fading to near white; colour retention moderate; changing tones give layered interest through the bloom life. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild, fresh rosy fragrance, noticeable at close range without being intense; suitable near entrances, paths and seating where a subtle scent is preferred over strong perfume; no specific cosmetic use recorded. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces moderate numbers of small, spherical hips, about 6–10 mm in diameter; hips turn red as they mature, adding discreet autumn interest without dominating the shrub’s overall appearance. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Winter hardy to around −21 to −18 °C, corresponding to RHS H7, Swedish Zone 3 and USDA Zone 6b; disease resistance weak, very susceptible to powdery mildew and black spot, moderate to rust, so needs protection. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in fertile, well-drained soil, pH 6–7; position in sun with air movement; spacing 35 cm in beds, 30 cm for hedging, 55 cm for specimens; higher-maintenance type needing regular spraying and attentive care. |
CECIL DE VOLANGES offers romantic pastel blooms, a compact shape and repeat flowering on a dependable own-root shrub, making it a refined choice for gardeners who enjoy tending a distinctive, long-lived rose.
