RECONCILIATION® – apricot-pink hybrid tea rose – Harkness
Step outside after rain and let RECONCILIATION® surround you with peach-soft colour and a honeyed breeze, even when summers feel cool and short and the light is always shifting through Irish clouds. Large, classic blooms unfold in waves from late spring to autumn, offering easy cut stems for the house and an elegant focal point in the front garden. Own-root plants settle in reliably, building long-lived stability and quiet endurance rather than demanding fuss, with each year bringing deeper roots, stronger shoots and more abundant flowering. With a naturally upright habit that fits small and medium gardens, this rose suits beginners, busy families and anyone who simply wants to plant, enjoy, and feel quietly content.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front-of-house specimen by a path or doorway |
The upright, tidy bush reaches roughly 90–130 cm, so it sits beautifully beside a gate or front step without overwhelming a small Irish garden. Strong, repeat-flowering peach-pink blooms create a welcoming focal point with minimal shaping, suiting the needs of the busy homeowner. |
| Traditional Irish cottage-style bed |
Very double, cottagey flowers repeat generously through the season, giving that romantic, “girly” soft look against stone, gravel or picket fencing. Once established, own-root plants regenerate well from the base, supporting a long-lived, evolving planting in a relaxed border for the cottage-garden lover. |
| Small Dublin terrace front garden |
The bushy yet upright habit and moderate spread (around 60–90 cm) mean it fits neatly into tight urban beds or kerbside strips. With good colour retention and long-lasting blooms, the plant looks composed between weekly garden sessions for the time-pressed city dweller. |
| Cut-flower corner in a mixed border |
Long, strong stems and large, cup-shaped blooms with 40+ petals are ideal for vases. Regular cutting doubles as light pruning, encouraging new flowering shoots and keeping the plant productive over many months, rewarding the home flower-arranger. |
| Scent-focused seating area or patio edge |
The very strong, garden-filling fragrance with peachy, honeyed notes is best appreciated near a bench or terrace. In sheltered spots the scent lingers after light showers and evening damp, turning short outdoor pauses into small rituals for the fragrance enthusiast. |
| Feature rose in a large container |
In a 40–50 litre (or larger) pot with good drainage, this variety forms an elegant, upright shrub that’s easy to tend from a patio or balcony. Container growing also helps manage heavier Irish clay and rainfall for the balcony or courtyard gardener. |
| Structured rose-and-perennial border |
The consistent hybrid tea shape and repeat flowering add rhythm and height among perennials like Iris germanica or silvery Artemisia. In our cool, occasionally wet climate, its moderate disease resistance performs best with airy spacing and mulched soil for the practical planner. |
| Long-term family garden planting |
With own-root vigour and hardy performance down to around -21 °C, the shrub is well suited to maturing alongside a family; steady root growth, then stronger shoots, then full ornamental presence help it thrive even where summers feel cool and short for the long-view gardener. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Glow – Combine RECONCILIATION® with lavender, catmint and low daisies for a peachy, scented cottage border in front of stone walls – perfect for cottage owners wanting soft romance.
- Terrace-Jewel – Plant one rose in a large charcoal or terracotta pot (40–50 litres) with trailing thyme around the base to frame a front door – ideal for terrace residents seeking tidy impact.
- Pastel-Path – Repeat three shrubs along a path, underplant with evergreen St John’s-wort and pale foxgloves for gentle colour waves – suited to families who like an easy, storybook walkway.
- Scent-Nook – Place a pair beside a bench with airy grasses and white campanulas so evening fragrance and movement blend together – made for fragrance-lovers creating a quiet retreat.
- Cutting-Row – Line a sunny bed with RECONCILIATION® and mix in tall irises for structure and handy, long-stemmed blooms for the vase – ideal for hobby florists wanting reliable cutting material.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as HARtillery, marketed as RECONCILIATION® Hybrid tea rose HARtillery, ARS exhibition name Reconciliation; tea-hybrid garden and show variety in the Rós taehibride group. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred and introduced by R. Harkness & Co. Ltd. in the United Kingdom, 1995; parentage unrecorded, selected for refined hybrid tea form, colour stability and reliable remontant flowering for garden and cutting use. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy shrub typically 90–130 cm high and 60–90 cm wide, moderately dense, glossy dark green foliage, moderately thorny canes; requires occasional deadheading as spent blooms do not self-clean well. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, cup-shaped blooms with 40+ petals, borne mostly solitary on stems, flower diameter about 7–10 cm; remontant habit with an abundant second flush and further waves given regular deadheading and feeding. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm peach-pink blend; buds deep peach-orange, opening to peach then pastel cream-peach with creamy-yellow centre and pink edges, ARS ab, RHS 24B outer / 24A inner, colour holds well with gentle fading over time. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, garden-filling scent with peachy, honeyed character; best appreciated in still air and mild temperatures; fragrance noticeable both on the plant and indoors as a cut flower, especially from fully opened blooms. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hip set is typically low due to strongly double flowers; where formed, hips are spherical, red, around 12–18 mm diameter, contributing modest late-season interest without significant self-seeding. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about -21 to -18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3); disease resistance moderate overall, good against black spot, moderate for mildew and rust; prefers sunny, airy sites with regular watering in dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil; spacing 50 cm in beds, 40 cm in hedges, 80 cm as specimen; plant 3.6–4.2 plants/m² for mass effect; suitable for 40–50 litre containers with consistent moisture and feeding. |
RECONCILIATION® offers richly scented, repeat-flowering peach-pink blooms on a long-lived own-root shrub that settles in reliably over time; a thoughtful choice if you want dependable beauty without complicated care.
