SIMONE VEIL – red hybrid tea rose – Orard
Step outside for a few quiet minutes with Simone Veil and you are greeted by large, velvety, ruby-red blooms and a spicy tea-like scent that makes even a short walk under soft rain feel special, gently brightening everyday moods. Bred in France as a premium hybrid tea, it offers a reassuringly upright habit that fits neatly into cottage beds and Dublin front gardens alike, while its repeat-flowering rhythm keeps colour coming back through our shorter Irish summers. As an own-root rose, it builds strength steadily for a long, reliable life, from settling its roots in year one to fuller shoots in year two and rich, showpiece blooms by year three. With steady flowering and an easy-to-prune structure, it suits busy home gardeners who want handsome, fragrant flowers without complicated routines, even where frequent showers and mild air mean you value roses that cope well with moist, changeable weather.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front-of-house statement rose by the door |
The upright, compact habit (80–110 cm) makes Simone Veil an elegant, tidy presence beside a path or doorway, giving you large, florist-style blooms where you see them every day, with simple pruning keeping the shape balanced for busy homeowners. |
| Romantic Irish cottage garden bed |
Deep ruby-red, velvety flowers and high-centred buds bring classic romance into mixed cottage borders, pairing beautifully with foxgloves and hostas while repeating strongly through the season for continuous colour treasured by nature-loving gardeners. |
| Cutting patch for home bouquets |
Originally bred as a cut-flower type, this hybrid tea produces long, straight stems with high-centred blooms and a strong spicy tea fragrance, giving you armfuls of classic red roses to cut and enjoy indoors, ideal for creative florists-at-home. |
| Own-root long-term feature in a family garden |
Grown on its own roots, the plant develops into a durable, regenerating shrub that keeps its character even after hard pruning or weather setbacks, offering stable ornamental value year after year, appealing to long-view gardeners. |
| Large container on terrace or small patio |
In a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage and regular watering, the dense foliage and repeat-flowering ruby blooms create a lush focal point for compact outdoor spaces, ideal where ground planting is limited for urban balcony-owners. |
| Family flower bed with straightforward care |
Medium maintenance needs and moderate disease resistance mean basic deadheading and occasional spraying are enough to keep the plant looking well, suiting those who prefer clear, simple tasks over intensive grooming, perfect for time-pressed beginners. |
| Mixed border coping with wet, mild conditions |
This rose performs reliably in typical Irish gardens, handling damp, breezy weather where frequent showers and soft light dominate, as long as soil drainage is reasonable, making it a sound choice for coastal-climate gardeners. |
| Scented seating-area backdrop |
The strong, spicy, tea-like fragrance travels well in still evening air, so a small group planted behind a bench or on a terrace edge surrounds you with perfume all summer, bringing everyday luxury within reach of fragrance enthusiasts. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Romantic Row – Plant a loose row of Simone Veil along a low fence, underplanting with foxgloves and hardy geraniums for a soft, romantic cottage look – for nostalgic cottage-garden admirers.
- Doorstep Welcome – Place two plants as matching accents either side of your front path, combined with evergreen box balls to frame the entrance with year-round structure and summer fragrance – for smart city-front gardeners.
- Patio Feature Pot – Grow one plant in a 40–50 litre terracotta container with trailing lobelia and ivy to soften the rim, creating a richly scented focal point beside garden seating – for balcony and terrace users.
- Cutting-Strip Border – Line a sunny strip with evenly spaced plants at about 75 cm, keeping the bed mulched for easy access to straight stems and long-lasting blooms for vases – for home bouquet makers.
- Evening Perfume Corner – Combine Simone Veil with pale hostas and white flowering perennials near a bench, letting the dark foliage and red blooms glow at dusk while scent carries through the space – for evening garden relaxers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Aspect |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as ORAcolhac, marketed as Simone Veil Parfums de Lyon ORAcolhac; premium silver merit rating and verified authenticity for antoniarose.ie own-root production. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Pierre Orard, Roseraies Orard, France; introduced and registered in 2015, with parentage not publicly disclosed; developed within the Parfums de Lyon collection for scented garden and cutting use. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recipient of the Prix du Public at the 2015 International New Roses Competition in Barcelona, reflecting strong public appreciation of its colour, flower form and fragrance combination. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea shrub reaching 80–110 cm high and 45–60 cm wide, with dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and moderate thorns; forms a tidy, vertical accent in beds or larger containers. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, large flowers 7–10 cm across with 40 or more petals; high-centred, pointed buds in classic cut-rose style; borne mostly in small clusters on strong stems, repeat-flowering freely after the main flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep ruby red with velvety surface; RHS 46A outer and 46B inner petals, only slightly fading towards crimson with a darker edge as blooms age, maintaining an even, rich tone through the flowering period. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, noticeable scent with a spicy, tea-like character; fragrance is evident in the garden and in the vase, especially in warm, still weather, enhancing its value as both a garden and cutting variety. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasionally sets ovoid, egg-shaped hips 12–16 mm in diameter; red coloured and decorative in autumn, though usually limited in number due to the fullness of the double flowers. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (H7, USDA 6b); moderate resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust, benefiting from good air circulation, mulch and periodic preventative treatments in damp seasons. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers full sun and fertile, well-drained soil; plant 40 cm apart in beds or 75 cm as specimens, using mulch to protect roots on heavier clays and regular watering in warm spells, especially in containers. |
SIMONE VEIL offers velvety red, strongly scented blooms, repeat flowering and durable own-root growth in everyday gardens; a thoughtful choice if you would like reliable romance with manageable care.
