Rosa Velasquez

Rosa Velasquez expresses the baroque spirit of the great Spanish master, admired for his ability to capture natural light. Its purple-pink roses washed with red and lilac reflections, combine fragrance, beauty, generosity, and robustness. Awarded for its numerous qualities, this variety reblooms until autumn. Naturally resistant to diseases, it requires little maintenance. It is perfect in a small hedge, in a bed, or near a patio. Its cut flowes are sublime in a vase.

Rosa Velasquez was created by Meilland. It can boast the following awards: Silver Medal Nagaoka 2017, 1st Prize Grouped Flowers SNHF 2020, 1st Prize all regions and Perfume Prize AGRS (American Garden Rose Selections) 2020, John Cecil Honour Prize, Biltmore (USA) 2020. It is a classic hybrid tea rose. The plant forms an upright, ramified bush, with vigorous and rapid growth. It will measure between 90cm (35in) and 1.50m (5ft) in height, with a spread of 55 to 65cm (22 to 26in). From May-June, it produces roses with a diameter of 13cm (5in). At first, the centre is turbinate. Then the flower opens, taking on a more blurred shape. Each rose is composed of about forty velvety-textured petals, with curled edges, arranged very regularly. Their colour, almost indefinable, wavers between a very bright purple-pink and cherry-red enhanced with lilac reflections. Their pronounced fragrance recalls that of tea roses. These flowers are solitary, carried by long stems. The flowers will bloom until late in the season. This rose has excellent disease resistance. The dark green deciduous foliage falls in autumn. Repeat-flowering roses give their best when planted in rich, deep soil that does not dry out too much in summer.

With its refined fragrance and long stems, Rosa Velasquez works wonders in a vase. It will look wonderful in a large rose bed, at the front of a shrub bed, or as a solitary plant in a well-maintained small garden. The intense colour of its flowers goes well with pastel blooms, as well as the whole range of blues, purples, and violets. Consider planting it near easy-to-grow plants such as Chinese peonies, perennial geraniums, campanulas, catmints, perennial salvias, and foxgloves. Dwarf buddleias also make lovely companions for bush roses. Its flowers can be used to create elegant bouquets that will delicately perfume the house.