Rosa Oranges and Lemons - Floribunda Rose

The Oranges and Lemons Rose, created in New Zealand by the rosarian McGredy in 1993,  is a flamboyant cluster-flowered rose, disease-free, ideal for adding a colourful touch to dull borders. This bush with a gracefully languid habit produces bouquets of semi-double to double flowers, of a good size for a floribunda, entirely and randomly streaked with shades of apricot, peach, bright orange, and lemon yellow, each with its own personality. It goes as far as adorning itself with mahogany-coloured foliage, a colour that is also found on its flower buds. It is a whimsical and endearing rose, unique in its kind,  to be highlighted in the garden or in a large pot on the terrace.

The Oranges and Lemons ('Macoranlem') Rose forms, in a few years, a not very tall but sturdy bush, with a spreading, fountain-like habit, which can also be trained as a small climber reaching 1.80m (6ft) in mild climates. It is made up of thorny and flexible stems that frequently arch under the weight of the flowers, reaching an average height of 75 cm (30in) with a spread of 70 cm (28in). The plant is adorned with perfectly healthy and highly ornamental foliage, starting out red and gradually tinting with brown, mahogany, and shiny dark green in summer. It blooms abundantly from June to September. Its wide corollas, measuring 10-12 cm (4-5in), are double, somewhat loose, gathered in bouquets of 5 to 7 flowers. The tightly closed buds open into round, slightly flattened cups, with 30 to 35 petals splashed with different shades of orange, from bright orange to peach and salmon, yellow, and cream, sometimes fading and turning pink over time, with colour variations from one flower to another. Their fruity fragrance is light. This variety apparently tolerates both cold and heat, but is susceptible to rain.

Floribunda roses are perfect for creating beautiful small hedges, planted mixed at the edge of the terrace or in beds with small shrubs. Combine them with abelias, nandinas, or caryopteris, for example. They are good companions for phlox paniculata and tall baby's breath. The medium size and unique personality of Oranges and Lemons make it an interesting variety for all gardens, even small ones, and for growing in large pots. Its uses are varied, according to the desires of each gardener: in a monochrome rose bed, composed of three plants, as its color can be difficult to match, or in the company of white varieties ('Marie Pavie', 'Swanny'). It pairs well with light and easy-to-grow plants such as perennial geraniums, English carnations, or asters. And its roses are beautiful in bouquets.