Rosa x floribunda - 'Folle Framboise' - Shrub Rose

The Rose 'Folle Framboise' lives up to its name with its multiple clusters of flowers, starting as a deep pink and then turning into a raspberry pink. This range of vibrant colours irresistibly captivates the eye and pleases the sense of smell with a pleasant fragrance. Throughout the summer, the double roses bloom continuously against dark foliage that serves as their backdrop. Its compactness makes it a perfect plant for borders and allows it to be grown in pots on a terrace, enhancing the space beautifully. This recent variety has proven to be resistant to diseases.

The Rose 'Folle Framboise' or 'VEL16fkate' is a superb recent creation from the Belgian nursery Lens, introduced to the market in 2020. As a major member of the Rosaceae family, the genus Rosa is rich in numerous botanical species and many horticultural hybrids classified into major categories. Folle Framboise belongs to the floribunda roses group, with flowers grouped in large corymbs at the end of young shoots.

Very compact, this rose forms a clump that reaches a height of 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) and an approximate spread of 50 cm (20in). It is adorned with beautiful glossy dark green foliage, divided into leaflets with an odd number and resistant to the usual rose diseases. Remaining healthy, it provides a perfect dark background to highlight the flowering.

Flowering begins in June until the first frost in October or beyond. Very floriferous, the plant forms clusters of ramified bouquets that can carry up to 25 flowers! Medium-sized, about 6 cm (2in) in diameter, these flowers are double and have about twenty petals. They form a slightly tousled cup, revealing the golden stamens in the centre of the corolla. Their colour evolves as they mature, starting with deep pink tones close to carmine red, then gradually lightening and turning into an attractive raspberry pink. These shades of colour coexist within the generous bouquets, creating a dynamic harmony that leaves no one indifferent. Folle Framboise is a favourite rose, loved for its joyful colours, pleasant and subtle fragrance, and constantly renewed flowers. The foliage also evolves, from bronze in spring to dark green at maturity, while the stems take on a lovely mahogany brown hue.

'Folle Framboise' brings a cheerfulness to the garden and can even be grown in pots on a terrace or balcony, thanks to its compact size. In the garden, it can create a low hedge or be integrated into the foreground of a mixed border. Plant low-growing perennials, such as the Sand Pink (Dianthus arenarius), with its airy fringed white flowers that bloom throughout the summer at its base. If you prefer yellow, the Greek St. John's Wort (Hypericum olympicum) will charm you with its fine and highly graphic grey-green foliage and many bright yellow flowers from May to July. In slightly moister soil, create an original foliage contrast by choosing the Ajuga Petite Parakeet, a creeping Bugle with elongated golden foliage that turns lemon green over time. In the background of Folle Framboise, plant ornamental shrubs and extend the flowering season into early spring with the Mikador Forsythia, a compact Mimosa that bursts into a profusion of yellow flowers in March.