Rosa x floribunda Ville de Saumur - Floribunda Rose

The clustered flower Rose 'Ville de Saumur', recently introduced to the French horticultural market, already has an impressive record that could almost make it the successor to the famous 'Queen Elisabeth' rose in the hearts of gardeners. This bush resembles it with its generous turbinate double cups of a deep pink colour, but this one carries them in charming bouquets on a more compact, harmonious vegetation, devoid of the appearance, too rigid and difficult  to integrate into the garden, that is often criticised in its elder. In addition to all these qualities, it has an excellent disease resistance and a very perpetual character from the beginning of summer to the first cold. An excellent variety in every way!

The 'Ville de Saumur' Rose (also marketed under the name 'You're Beautiful'), is a creation by Gareth Fryer (UK), dating back to 2007, introduced in 2013. It was elected "Flower of the Year in England" and "Favorite Rose" of the 8th Grand Prix de la Rose National Horticultural Society of France. This variety quickly forms an upright and rounded bush with spiny stems, measuring approximately 80 cm (32in) in height and 70 cm (28in) in diameter. It is vigorous and covered with abundant deciduous and very healthy foliage, cut into large leaflets, of a beautiful satin dark green. Its flowering is particularly abundant from May until October-November. Its corollas, of a good size for a floribunda rose, have 17 to 25 petals, they are turbinate at blooming, then open in a more informal way. They are gathered in bouquets of 3 to 5 flowers on the current year's stems. The almost red and tightly closed buds give flowers of a pure and warm pink, a fairly intense shade that fades a little into a pale pink on the periphery of the flower.

Floribunda roses allow for beautiful small hedges, planted mixed at the edge of the terrace or in small shrub beds. Combine them with dwarf abelias, deutzia, or caryopteris for example. They are good companions for peonies, paniculate phlox, and tall gypsophilias. The modest size and the resistance of 'Ville de Saumur' and its floribundity make it an interesting variety for all gardens, even small ones, as well as for growing in large pots. Its use is versatile, according to the desires of each gardener: in a rose bed, in the company of white varieties ('Marie Pavie', 'Swanny'), or mauve ones ('Blue Boy', 'Rhapsody in Blu', 'Love Song', 'Pacific Dream, or mixed with easy-to-grow perennials such as hardy geraniums, small-flowered carnations or blue asters. And its roses are adorable in bouquets.