Rosa "Brocèliande", 2 l ruukku

• Type: hybrid tea rose, repeat-flowering
• Botanical name: Rosa 'Brocéliande' (ADAterhuit)
• Breeder: Michel Adam, France, 1997–2000
• Height and spread: 85–120 cm / 50–70 cm
• Flowering: June–October, repeat; 8–10 cm very double pink blooms striped red, cream and yellow
• Fragrance: strong, old rose with fruity notes
• Light: full sun
• Soil: fertile, loose, loamy, well-drained
• Hardiness: about −23 °C (USDA 6a); needs winter protection in Estonia
• Disease resistance: high
• Use: rose beds, mixed borders, cut flowers
• Size: potted rose plant

Planting. Choose a sunny, airy spot (at least 6 hours of sun a day) with fertile, loose, loamy soil that never stays waterlogged, pH 6–7. Dig a hole about 50×50 cm and add compost or well-rotted manure at the bottom. Set the graft union 3–5 cm below soil level – in the Estonian climate this protects it in winter. A potted plant can be planted throughout the season, from May to September; space plants 50–60 cm apart.

Watering and feeding. Water deeply but not too often – 10–15 l per plant once a week, more often in hot weather, ideally in the morning and at the base without wetting the leaves. In spring give a nitrogen-rich or complete rose fertiliser, again a complete feed when the buds form and after the first flush, and from mid-July only potassium-phosphorus feed without nitrogen so the shoots ripen before winter.

Care. In spring, as the buds swell, remove frost-damaged and weak shoots and cut strong ones back to 3–5 buds. In summer deadhead to the first developed leaf. After rain gently shake the heavy double blooms so the petals do not rot. For winter, once light frosts have set in (around −5 °C, usually late October–November), mound dry soil or compost 20–25 cm high around the base and cover with spruce branches or horticultural fleece; remove the cover gradually in April.

Gardener's tip. The striped pattern of 'Brocéliande' differs on every bloom – plant it in a prominent spot by a path where you can study the flowers and enjoy the scent.