Rosa "Burgundy Ice", 2 l pot

• Type: floribunda rose
• Botanical name: Rosa 'Burgundy Ice'
• Origin: discovered by Edgar Norman Swane (Australia, 1998) as a sport in the 'Iceberg' family; registered as PROse, also sold as 'Burgundy Iceberg'
• Height and spread: 75–100 cm tall, 80–100 cm wide
• Flowering: repeat flowering in flushes from June until frost; deep burgundy to plum-purple, semi-double to double flowers (26–40 petals) about 9 cm across with a paler reverse, in small clusters
• Fragrance: light fragrance
• Light: full sun, at least 6 hours a day
• Soil: fertile, loose, loamy, pH 6–6.5, free-draining
• Hardiness: USDA 6b; RHS H6; rated RHS H6, hardy throughout northern Europe; in Estonia mounding the base and spruce boughs are recommended
• Disease resistance: good health like the whole 'Iceberg' family, nearly thornless stems
• Use: beds, low hedges, containers, contrast with white and silver plants
• Size: potted rose plant

Planting. Potted roses can be planted from spring to early October. Choose a sunny spot (at least 6 hours of sun a day) with good air flow and fertile, loose, loamy, slightly acid soil (pH 6–6.5) that does not stay waterlogged. Dig a 50×50 cm hole and set the graft union 3–5 cm below the surface. Space plants 40–50 cm apart.

Watering and feeding. Water deeply but infrequently — 10–15 L per plant once or twice a week in dry spells, at the base, not over the leaves. Feed with a nitrogen or complete rose fertiliser in spring, a complete feed in June–July, and from late July only potassium and phosphorus without nitrogen so the stems ripen before winter. A compost mulch keeps the soil moist.

Care. In spring shorten stems by a third to a half and remove weak, old and frost-damaged wood. In summer remove spent clusters entirely so the bush reflowers sooner. In late October–November, after the first frosts, mound the base with soil or compost 20–25 cm high and cover with spruce boughs; remove the cover gradually in April.

Gardener's tip. Rated RHS H6, hardy throughout northern Europe; in Estonia mounding the base and spruce boughs are recommended. To keep 'Burgundy Ice' healthy (good health like the whole 'Iceberg' family, nearly thornless stems), plant it in an open, airy spot and clear fallen leaves in autumn.