Rosa Eleganza Antique Oh Happy Day

The Eleganza® Antique® Oh Happy Day® 'Koroligeo' Large Flowered Rose Bush is a beautiful hybrid tea variety that produces bouquets of flowers from May to October. Very double, with a turbinated centre, sometimes double or even triple, the roses combine the aesthetics of an old rose with a modern apricot colour. The dark green foliage of this bush rose is exceptionally resistant to diseases, providing a contrasting backdrop to highlight the vibrant flowering. Stunning in borders or groups, it can also be grown in containers and will produce beautiful bouquets with a light fragrance.

The Oh Happy Day® 'Koroligeo' rose, introduced to the market in 2015, is part of the Eleganza range by Kordes Rosen. Located in the far north of Germany, it is one of the largest rose producers in Europe. This rose has received the demanding German ADR label. Varieties are evaluated in real conditions, without any sanitary treatment for three years, and under various growing conditions. They are judged on their beauty, flowering, fragrance, colour, vegetation, habit, hardiness, growth, and resistance to fungal diseases.

Medium-sized, this rose forms a 1.20m (4ft) tall and 70cm (28in) wide bush. It has foliage composed of an odd number of leaflets, with a dark green colour and a glossy surface, remaining healthy throughout the season. 'Oh Happy Day' is exceptionally resistant to powdery mildew, a fungus that forms a white felt on the leaves, and very resistant to rust and black spot disease, both of which create unsightly blotches on the leaves and weaken the plant. From May to October, large roses with a diameter of 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) bloom in clusters at the ends of the stems. These double flowers, which usually have 50 to 55 petals, are often polymorphous. Some have the classic shape of hybrid teas, with petals that become increasingly imbricated towards the centre. Others reveal the stamens as they mature, while some have two or even three turbinated centres, creating an original and simply delightful pattern. Although the flowers have an average lifespan, they regularly renew themselves, especially if faded ones are removed. The original colour of this rose greatly contributes to its charm. The centre of the roses has an apricot hue that lightens as it reaches the outer petals, which take on a cream colour or sometimes a pale pink hue. The apricot centre can also blend with yellow, creating a delightful colour scheme. Slightly fragrant, the roses are ideal for making bouquets, as they are often already grouped in corymbs on the stem.

Combining the romantic charm of old varieties with disease resistance, the 'Oh Happy Day' rose is an excellent choice for the garden. It can be planted in various borders, paired with blue-flowering plants. The striking Iris germanica 'Gnu Blues', with its randomly striped blue flowers, will create an original scene in spring. For summer, Caryopteris clandonensis 'Thetis' will also be an excellent choice. Of course, white flowers will complement these colour combinations, such as those of Gaura lindheimeri 'Elegance', which are gathered in graceful spikes and sway in the wind from June to September. In the background, you can also plant a bush such as the Philadelphus 'Virginal', with its fragrant white flowers in June-July.