CARINA® – pink hybrid tea rose - Meilland
Step onto your front path after the rain and CARINA® greets you with fragrance that feels both classic and calming, its clear mid-pink blooms held on tidy, upright stems above dark green foliage. Bred by Meilland in 1963, this ADR-recognised hybrid tea rose brings proven reliability to compact London terraces and family gardens, coping well with breezy conditions and typical British showers in heavier soils that need thoughtful drainage. Once-blooming but intensely rewarding, its long, elegant flowers open in succession across the early summer weeks, ideal for cutting without leaving gaps outside. As an own-root plant, it offers reassuring longevity, steady shape and easy regeneration if winter or pruning are a little harsh, supporting low-input, sustainable gardening over many years. Give it a bright spot with some afternoon shade, water with collected rain where possible, and enjoy how it settles in: first building roots, then stronger shoots, and by the third year delivering its full ornamental impact with minimal effort from you.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Front garden focal rose |
The upright habit and high-centred hybrid tea blooms make a clear, elegant focus by a gate or front window, offering formal structure without needing constant shaping or staking, ideal for busy yet style-conscious homeowners. |
| Cutting for the vase |
Long, straight stems with solitary, exhibition-quality flowers provide dependable material for indoor arrangements, so you can cut regularly in season without complex care routines or specialist pruning, well suited to creative but time-poor urbanites. |
| Low-maintenance rose border |
Good disease resistance and modest self-cleaning reduce the need for spraying or laborious deadheading, fitting neatly into sustainable, low-input borders where you prefer observing rather than constantly working, appreciated by relaxed gardeners. |
| Once-a-year summer show |
A single, concentrated flush turns early summer into a clear highlight, allowing easy planning around school holidays and social events, with little ongoing deadheading afterwards, perfect for family-focused planners. |
| Small urban lawn edge |
Compact height and 50–70 cm spread give a neat outline along lawns or paths, supplying colour and scent without overwhelming narrow spaces or demanding frequent clipping, ideal for modest city plots and terrace-front owners. |
| Heavy-soil, rain-fed beds |
Once established, the robust root system and proven garden performance cope well with typical UK rain and winds when basic drainage is provided, working harmoniously with rainwater-saving habits for environmentally aware beginners. |
| Own-root longevity planting |
Being on its own roots means stable regrowth from the base after hard winters or pruning errors, supporting a long-lived planting that keeps its character over decades with light annual care, reassuring for cautious starters. |
| Partial-shade mixed planting |
Tolerance of partial shade lets it flower reliably in east- or west-facing spots, integrating among perennials where full sun is limited but you still want classic roses, especially useful for densely built-up neighbourhood residents. |
Styling ideas
- Terrace-Theatre – Place CARINA® as a single specimen in a 50–60 litre container framed by box or low yew, so the pink blooms and strong scent greet you at the door – ideal for London terrace homeowners.
- Girly-Border – Combine with soft mauve nepeta, pink astrantia and airy grasses for a romantic, “girly” frontage that still reads smart and modern – perfect for style-led small-garden keepers.
- Rain-Garden – Plant in a slightly raised bed with gravelled channels leading from downpipes, underplanting with lavender and sage to enjoy fragrance while making use of stored rainwater – suited to eco-conscious city dwellers.
- Cutting-Strip – Line a narrow, sunny side return path with CARINA® alternating with white gaura, creating a slim cutting garden that doubles as a scented walkway – attractive for creative flower arrangers.
- Calm-Corner – In a quiet seating nook, pair with silver artemisia and white obedient plant for a soothing pink-and-silver palette with classic perfume – designed for relaxation-seeking evening gardeners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Feature | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose from the Meilland breeding programme, registered as MEIchim and marketed as CARINA®, also recognised under the American Rose Society exhibition name ‘Carina’. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alain Meilland (France) from ‘White Knight’ × (‘Happiness’ × ‘Independence’), introduced by Conard-Pyle (Star Roses) in 1963, representing classic florist-type hybrid tea genetics. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds ADR certification from 1966, reflecting strong garden performance and resilience, and received First Prize in Genoa in 1966, confirming its ornamental quality and exhibition value. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush 80–110 cm high and 50–70 cm wide, moderately thorny with medium-dense, dark green foliage; suitable spacing 50–90 cm depending on use and 2.8–3.2 plants/m² in mass plantings. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very double, high-centred blooms with 40+ petals on mostly solitary stems, classic pointed buds and a pronounced hybrid tea form; non-remontant, providing one main but extended flowering period. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Clear, vivid mid-pink (RHS 55B–55C) with excellent colour retention, buds deep pink, then pure mid-pink at full bloom, lightening slightly to powder-pink before petal drop, even in stronger sunlight. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, classic rose fragrance noticeable at a distance, with a full old-rose character ideal for seating areas and cutting; intensity is sufficient to perfume small gardens and indoor arrangements. |
| Hip characteristics |
Due to the very double flower form, hips are generally sparse; occasional small spherical hips 10–14 mm across may develop, coloured orange-red and of limited ornamental or wildlife significance. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated resistant to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardy approximately to −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zone 3), suitable for most UK regions with routine mulching and watering. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in well-drained, fertile soil with regular watering in dry spells; suitable for beds, borders and urban green spaces, also performs in large 40–50 litre containers given consistent moisture and feeding. |
CARINA® offers fragrant summer blooms, reliable disease resistance and long-lived, regenerative own-root growth, making it a thoughtful choice if you seek a classic yet easy-care rose to enjoy for years.
