GRAND AWARD ® – dark red climbing rose – Olesen
Step out after rain to a haze of velvet petals and gentle, classic fragrance as GRAND AWARD ® clothes a wall or arch with long-lasting, dark red blooms. Bred for dependable performance and strong disease resistance, this Courtyard® climber offers an easy route to a lush, “girly” London front garden look without demanding specialist skills. Its own-root structure gives reassuring longevity, helping the plant recover from pruning or weather damage and build up year-on-year. With thoughtful planting in well-prepared soil it copes steadily with cool, breezy, moisture-laden UK conditions, supporting gardens where heavy showers and strong winds regularly test less robust roses. Over time you will see a calm development from root establishment, to confident new shoots, and finally to a mature, high-impact display that frames doors and balconies with sustainable colour, balanced structure and a quietly romantic presence that enhances everyday family life in compact urban spaces.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden arch or pergola |
Ideal for creating a welcoming entrance, this medium-height climber covers arches and light pergolas with rich dark red clusters, giving a refined, “grown-up girly” feel without overwhelming a small space; perfect for beginners seeking reliable impact, especially urban homeowners. |
| Sunny house wall or fence |
Trained on horizontal wires, it forms a structured, glossy green backdrop with regular repeat flushes, offering long-season ornamental value on typical brick or rendered London terraces, even where space is tight in front gardens, suiting time-poor city gardeners. |
| Balcony or terrace in a large container |
In a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage, GRAND AWARD ® provides vertical colour and shelter on balconies, its own-root vigour coping well with occasional missed watering, a reassuring choice for busy beginners. |
| Family seating area backdrop |
The mild, classic rose fragrance and restrained height make a comfortable, non-intrusive screen beside seating, allowing you to sit close without overpowering scent while still enjoying flowers at eye level, appreciated by relaxed family gardeners. |
| Rainwater-conscious, clay-soil front garden |
Once drainage is improved with organic matter and planting holes are raised slightly, its sturdy framework and glossy foliage cope well with the UK’s cool, wet spells and brisk winds common in exposed streets, reassuring sustainability-minded homeowners. |
| Pollinator-friendly mixed border |
Although very double, its repeat flowering offers regular foraging opportunities where stamens are partly accessible, especially when paired with lavender, nepeta or sage, making a thoughtful vertical accent for wildlife-aware gardeners. |
| Long-term feature for low-maintenance gardens |
On its own roots, the plant forms a stable, renewing framework that responds well to periodic pruning, maintaining shape and flowering over many years with modest care, particularly valued by long-horizon planners. |
| Cut-flower corner for home arrangements |
Strong stems carrying rosette blooms in deep, even red make elegant, long-lasting indoor arrangements, allowing you to harvest a few stems without spoiling the garden display, a pleasure for creative home florists. |
Styling ideas
- Romantic archway – Train GRAND AWARD ® over a slim metal arch, underplant with soft pink nepeta and white cosmos for a feminine, frothy look – ideal for terrace-front romantics.
- Modern courtyard – Fan it on tensioned wires against pale render, with Carex ‘Blue Zinger’ and slate mulch for clean lines and easy upkeep – suited to style-conscious minimalists.
- Cottage frontage – Combine with lavender, catmint and soft geraniums by a picket fence for a classic cottage feel that still needs little fuss – perfect for traditionalist beginners.
- Balcony column – Grow in a 50-litre pot with a slim obelisk, adding trailing thyme and violas at the base for colour at different heights – great for compact-space dwellers.
- Evening corner – Pair its dark red blooms with pale coreopsis and cream roses near a bench so colours glow at dusk – appealing to after-work garden relaxers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Grand Award ® Courtyard® (Registered as POUlcy014), a large-flowered climbing rose from the Courtyard® collection; ARS exhibition name ‘Grand Award’, verified for authenticity for UK garden use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Mogens Nyegaard Olesen at Poulsen Roser A/S, Denmark, from two unnamed parents; bred in 2001 and introduced after 2014, registered in 2014 under US Plant Patent PP 24 695. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated climber with audience and jury prizes including Le Roeulx “Most Beautiful Rose” (2010), gold medals at Monza and Baden-Baden (2011), plus multiple distinctions at Barcelona and Belfast trials. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Medium climber with 140–240 cm height and 80–160 cm spread, forming a flexible, moderately thorny framework; mid-green, glossy foliage of moderate density suits arches, walls, obelisks and compact family gardens. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very double rosette blooms, typically over 40 petals, produced in clusters; remontant with abundant second flushes, giving a long flowering season for both garden display and cutting in temperate climates. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Dark red blooms (RHS 45A outer, 53C inner) with minimal fading; buds open bright deep crimson, maturing to a uniform rich red that holds well until petal drop, retaining depth of colour across successive flushes. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Classic rose fragrance of mild intensity, gently noticeable at close range without dominating seating areas; suitable for family gardens where a refined, restrained scent is preferred over strong perfume. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips form rarely; if present they are very small, usually under 5 mm in diameter, so ornamental hip effect is negligible and the plant is grown primarily for its flowers and foliage. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated H7, hardy approximately to −21 °C (USDA 6b) with good overall disease resistance; performs well against powdery mildew and rust, with moderate black spot tolerance in typical, not extreme, UK humidity. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny sites with improved drainage; plant 140–240 cm apart depending on use. Provide support and regular tying-in; in very humid spots consider light preventative care to maintain foliage quality. |
GRAND AWARD ® offers long-season dark red flowering, reliable disease resistance and enduring own-root structure, making it a thoughtful choice for a long-lived, low-fuss feature you can enjoy for many years.
