LIVIN' EASY – orange flower‑bed floribunda rose - Harkness
Imagine stepping out after rain into a front garden where colour, gentle fragrance and glossy foliage gather along your path, the soil quietly coping with heavy showers and blustery coastal wind and rain. LIVIN' EASY settles quickly into small urban spaces yet builds a solid framework over time, thanks to an own‑root structure that regrows reliably from the base. Its award‑winning performance is expressed in generous clusters of warm orange, self‑cleaning blooms that keep front gardens and beds lively from early summer well into autumn. With straightforward planting and simple seasonal care, you can enjoy a calm sense of balance as this sustainable, long‑lived rose matures from first roots to full flowering presence. The first year is for roots, the second for building shoots, and by the third it reveals its complete ornamental value.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| London terraced-house front garden border |
The upright, compact habit and dense foliage create a neat, welcoming frontage without dominating a narrow space, while own-root resilience supports a long-lived planting structure for busy urban beginners |
| Rainwater-conscious flowerbed with mixed perennials |
Good tolerance of wet, windy spells suits UK showers, while sturdy clusters of orange blooms hold their display above improved, free-draining soil in heavy clay beds for eco-minded city gardeners |
| Low-maintenance family flower border |
Reliable remontant flowering and good self-cleaning mean fewer deadheading rounds yet continuous colour through the school holidays, ideal where simple routines and robust structure are valued by time-poor families |
| Informal flowering hedge or edging strip |
Recommended planting distances allow you to form a low, semi-formal hedge that knits together over several seasons, with own-root plants regenerating evenly from the base for structure-focused homeowners |
| Large container on balcony or paved front |
Thrives in a 40–50 litre peat-free container with regular watering, giving a substantial, long-season feature where soil is scarce, while the own-root system maintains vigour and form for space-limited flat dwellers |
| Heat-exposed, south-facing spot |
Good heat tolerance and moderate drought resilience keep foliage fresh and flowers coming on sunny walls or drives, as long as dry spells are backed up with occasional deep watering for sunny-frontage owners |
| Small ornamental bed for cut flowers |
Long-stemmed, cup-shaped clusters provide repeat cutting material, with the plant quickly replacing blooms so beds continue to look full and showy throughout the main season for home bouquet enthusiasts |
| Mixed shrub and grass planting for movement |
Warm orange heads rise through low grasses and perennials, offering a stable focal point that copes with coastal breezes and frequent UK downpours without complex care for design-conscious beginners |
Styling ideas
- Sunny-Ribbon – line a narrow front path with LIVIN' EASY and soft Mexican feather grass for a glowing “girly” arrival strip – ideal for first-time terraced-house owners
- Peach-Glow – combine with lavender and nepeta in a free-draining bed so the warm orange blooms float above cool purples – suited to low-maintenance cottage-style fans
- Copper-Courtyard – plant one rose in a 50 litre pot with trailing thyme at the base to bring colour and scent to paved urban courtyards – perfect for balcony and patio dwellers
- Sunset-Drift – weave through drifts of echinacea and airy grasses for a sunset-toned, movement-rich family border – appealing to nature-friendly, relaxed gardeners
- Front-Harmony – pair with clipped Lonicera nitida ‘Maigrün’ to frame a front window with evergreen structure and vibrant seasonal colour – for homeowners seeking year-round polish
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose; registered as HARwelcome, marketed as LIVIN' EASY. Belongs to the Bedding rose collection and approved for exhibition as ‘Livin’ Easy’ by the American Rose Society. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by John A. Harkness, Harkness & Co. Ltd., Hitchin, UK, in 1988 from ‘Southampton’ × ‘Remember Me’; introduced after 1995 and registered in 1995 under US Plant Patent 9 161. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated cultivar: RNRS Gold Medal 1990, All-America Rose Selections 1996, Portland Gold Medal 1997, and RHS Award of Garden Merit 2001 for proven garden performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy floribunda 100–140 cm high, 80–120 cm spread, with dense, mid-green, glossy foliage and moderate prickles; forms a full, balanced shrub when spaced at recommended planting distances. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, cup-shaped clusters of double blooms, typically 26–39 petals, in remontant flushes with very abundant second flowering; flowers held in clusters ideal for bedding and cutting from mid-season onwards. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm orange with peach tints; buds deep orange, opening vivid coppery orange (RHS 28A–28B), then softening to peach-cream tones, colour fading more in strong sun and holding better in cooler conditions. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Gently, slightly sweet fragrance of mild strength; primarily grown for colour and floral effect rather than intense scent, yet offers a pleasant, unobtrusive perfume in still, warm weather conditions. |
| Hip characteristics |
Forms small decorative hips only occasionally; ovoid, 12–18 mm diameter, red when ripe, generally of minor ornamental impact in most garden settings compared with the continuous flowering display. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately –26 to –23 °C (RHS H7; USDA 5b; Swedish Zone 4). Black spot resistant, with moderate tolerance to powdery mildew and rust; good heat tolerance, coping with moderate drought. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with improved drainage on heavy clay; medium maintenance with occasional pest and disease checks. Suitable for beds, hedging, containers and urban plantings; prefers regular watering in dry spells. |
LIVIN' EASY offers long-season colour, self-cleaning clusters and award-backed reliability on a durable own-root framework, making it a thoughtful, low-effort choice for sustaining a small family garden.
