PAOLINA™ – pale pink nostalgia rose – Olesen & Olesen
Step out to your front garden after rain and PAOLINA™ greets you with balance between romantic charm and practical planting for small urban spaces, quietly coping with blustery, damp British weather and heavier soils while its own-root stability supports a long life in your plot. Soft seashell-pink, cupped blooms repeat through summer, adding fragrance and gentle colour along a narrow townhouse path or beside a recycled-gravel driveway. In a large 40–50 litre pot or open ground, its bushy structure matures steadily, with roots establishing first, then stronger shoots, before full ornamental value settles in by the third year. Thoughtful positioning and simple seasonal care maintain its health, while the moderately dense, dark green foliage adds all-season presence even between flushes of flower. Use it as a feminine focal point for a “girly” London terrace frontage, pair it with silver foliage and dusky perennials for textural contrast, and enjoy a long-term, peat-free, rainwater-conscious planting that favours enduring elegance over throwaway displays.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Narrow London front-garden border |
The bushy habit and 110–150 cm height give enough presence for a slim townhouse strip without overwhelming neighbouring doorways or windows, creating a soft, feminine first impression for urban homeowners seeking one reliable feature planting solution. |
| Specimen rose in a large container |
Planted in a 40–50 litre peat-free pot, PAOLINA™ settles gradually yet forms a durable own-root framework that can regenerate from the base after pruning or weather damage, suiting balcony and patio gardeners wanting lasting value over years. |
| Rainwater-friendly gravel or slate front garden |
Works well in permeable, free-draining layouts where surface water is directed away from the house, allowing the root system to appreciate consistent moisture without waterlogging, which is especially helpful in wetter, wind-exposed urban streets for sustainability-minded owners. |
| Romantic cottage-style bed in heavy clay |
Incorporating organic matter and grit to improve drainage lets this shrub thrive on typical British clay, repaying the effort with repeat flowering and steady growth, a sensible choice for family gardens on challenging soils seeking dependable ornamental structure. |
| Low seasonal hedge or boundary accent |
Planted at 100 cm spacings, the rounded shrubs create a soft, pale-pink edging along paths or driveways, with dark green foliage filling the gaps between flushes, ideal for households wanting gentle separation rather than hard fencing around living spaces. |
| Featured plant with evening seating |
The medium, sweet rosy scent is noticeable without being overpowering, especially around sitting areas close to the house, offering a simple sensory reward for busy people who prefer to enjoy fragrance after work instead of constant gardening tasks. |
| Cut stems for indoor arrangements |
Large, cupped, double blooms in soft pale pink make refined cut flowers, and because they arise on branching stems, a single shrub can provide several stems at a time, suiting home decorators who enjoy bringing subtle garden elegance indoors occasionally. |
| Colour anchor in mixed perennial planting |
Stable pale-pink colouring, with only gentle fading to powder tones, anchors pastel schemes with lavender, nepeta or lamb’s ear, providing a consistent hue from year to year that supports low-fuss border design for style-conscious but time-poor urban gardeners. |
Styling ideas
- Pastel-terrace welcome – Pair PAOLINA™ with lavender and soft nepeta in a narrow front strip to frame your doorway with gentle colour – ideal for style-aware terrace owners who prefer calm, feminine planting.
- Gravel-romantic mix – Set within a permeable gravel garden alongside lamb’s ear and low grasses, the seashell-pink blooms soften a sustainable, rainwater-conscious driveway – suited to homeowners rethinking hardstanding into greener space.
- Cameo-corner pot – Grow a single shrub in a 40–50 litre container with trailing thyme at the base near seating, where fragrance can be appreciated up close – perfect for balcony and courtyard users seeking one statement rose.
- Vintage-border line – Repeat plant along a path with white foxgloves and soft pink salvias for a vintage, “girly” feel – good for family gardens wanting romance without formal rose beds.
- Twinned-with-clematis – Combine PAOLINA™ with a slender clematis such as ‘Rooguchi’ on a discrete support behind the shrub, weaving dusky bells through pale roses – appealing to hobby gardeners who enjoy layered, collectors’ plantings.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Renaissance® nostalgia shrub rose from the Romantic group; registered as POUlren048, marketed as Paolina™ Renaissance® POUlren048, with ARS exhibition name Paolina for show and catalogue use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in Denmark in 2021 by L. Pernille and Mogens Nyegaard Olesen of Poulsen Roser A/S, registered 2023 and introduced 2024 as a modern Romantica-style shrub with nostalgic flower form. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy shrub reaching about 110–150 cm in height and 100–140 cm spread, with moderately dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and moderate thorns, forming a rounded, structural presence in beds or large containers. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, cupped, double blooms with roughly 26–39 petals are borne mainly in clusters; remontant habit provides a good second flush after the first summer flowering when grown in suitable, well-prepared conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Delicate pale pink flowers, ARS code LP, RHS 65D outer and 62C inner; colour holds softly, fading through powder pink to almost white edges while maintaining an overall gentle, romantic appearance across the bloom cycle. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Noticeable, medium-strength sweet rosy fragrance that is appreciable around seating or paths, contributing a classic rose scent profile suited to gardens where both visual effect and perfume are valued. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hip formation is not typical; where present, fruits are very small, around 0–4 mm in diameter, so decorative autumn hips should not be expected as a major ornamental feature for this cultivar. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, Swedish Zone 4, USDA 5b); disease susceptibility is moderate to powdery mildew and black spot, and high to rust, so regular monitoring and preventative care are advisable. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny sites with improved drainage; recommended at 110 cm for beds, 100 cm for hedges, 180 cm as solitaires; suitable for beds, specimens, large containers and cutting, with proactive plant protection where disease pressure is high. |
PAOLINA™ offers romantic pale-pink blooms, a bushy structural habit and enduring own-root resilience for containers or front gardens; consider it if you favour lasting, scented elegance with thoughtful, regular care.
