PETTICOAT® – cream-coloured bedding floribunda rose – Kordes
With its softly frilled blooms echoing a vintage petticoat, PETTICOAT® settles calmly into small urban plots, coping well with wind and wet, heavy ground in typical British gardens. This compact floribunda offers season-long clusters of creamy, peach-tinted rosettes that repeat reliably, bringing gentle structure and rhythm to your front border or terrace. As an own-root rose it builds strength steadily below ground, then above, giving you a quietly reliable, long-lived feature for a rainwater-conscious, low-input planting. In the first year it focuses on roots, in the second on strong new shoots, and by the third it delivers its full ornamental value with dense foliage and abundant flowering. Its ADR-rated health means less spraying and fuss, while dense glossy leaves keep the display looking fully dressed. Ideal for those wanting a graceful, feminine feel in a small space, without complicated seasonal chores, PETTICOAT® helps you create a balanced, sustainable-feeling city haven.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| London terraced-house front garden bed |
Compact, upright growth (around 85–115 cm) and dense foliage make PETTICOAT® perfect for neat, formal beds in small front gardens, giving a calm, ordered look with minimal pruning and long-term structure for beginners. |
| Rainwater-friendly, clay-soil border |
This variety copes well where rain and wind regularly test plants, thriving once drainage is improved on heavier UK clays and rewarding simple care with repeat flowering and stable own-root vigour for busy. |
| Low-maintenance floribunda bedding scheme |
As a bedding floribunda, PETTICOAT® produces generous clusters of medium-sized rosette blooms over a long season, filling family beds with colour using straightforward, once-a-year pruning for time-poor. |
| Romantic “girly” front-garden composition |
The frilled, cream-and-peach flowers read as soft and feminine, pairing beautifully with catmint or soft blue perennials for a romantic, dress-like effect that suits stylish urban front gardens for aesthetes. |
| Small hedge or edging along a path |
Recommended planting distances of 55–65 cm allow a low, rhythmical hedge, guiding guests along paths with continuous flowering, dark glossy foliage and a tidy, upright habit that remains easy to manage for homeowners. |
| Long-lived own-root feature in a family garden |
Grown on its own roots, PETTICOAT® regenerates well from the base after harsh winters or pruning errors, preserving its shape and floral show for many years with fewer replacement costs for budget-conscious. |
| ADR-level, low-spray rose area |
With ADR status and noted resistance to mildew and rust, this cultivar supports a lower-input approach, reducing the need for routine spraying and fitting well with family- and wildlife-aware gardens for eco-minded. |
| Large container on balcony or paved front |
Its upright, bushy habit and moderate height suit a 40–50 litre or larger container, where regular watering with collected rainwater and simple seasonal feeding will keep blooms coming reliably for city-dwellers. |
Styling ideas
- Front-Garden Trim – Line a short path with PETTICOAT® edging, underplanting with low-growing catmint to soften the paving and create a welcoming, well-kept approach – ideal for image-conscious homeowners.
- Pastel-Soft Mix – Combine PETTICOAT® with airy Knautia macedonica and English bluebeard for a pastel-and-berry palette that flowers over a long season – suited to relaxed but busy gardeners.
- Container Statement – Plant a single PETTICOAT® in a 50-litre pot with peat-free compost, adding trailing herbs around the rim to green a paved entrance – perfect for balcony and courtyard dwellers.
- Calm Family Border – Use groups of three PETTICOAT® among sturdy perennials to give a reliable, low-maintenance backbone of bloom that rides out children’s play and variable weather – good for family gardens.
- Soft-Formal Rhythm – Repeat PETTICOAT® at 60 cm intervals along a front fence, keeping them lightly clipped for a structured yet romantic look – great for fans of classic, orderly design.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bed rose marketed as PETTICOAT® Flowerbed rose KORgretaum, registered as KORgretaum, exhibition name ‘Petticoat’; part of the Flowerbed rose collection, shrub floribunda exhibition class. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes (Germany) in 1993 from ‘Margaret Merrill’ × unknown seedling; introduced by W. Kordes’ Söhne in 2004 in Europe and later under US plant patent 16 937. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds ADR quality award (2004) for garden performance and health; Honourable Mention at Hradec Králové trials (2007); Certificate of Merit at Australian National Rose Trials (2007), confirming reliable ornamental value. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy habit reaching about 85–115 cm high and 70–95 cm wide, with very dense, dark green, glossy foliage and moderate prickles; forms a well-filled, coherent shrub suited to beds, edges and low hedging. |
| Flower morphology |
Produces medium-sized, very double rosette blooms (40+ petals) in clusters; remontant with a strong second flush and further repeats in good seasons, creating an extended display well suited to bedding schemes. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Cream flowers with peach-toned centres; outer petals RHS 155D, inner area 23C; buds open greenish cream with peach tips, then fade towards off-white as the central pastel warmth softens with age on the plant. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Fragrance is very weak and barely noticeable, with only a light classic rose character discernible on close inspection; grown primarily for visual effect rather than scent in family gardens or public plantings. |
| Hip characteristics |
Forms moderately abundant, small spherical hips around 6–10 mm across, coloured orange-red and decorative in autumn, adding a subtle seasonal accent when some flowers are left un-deadheaded late in the year. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated hardy to approximately –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7), USDA zone 6b, Swedish zone 3; good frost tolerance, resistant to powdery mildew and rust, with moderate black spot resistance in typical garden conditions. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in beds, groups, low hedging or edging, spaced 55–100 cm apart (2.5–2.9 plants/m²); prefers well-prepared, drained soil, low-maintenance pruning and standard feeding within general family-garden care routines. |
PETTICOAT® Flowerbed rose KORgretaum offers long-season floribunda bedding colour, ADR-backed health and resilient own-root longevity; a thoughtful choice if you value lasting beauty with little complication.
