KATHERINE™ – deep crimson nostalgia rose
Imagine stepping outside after rain to a front garden filled with fragrance, where deep crimson blooms glow against fresh green foliage and drops linger on velvety petals. KATHERINE™ from the Renaissance® collection is a romantic shrub rose with a narrow, upright habit, ideal for smaller London-style front gardens where space is tight but atmosphere matters. Its very strong, fruity-sweet scent creates a luxurious ambience along a path or beside a doorway, while its medium maintenance needs keep care realistic for busy lives. As an own-root rose, it is bred for long-term stability, quietly building a resilient root system and giving you a reliable, repeat-flowering display over many years. In a world of heavy clay soils and blustery, wet weather, it offers a reassuringly robust garden presence and dependable flowering rhythm. Plant once, then watch it move from establishing roots to confident growth and, by its third season, full nostalgic character and ornamental impact.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| London terraced-house front garden |
The rose’s bushy, narrow habit fits neatly into slim borders along railings or bay windows, creating vertical interest without overwhelming the space. Its very strong, fruity scent greets you at the gate and pairs well with simple, low-maintenance underplanting, suiting a busy urban gardener. |
| Pathside and doorway planting |
At around 110–160 cm tall, KATHERINE™ frames paths and steps with richly coloured, globular blooms held in clusters, perfect for brushing past and catching pockets of perfume after rain. The moderate maintenance level stays manageable for a beginner home-owner. |
| Feature rose in a small mixed border |
Its deep crimson-red, double flowers provide a strong focal point amongst greens and silvers, while repeat flowering brings structure and colour from early summer into autumn. Medium-density, mid-green foliage supports a long-lived display appreciated by a family garden owner. |
| Romantic nostalgia-style planting scheme |
The full, pompon-shaped blooms and rich crimson tones suit “old-fashioned” rose themes, combining well with perennials such as bee balm or garden phlox for layered, traditional charm. This nostalgic look appeals to a sentimental rose lover. |
| Cutting corner for scented blooms |
Large, double flowers on clustered stems give generous, fragrant stems for the house; the remontant habit offers an abundant second flush, so you can cut some stems without emptying the border, which is ideal for a home flower arranger. |
| Own-root, long-term family planting |
Supplied on its own roots, this shrub establishes gradually, then thickens into a durable framework that can regenerate from the base, helping to maintain a stable, decorative shape over many seasons, reassuring for a long-term garden planner. |
| Rain-aware, clay-soil front garden |
Once properly planted with good drainage, the upright form handles typical British spells of wind and rain without sprawling, giving reliable colour in small, often exposed urban front plots that frequently sit on heavier soils, attractive to a sustainability-minded city dweller. |
| Large container on balcony or patio |
In a 40–50 litre or larger pot with peat-free compost, its narrow, bushy shape and strong fragrance create a contained vertical accent for paved spaces, while the deep crimson flowers bring drama close to seating areas, perfect for an apartment balcony gardener. |
Styling ideas
- Doorway Drama – flank your front steps with two KATHERINE™ roses underplanted with low Nepeta for a scented welcome – ideal for townhouse owners wanting an elegant entrance.
- Crimson Ribbon – run a short hedge of KATHERINE™ along a low front fence, interspersed with lavender for contrast and fragrance – suited to families seeking easy kerb appeal.
- Nostalgic Nook – combine KATHERINE™ with bee balm and garden phlox in a small corner bed for a cottage-style feel – perfect for romantically inclined gardeners.
- Balcony Column – train one plant lightly within a tall, 50-litre container beside a chair, letting the scented clusters sit at nose height – great for flat dwellers with limited floor space.
- Evening Scent Border – place KATHERINE™ near a patio, backed by airy grasses, so its aroma carries on damp evenings – appealing to after-work relaxers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Renaissance® collection shrub rose; commercial nostalgia/romantic type. Registered as POUlren027, marketed as Katherine™ Renaissance® POUlren027. Feminine given-name cultivar, verified premium silver quality for eleanorrose.co.uk. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in Denmark in 2014 by L. Pernille and Mogens Nyegaard Olesen of Poulsen Roser A/S, from unnamed own-bred parents; registered 2017 and introduced after 2017 via Poulsen Roser A/S. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holder of Belfast Rose Trials Most Fragrant Rose Award 2016, plus two additional medals in international rose competitions, recognising its standout scented performance and strong ornamental presence in formal trials. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, narrow shrub reaching about 110–160 cm high and 60–90 cm spread, moderately prickly stems and medium-density, slightly glossy mid-green foliage; best for beds, borders, hedging runs and feature planting in modest spaces. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, globular to pompon blooms with 26–39 petals, usually in clusters. Remontant habit with a generous second flush after the main display, though spent blooms may need deadheading as self-cleaning is weak. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep crimson-red with raspberry sheen; RHS 60A outer, 60B inner petals. Buds dark and velvety, opening to uniform crimson, then slowly paling to softer reddish-crimson tones before petal drop, giving a long, changing colour show. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, garden-filling fragrance, with a full, fruity-sweet profile suited to seating and entrance areas. Well recognised for scent performance in trials, making it ideal for sensory planting schemes and cut-flower use indoors. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces hips only occasionally; small, spherical fruits about 10–14 mm across, deep red (RHS 53A). Ornamental hips are not a major feature of this variety and usually secondary to its generous, highly scented flowering. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated hardy to approximately -21 to -18 °C (RHS H7, Swedish Zon 3, USDA 6b). Disease resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust is moderate, so occasional preventative care may be appropriate in humid seasons. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Use in beds, parks, as a solitary specimen, low hedge or scented cut-flower source. Suits partial shade or full sun with good drainage; medium maintenance, requiring pruning, feeding and some pest and disease monitoring when needed. |
Katherine™ Renaissance® POUlren027 offers richly scented, repeat crimson blooms on a space-saving shrub, with durable own-root growth for long-term enjoyment; consider it if you want lasting romance from a single dependable rose.
