A few years ago, we were introduced to a new name in rose producers here in the United States. Although their roses had been sold here before there were not that many of them in commerce. Kordes is a German company that has been producing excellent garden and florist roses for many years and now they are pretty widely available at our local garden centers. These beauties are extremely disease resistant, winter hardy, and the colors are resplendent! Some are fragrant and all are incredibly vigorous! This is the time of year we are falling in love with new additions to our rose gardens, so I’d like to introduce you to some Kordes roses that I grow and love in my garden. Enjoy!

‘Savannah’

This lovely lady is pictured above. ‘Savannah’ is part of the Sunbelt collection and she thrives in our summer heat. Her blossoms start out with lovely hybrid tea form and finish fully quartered, just like an old garden rose! The blooms are 4” across and are very plentiful. They are also loaded with petals! Her fragrance is heavy, sweet rose perfume. Her foliage is deep, dark green and as shiny as a mirror. She grows very tall over the summer and is a very reliable quick repeat bloomer. ‘Savannah’ makes great fragrant bouquets that last and last in the vase. She is a pleasure to grow.

‘South Africa’

There is nothing quite like this rose for glowing color in the garden. ‘South Africa’ is an extremely vigorous, very tall and healthy rose in Kordes’ Sunbelt Collection. The color is a deep, golden yellow and the blossoms are large. In humid weather, the edges of the petals blush a bit. The flowers have an old-fashioned form which is rather unusual for a rose listed as a grandiflora. The foliage is a medium green and is very plentiful. My ‘South Africa’ is planted against the railing of my front porch and stops traffic on the sidewalk while it is in bloom!

‘Grand Amore’

If you love long-stemmed, perfect, medium lipstick-red roses, ‘Grand Amore’ is the rose for you. In the Eleganza collection, these 4” lovelies are abundant all season long. The blossoms have perfect form, and if you like to exhibit roses in rose shows, this one can win the coveted Queen award. The foliage is shiny dark green and very healthy. This rose gets really excited over the summer, and by fall, it can pump up canes 9’ tall or more. This is quite the amazing rose.

‘Plum Perfect’

Purple roses are much beloved in our rose gardens, and here is a new one for you to enjoy. ‘Plum Perfect’ is a member of Kordes’ Sunbelt collection and although she is registered as a floribunda, she grows very tall in my garden. She is a deep, dark plum color and looks just gorgeous near just about any other color rose. She blooms in clusters and has a very quick repeat. The foliage is dark and glossy and plentiful. She is clean as a whistle and a joy to watch bloom.

‘Sunny Sky’

Here is a garden treasure. ‘Sunny Sky’ is a bright yellow hybrid tea with a deeper topaz center. Her vigor is just amazing. In seemingly no time at all, she is tall and vase-shaped and loaded with abundant 4” sunshiny blossoms. The form of the blossoms is perfect and the foliage is a shiny light green. Yellow roses are garden beacons, and to have one so tall and beautiful and winter hardy is truly a joy!

So, let the new rose season begin! If you choose any one or all of these wonderful Kordes roses, I know you will be happy with the newcomers in your garden. A summertime full of beautiful rose smiles and perfume are on their way to you, and they will last for many years to come.