ELINA ® – creamy-yellow hybrid tea rose - Dickson & Dickson
Creamy blooms of ELINA ® bring a refined, pastel focal point to compact British gardens, pairing beautifully with cottage-style planting while staying remarkably healthy even in damp summers and brisk, salt‑tinged breezes. This upright, well‑branched hybrid tea delivers reliable repeat flowering from large, exhibition‑style blooms, ideal for cutting and for a smart front‑garden display. Its balanced vigour and dense, glossy foliage make it straightforward to keep tidy in small beds and borders, and it responds well to both light and harder pruning. As an own‑root plant it develops a stable bush that regenerates well and supports a genuinely long garden life, with roots building in year one, top growth strengthening in year two and full ornamental value from year three. With low routine care needs and only occasional attention to remove spent flowers, you can enjoy a lasting, high‑end feature rose without complex maintenance.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal point |
ELINA ® forms an upright, well-proportioned bush that stays within 110–140 cm, ideal beside a path or near the front door where space is limited. Its large, high-centred blooms read clearly from a distance, giving a smart, welcoming look with straightforward seasonal care for the beginner. |
| Small mixed border with perennials |
The creamy-yellow flowers blend easily with blues, mauves and whites, softening the contrast in cottage-style borders. Glossy dark foliage provides structure between flowering waves, helping the border look composed even when perennials are cut back, which suits time-poor homeowners. |
| Cutting patch or “pick-your-own” corner |
Its XL, high-centred blooms on strong stems are perfect for vases and gifts, so a small group can supply regular cut flowers all summer. Repeat blooming means stems regenerate after cutting, making it a satisfying, low-effort choice for gardeners. |
| Sunny patio in a large container |
In a 40–50 litre pot with good compost and regular watering, ELINA ® develops a sturdy, upright framework that is easy to reach for light pruning and deadheading. This makes it accessible for smaller spaces and those preferring container gardening, particularly busy urban residents. |
| Low-maintenance rose bed for family gardens |
Good disease resistance, especially to black spot and rust, means fewer spray routines and less worry if care is occasionally delayed. Once established, it copes well with summer heat when watered, so a modest bed can remain attractive without specialist input from casual owners. |
| Long-lived specimen in a lawn or gravel area |
As an own-root rose, the bush matures into a stable, balanced plant that can recover well if cut back hard after winter or neglect. This supports long-term planting schemes where you want a single rose to anchor the view for many years, reassuring cautious buyers. |
| Coastal or exposed suburban sites |
Its robust growth and dense, glossy foliage help it stand up to wind and weather in more open gardens, provided the soil is well-drained and not waterlogged. This gives dependable flowering even where salt-laden winds and frequent rain can challenge other roses, encouraging coastal gardeners. |
| Structured hedge or repeated accent planting |
Recommended spacings of 55–65 cm allow you to build a neat, repeating line that frames paths or terraces. Regular, moderate pruning keeps the outline consistent, and remontant flowering brings colour back along the whole run, which suits design-conscious but time-limited beginners. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-border – Combine ELINA ® with blue nepeta, lavender and soft pink campanulas for a pastel, country look that still reads neatly from the street – ideal for lovers of classic cottage style.
- Formal-accent – Plant as paired specimens in 40–50 litre containers flanking a doorway, underplanted with white alyssum for a clean, structured entrance – suited to tidy, low-maintenance front gardens.
- Cutting-strip – Line a narrow sunny bed with a short row of ELINA ® and interplant with simple white cosmos to ensure continuous stems for the vase – perfect for home florists and gift-givers.
- Evergreen-frame – Use dwarf honeysuckle (Lonicera pileata) or low box to edge a small bed with ELINA ® at the centre, giving year-round structure with minimal fuss – good for busy family gardens.
- Coastal-mix – Partner ELINA ® with hardy ice plant and ornamental grasses to create a resilient, movement-filled planting that still showcases the large blooms – ideal for exposed or seaside plots.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid Tea rose; registered as DICjana, marketed as ELINA ®. ARS exhibition name “Elina”. Belongs to the hybrid tea commercial group, bred and selected for garden and cut-flower use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in the United Kingdom in 1981 by Patrick and Colin Dickson at Dickson Nurseries. Parentage: ‘Nana Mouskouri’ × ‘Lolita’. Introduced after 1984 by Dickson Nurseries Ltd. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated cultivar: RNRS Certificate of Merit (1983), ADR certification (Germany, 1987), multiple international medals, and inducted into the WFRS Hall of Fame in 2006. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy plant reaching about 110–140 cm high and 80–100 cm wide, with dense, dark green, glossy foliage and moderate thorns. Forms a sturdy, well-branched framework for garden or cutting use. |
| Flower morphology |
Large XL, double flowers with 26–39 petals, high-centred, pointed buds in the classic hybrid tea form. Mainly solitary blooms on stems, remontant with a strong second flush in suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Pale cream-yellow blooms with pastel lemon tones when opening, softening to creamy white with a pale golden centre. Colour retention medium; overall effect is a gentle, even shading through the flowering period. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild, refined rose scent of rosy character; present but not overpowering, so it suits seating areas and cutting for indoor use without dominating other fragrances in small gardens or rooms. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally sparse due to the double flower form; occasional small, egg-shaped orange-red hips about 10–14 mm may develop late season, adding modest seasonal interest. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good heat tolerance and moderate drought endurance with regular watering. Hardy to about -21 to -18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b), with resistance to black spot and rust, and moderate susceptibility to powdery mildew. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; plant 55–65 cm apart, or 100 cm as a specimen. Low maintenance overall, but remove spent blooms and monitor occasionally for powdery mildew in humid seasons. |
ELINA ® Hybrid tea rose DICjana offers reliable repeat flowering, award-winning disease resistance and a long-lived, own-root structure that rewards patient gardeners seeking a refined yet undemanding rose to enjoy for years.
