NEON ® – deep pink bedding floribunda rose - Kordes
Vibrant clusters of deep pink blooms make Neon ® a striking choice for small British gardens, bringing a lively, modern accent to classic cottage-style spaces while coping well with blustery, rain‑laden coastal weather. This compact, bushy floribunda offers season‑long colour in tidy beds and borders, with flowers that repeat generously and keep the plant looking full. Its recognised garden performance and ADR rating reflect strong, reliable health and low maintenance needs, so You spend more time enjoying the display than tending it. As an own‑root rose it develops a durable, well‑balanced framework, supporting a long garden life with steady renewal and easier recovery if damaged. In a typical family front garden it slots neatly into mixed plantings, making path edges and entrance areas feel instantly more welcome. Over time the plant settles into the local soil and climate, building a stable root system for lasting impact, while its moderate height keeps views open. From initial planting through to full establishment, it offers dependable colour without demanding specialist pruning or complex maintenance, a practical option when You just want to plant a rose that quietly delivers.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden bed by the path |
The compact, bushy habit and medium height of Neon ® create a neat, defined line along front paths without overwhelming a small space, while the vivid pink blooms add cheerful structure visible from the street, ideal for beginners. |
| Small mixed border near the house |
Its repeat flowering and moderate spread let it weave easily among perennials and grasses, the deep pink clusters giving reliable colour between other plants’ peak times, supporting a relaxed cottage look that still feels tidy for busy-owners. |
| Low-maintenance family flower bed |
With strong disease resistance and low care needs, Neon ® suits beds where time is limited; routine watering and an annual feed are usually enough to keep it flowering well, reassuring gardeners who want success without fuss for time-poor. |
| Urban or high-traffic front planting |
The robust foliage and compact structure cope well with exposure and the pressures of street-side conditions, while the bright colour stands out from a distance, making it ideal for visible, frequently passed front gardens used by city-families. |
| Small group planting (3–5 plants) |
Planted in a tight group, its even height and bushy form merge into a coherent, glowing block of colour that reads as one larger shrub bed, offering strong visual impact from a modest area, which suits design-conscious homeowners. |
| Own-root long-term rose area |
As an own-root plant, Neon ® gradually forms a stable, self-supporting framework that can live and perform for many years, recovering more easily from hard pruning or weather damage, appealing to gardeners planning for long-term. |
| Small decorative hedge or edging strip |
The recommended closer spacing allows Neon ® to knit into a low, flowering edge with dense foliage, providing a colourful boundary along drives or paths that remains manageable in height and simple to trim for hedge-users. |
| Containers and large patio pots |
Its compact stature and repeated blooming suit a substantial container of at least 40–50 litres, where good drainage supports healthy roots and the vibrant colour brightens patios even in changeable, windier conditions valued by patio-gardeners. |
Styling ideas
- Neon-border – Plant 3–5 Neon ® in a curve by the front path, interplanted with low Geranium sanguineum for a pink-on-pink cottage look – ideal for style-focused beginners.
- Urban-ribbon – Create a continuous strip along a drive using close spacing, underplanting with Alyssum maritimum to soften the edge – suited to busy city households.
- Colour-island – Form a small circular bed with Neon ® in the centre and Carex flacca ‘Blue Zinger’ around the outside – perfect for compact, modern family gardens.
- Cottage-patch – Mix Neon ® with lavender and white perennials in a sunny front bed for a relaxed yet tidy cottage feel – for those wanting charm with minimal maintenance.
- Patio-focus – Grow a single Neon ® in a 50‑litre terracotta pot near the front door, paired with trailing plants to soften the rim – attractive for renters and small‑space gardeners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bed rose, registered as KORenon, marketed as Neon ® RigoRosen® KORenon; ARS exhibition name Neon, deep pink bedding floribunda suitable for garden and show use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Wilhelm Kordes III from ‘Kiss’ × unknown seedling; introduced by W. Kordes’ Söhne in Germany in 2001, with registration in 1998 within the RigoRosen® collection. |
| Awards and recognition |
ADR rose (Germany, 1999) with multiple 2004 medals: Gold at Bagatelle, Paris and Hradec Králové, Silver at Kortrijk, and Certificate of Merit at The Hague rose competition. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Compact, bushy shrub 50–70 cm high and 40–60 cm wide, slightly thorny shoots, dense glossy dark green foliage, and moderate self-cleaning where some spent blooms may persist. |
| Flower morphology |
Double, cupped blooms opening to flatter form, 26–39 petals, medium-sized clusters on floribunda trusses, repeat flowering reliably through the season with a strong second flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Vibrant deep pink with slight magenta tone, ARS DP, RHS 55A/57B; buds cyclamen-pink, opening bright then fading to warm, paler pink with lightened petal edges before petal fall. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Primarily ornamental variety with very faint, barely perceptible scent; double flowers limit pollinator attraction due to reduced access to stamens and nectar sources within blooms. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional small spherical red hips form, 6–10 mm in diameter, offering modest late-season interest but not produced in significant quantities on regularly deadheaded specimens. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good overall disease resistance, with resistance reported to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C, corresponding to RHS H7 and USDA 6b. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny beds, parks and urban plantings; low maintenance, needs watering in prolonged drought, and planted 30–55 cm apart depending on use, at 8–9 plants per square metre. |
Neon ® combines compact, bushy growth, vibrant repeat flowering and proven disease resistance in an own-root form that settles for the long term, a sound choice if You want a dependable, colourful garden rose.
