Rose 'Rhapsody in Blue' - Floribunda Rose
A magnificent award-winning Floribunda rose that produces an abundance of large, semi-double blooms in iridescent purple fading to slate-blue, combining exceptional novelty value with outstanding fragrance and continuous flowering performance throughout the growing season.
Headlines
- Plant Type: Hardy deciduous Floribunda rose
- Eventual Height: 1.4m
- Eventual Spread: 90cm diameter
- Flowering Period: July to September
- Flower Colour: Iridescent purple fading to slate-blue with golden stamens
- Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -20 to -15 degrees Celsius (RHS hardiness rating H6)
- Growth Habit: Tall, bushy, vigorous-growing
- Flower Type: Large, semi-double blooms 10cm across with 16 petals
- Awards: Rose of the Year 2003, RHS Award of Garden Merit
Overview
Rose 'Rhapsody in Blue' is a truly outstanding Floribunda rose that exemplifies the pinnacle of novelty rose breeding, winning both the prestigious Rose of the Year award in 2003 and the RHS Award of Garden Merit. This distinguished variety, bred by Frank Cowlishaw and introduced in 2003, produces magnificent large semi-double blooms in iridescent purple that fade to slate-blue as they mature, creating the closest approximation to a true blue rose yet achieved. The most striking feature is its exceptional combination of unique colouring with intense fragrance, complemented by healthy glossy bright green foliage that provides perfect contrast to the extraordinary blooms. With outstanding health, tall bushy growth habit, and continuous repeat flowering performance from July to September, this rose represents one of the most novel examples of contemporary Floribunda roses for modern gardens. Each cupped bloom displays 16 petals with prominent golden stamens and a strong fruity-orange fragrance that enhances its remarkable garden presence.
Key Features
The outstanding appeal of 'Rhapsody in Blue' lies in its large semi-double blooms that showcase spectacular colour transformation with substantial visual impact displayed in large clusters. Each bloom displays iridescent purple colouring that gradually fades to slate-blue as it matures, creating dynamic colour evolution that adds ongoing interest throughout the flowering period. The flowers combine purple tones with distinctive grey undertones, creating sophisticated displays that add mystery and drama to the garden. The semi-double flower form with prominent golden stamens, combined with continuous flowering habit, intense fragrance, and unique colour-changing properties makes this rose suitable for a wide range of garden applications, from specimen plantings to mixed borders and conversation piece gardens.
Growth Characteristics
This Floribunda rose displays a naturally tall, bushy growth habit that makes it exceptionally suitable for prominent garden positions and specimen displays. The plant develops into a strong, well-proportioned specimen with excellent branching structure and vigorous performance. The tall upright nature ensures impressive presence whilst maintaining reliable flowering throughout the season. The robust growth habit makes it ideal for back of borders, specimen plantings, hedging applications, or positioning where its spectacular beauty and unique colouring can be fully appreciated. The strong stems provide excellent support for the abundant large clusters of blooms, making this variety particularly suitable for both garden display and cut flower production.
Flowering Performance
From July through to September, 'Rhapsody in Blue' delivers an exceptional flowering display that continues consistently throughout the growing season. The plant produces magnificent large semi-double blooms held in big clusters, creating substantial visual impact with continuous flowering from midsummer into mid-autumn. The flowers showcase iridescent purple colouring that gradually transforms to slate-blue, creating ongoing visual interest and spectacular colour evolution. The repeat-flowering nature ensures continuous colour throughout the growing season, with the abundant blooms providing a mesmerising display that captures attention with its unique colouring and intense fragrance. The extended flowering period provides valuable long-season garden interest and exceptional novelty appeal.
Growing Conditions
'Rhapsody in Blue' thrives in full sun positions with fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, requiring at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal flowering performance and colour development. The rose adapts well to various soil types including acid, alkaline, and neutral conditions, providing adequate drainage is maintained. For best results, plant in fertile, well-drained soil that has been improved with organic matter, ensuring consistent moisture throughout the growing season. The rose benefits from good air circulation around the foliage and performs well in various exposures including south, west, and east-facing aspects, tolerating both exposed and sheltered conditions.
Hardiness and Disease Resistance
This rose demonstrates exceptional hardiness suitable for growing throughout the UK, being fully hardy (H6 rating) and showing excellent tolerance of typical British weather conditions. One of the most notable features of 'Rhapsody in Blue' is its good disease resistance, which reduces maintenance requirements and ensures healthy growth throughout the season. The healthy, finely-toothed, glossy bright green foliage remains attractive and vigorous, with natural resistance to common rose diseases. This disease resistance makes it an excellent choice for organic gardening approaches and reduces the need for chemical interventions, making it particularly suitable for busy gardeners seeking low-maintenance excellence with extraordinary novelty appeal.
Care and Maintenance
'Rhapsody in Blue' requires standard rose maintenance to maintain optimal health and flowering performance, making it suitable for gardeners seeking dramatic novelty with reliable cultivation. Apply a balanced fertiliser and mulch in late winter or early spring, followed by another application of rose fertiliser in early summer to support continuous flowering. Regular watering during dry periods, particularly in the first year after planting, helps establish strong root systems. The good disease resistance means this variety requires moderate intervention for optimal health. Regular deadheading encourages continued flowering and prolongs the spectacular colour display, whilst proper pruning in late winter maintains the tall shape and promotes vigorous new growth with abundant purple blooms.
Garden Applications
'Rhapsody in Blue' excels in mixed borders where its unique colouring and continuous flowering provide exceptional focal point value. The tall bushy growth habit makes it ideal for back of borders, specimen plantings, and positions where its spectacular beauty can be appreciated as a conversation piece. The iridescent purple flowers suit both contemporary and cottage garden settings perfectly, whilst the substantial size makes it excellent for hedging applications or group plantings. The rose works beautifully as a feature plant against contrasting backgrounds, creating impressive displays that combine visual drama with extraordinary novelty appeal. The continuous flowering makes it particularly suitable for gardens requiring consistent unique colour throughout the season.
Container Growing
The robust growth habit and exceptional novelty value make 'Rhapsody in Blue' well-suited to container cultivation for patios and areas where its unique appeal can be fully appreciated. The rose thrives in large containers on balconies, terraces, and areas where soil conditions are challenging, making it perfect for urban gardening applications and dramatic patio displays. Choose a container at least 60cm wide and deep with adequate drainage holes, and use high-quality multipurpose compost enriched with slow-release fertiliser. Container-grown specimens require more frequent watering and feeding than those planted in the ground, but the upright habit means they remain attractive whilst delivering exceptional flowering performance and unique colour transformation throughout the season.
Seasonal Interest
Throughout the growing season, 'Rhapsody in Blue' provides continuous interest that evolves beautifully with the months. Spring brings the emergence of fresh, healthy, glossy bright green foliage and the first flower buds, building anticipation for the main flowering display. The extended flowering season from July to September ensures months of dramatic colour and novelty interest, with the purple blooms gradually transforming to slate-blue creating dynamic displays that showcase remarkable colour evolution. The healthy foliage remains attractive throughout the season, providing an excellent backdrop for the spectacular colour-changing flowers. Even in winter, the strong branching structure provides architectural interest whilst promising another year of spectacular flowering and unique appeal.
Cut Flower Value
The exceptional cut flower value of 'Rhapsody in Blue' makes it outstanding for indoor arrangements and novelty floral displays. The large semi-double blooms 10cm across provide good longevity when cut, with the substantial size and unique colouring making them perfect for contemporary and artistic arrangements. The continuous blooming habit from July to Septembermakes this rose invaluable for cutting gardens, providing abundant distinctive flowers throughout the growing season. The sturdy stems and striking blooms make it particularly suitable for special occasions and conversation piece arrangements, whilst the intense fragrance adds exceptional sensory appeal to indoor displays.
Fragrance Profile
'Rhapsody in Blue' features an intense, strong fragrance with fruity-orange notes that enhances its spectacular visual display with extraordinary sensory appeal. The powerful perfume provides exceptional garden ambience and has been described as having spicy characteristics that complement the unique colouring. This outstanding fragrance makes it invaluable for fragrance gardens and areas where scent is a primary consideration, whilst the strong perfume carries well throughout the garden creating an atmosphere of mystery and luxury.
Wildlife and Pollinator Value
The exceptional wildlife value of 'Rhapsody in Blue' makes it outstanding for supporting local ecosystems and bee-friendly gardens. The semi-double flower form with open centres and prominent golden stamens provides excellent access to nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects throughout the extended flowering season. The continuous blooming habit from July to Septembermakes this rose invaluable for wildlife-friendly gardens, supporting pollinator populations throughout the growing season. The abundant clusters and accessible pollen make it particularly attractive to a wide range of beneficial insects, making it perfect for gardeners seeking to support pollinators whilst enjoying unique beauty.
Companion Planting
The unique purple and slate-blue colours of 'Rhapsody in Blue' provide excellent opportunities for companion planting with a wide range of garden plants that enhance its extraordinary appeal. The purple tones work beautifully with yellow and cream flowers, creating complementary displays that highlight the rose's unique colouring. The rose pairs exceptionally well with silver and grey foliage plants, creating sophisticated contrasts that emphasise the novelty of the colour-changing blooms. White flowers provide fresh elegant contrasts, whilst pink flowers create harmonious tonal combinations. The tall habit makes it suitable for planting with lower-growing perennials and annuals, creating layered displays that maximise the dramatic visual impact.
Award Recognition and Heritage
'Rhapsody in Blue' has received multiple prestigious awards including the Rose of the Year 2003 and the RHS Award of Garden Merit, providing confidence in its exceptional garden performance and outstanding novelty value. These dual recognitions mark this variety as one of exceptional merit, combining stunning unique beauty with outstanding garden performance that meets the highest standards for both visual appeal and reliable cultivation.
Breeding Excellence and Innovation
Bred by renowned rose breeder Frank Cowlishaw and introduced in 2003, 'Rhapsody in Blue' represents cutting-edge Floribunda rose breeding that combines unprecedented colour achievement with modern garden performance. The breeding programme successfully created a variety that demonstrates good disease resistance, continuous flowering habit, and the closest approximation to blue colouring yet achieved in roses. This innovative breeding approach ensures reliable performance whilst delivering the spectacular visual impact that makes this rose truly groundbreaking for contemporary garden applications.
Unique Colour Transformation
The most distinctive feature of 'Rhapsody in Blue' is its spectacular colour transformation from iridescent purple to slate-blue as blooms mature, creating dynamic colour evolution that provides ongoing visual interest. This characteristic creates flowers that are constantly changing and remarkably striking throughout their development. The colour transformation adds extraordinary novelty and sophistication to the blooms whilst creating a focal point that captures attention and provides conversation value throughout the flowering season.
Continuous Bloom Performance
The exceptional continuous flowering habit of 'Rhapsody in Blue' ensures that gardens remain dramatically colourful and novel from midsummer through to mid-autumn. The ability to produce flowers consistently throughout this extended period makes it invaluable for maintaining unique garden interest and extraordinary colour displays. This reliable performance makes it particularly suitable for situations where consistent novelty colour and visual impact are required throughout the growing season.
Why Choose 'Rhapsody in Blue'?
Rose 'Rhapsody in Blue' represents the perfect combination of award-winning novelty, exceptional fragrance, and outstanding garden performance. The large semi-double blooms with their unique purple-to-slate-blue colour transformation provide continuous flowering displays from July through to September, whilst the good disease resistance ensures reliable growth with standard rose care. The tall, bushy growth habit makes it suitable for gardens of all sizes, from specimen plantings to mixed borders and container cultivation. Whether grown for its groundbreaking colour achievement, exceptional fragrance, or as a multiple award winner representing the closest approach to a blue rose, this revolutionary variety offers outstanding visual and sensory value that will provide years of gardening pleasure and extraordinary garden interest.
Reasons to Buy Roses from Jacksons Nurseries
(1) ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot
Buy with confidence from the only online rose grower rated ‘Excellent’ 4.9* on Trustpilot. We have been a trusted supplier of roses for 3 generations. We take pride in growing our own roses in the field before potting them up, allowing for meticulous quality control to sale.
(2) Best Prices Guaranteed – Direct from the Grower
Save £££s by buying direct from a grower you can trust. We’ve already price checked all of our roses against competitors so you don’t have to. We are so confident we offer the best value, if you find a rose of the same type and grade elsewhere, we’ll beat it by 10%.
(3) 12 Month Plants Guarantee
We offer a 12 month guarantee on every plant that you buy from us that we have classified as Fully Hardy. If a plant you've bought from us fails in the first year, we will either replace it or refund you. See our satisfaction guarantee page for more details and conditions.
(4) Third generation family-owned nursery specialising in roses
Jackson’s Nurseries is a 3rd generation family owned business which has been growing roses for over 60 years. Roses have always been our specialty, as you can see from the colourful array of blooms in the background to the old family photo below. Today, we offer over 200 different varieties of floribundas, hybrid teas, patio, shrub and David Austin roses. Our roses are initially grown in the field before being potted up for website dispatch.
(5) Grown at altitude to produce strong, healthy plants
Our North Staffordshire nursery is situated at 250 metres above sea level, producing strong, hardy plants that will thrive in your garden. Our nursery sits on clay, so you can be sure our roses can handle heavy soil too.
(6) Help & Advice and Aftercare
We are help to help you with any help and advice you need in choosing, planting and growing your roses before, during and after your purchase from us. The help and advice section of our website has extensive information, see below some examples of articles you may find useful:
- Different types of roses and what they each mean
- Guide to climbing roses
- Guide to floribunda roses
- Guide to hybrid tea roses
- How to plant a climbing rose
- How to grow hybrid tea roses
How our roses are supplied through the seasons
All our roses are cultivated in an open field and are carefully dug up when the weather is optimal, typically in October or November. While other nurseries supply roses bare root, once our field-grown roses have been potted up we supply them freshly potted. This better protects the roots and helps keep them moist in transit, ensuring your roses arrive as healthy as when they left our nursery. So don’t be alarmed if the compost comes away from the roots when you remove them from the pot.
The roses can remain in their pots over the winter, as long as they are properly watered and fed, but it's best to plant them out as soon as possible. If you do plant them straight away make sure the planting mix is prepared first, hold the root close to the top of the hole as you tip the pot upside down and try to keep as much compost as possible from falling away. They will already be pruned, so no additional pruning is needed except for trimming any dead tips. Regular pruning can start in late winter, the year after planting.
Rose Types
Hybrid Tea Roses (HT)
Hybrid Tea roses are probably the most popular group of roses, available in both bush and standard form they have long flower stems and shapely blooms. Blooms are typically medium to large in size, with many petals which form a distinct central cone.
Floribunda Roses (FL)
Floribunda roses bears its flowers in clusters or trusses, with several blooms open at time in each truss. A popular choice the Floribunda rose group is unrivalled for colour, reliability and longevity as a bedding display however the flower form in generally inferior to the Hybrid Tea.
Patio Roses (PATIO)
Patio roses were introduced in the 1980’s and the group now contains several popular varieties. Generally low-growing roses that were once grouped with the Floribuna group but have now been put in their own group of compact versions. Usually growing about 50cm high they make excellent plants for patio containers or at the front of borders.
Climbing Roses (CLM)
Climbing roses as the name suggests are the perfect choice for covering a wall or screen. Often grouped together with Ramblers, Climbers tend to have stiffer stems, larger flowers but smaller trusses than Ramblers.
Rambling Roses (RAM)
Rambling roses are often grouped with Climbing Roses but the ramblers tend to have a more pliable stems that can be used to run along the soil to use as groundcover or can be used to make weeping standards.
Miniature Roses (MINI)
Miniature roses have increased in popularity in recent years due to their versatility, even grown indoors as temporary pot plants that grow to a maximum height of 40cm. An ideal choice for planting in tubs, edging beds and rockeries.
English Roses (ENG)
Often referred to as Austin or David Austin Roses, English roses are hybrids of old English roses and more modern varieties bread by David Austin to provide the best of both, mixing old rose shapes and scents with more modern colour range, compact habits and repeat flowering.
Planting Advice
Roses like a generous root space, so dig a deep hole approximately twice as wide as the current root system, preferably adding composted organic matter to the soil. Never plant into frozen soil – in winter, await a frost-free period. Carefully remove the pot and gently tease the roots apart to spread them around the hole. Position the plant so that the ‘bud point’ (the place where the shoots emerge from, where the cultivated rose was grafted onto the rootstock) is at soil level. Replace the soil, firming it down gently, then water copiously. Ideally, a general purpose fertiliser should be applied to the surrounding soil as a top dressing. We also highly recommend the use of Rose Rootgrow, which provides a friendly fungus that prevents ‘rose replant syndrome’.
Buying our Roses
Pot Size
Most of our roses are supplied in a 4 litre pot although this may vary slightly depending on rose variety. If the size of pot differes significatly from 4 litres then we will make this clear somewhere on the product page.
Seasonality
Our roses are grown outdoors and as such are subject to seasonal changes. As we sell potted stock throughout the year your rose may not arrive and look like you expect it to. If you are uncertain how your rose will arrive (especially if buying for a gift) then we suggest you contact us prior to making a purchase.
Freshly Potted
Each year a new batch of roses is potted up ready for the following season. Once potted (usually November/December time) they go on sale as 'Freshly Potted'. If you purchase a freshly potted rose and plant it soon after you will find that when removing the rose from the pot there will be a lot of loose soil as the roots will not have had time to grow and bind the compost.
Pruned/Cut Back
In autumn the majority of our roses have finished flowering and begin to look untidy, at this point we prune them quite hard in preparation for the following season. We continue to sell roses throughout the year, when a rose has been pruned in such a way we will identify it has being so. If you are not sure what to expect then please ask prior to making a purchase. Some garden centres/supermarkets sell stock that has been grown abroad or in poly-tunnels so they look 'picture perfect' out of season, while this is ideal for a gift they are short lived once planted.
Aftercare
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