Kordes Roses - Roses by Class

Roses by Class > Kordes Roses

W. Kordes' Söhne is a 120 year old German house of roses. Many of the most famous cut and garden varieties have been created in Kordes' facilities. They were visionary in rose breeding and stopped spraying their test garden roses almost twenty years ago. The Fairy Tale roses are one result of this vision. They are easy to grow, healthy, and extensively tested throughout Europe, the UK, and USA. All are multi-award winning roses.

The Vigorosa collection carries the same disease resistance, and are bulletproof and extremely useful landscape roses. I have put these roses through the harshest tests locally: hard compacted clay soil, winter floods, summer drought, no spraying and no feeding, and they perform to perfection! Our city gardens and streets would benefit from these beauties. Anyone who still thinks roses are fussy has not tried these.

Bros. Grimm (Fairy Tale)

Floribunda • Faint rose scent • 3' wide x 3' tall • Created by Kordes • Photo: W. Kordes’ Söhne

The brightest Fairy Tale rose so far. Brilliant orange with yellow reverse. The plant is robust and superbly clothed in highly polished foliage. This is another strong growing shrub that will reach about four feet in our climate. It can be pruned hard or allowed to build into a larger shrub over the years. Flower shape is double nostalgic. Brothers Grimm is one of the most popular in this collection of roses.
Caramel (Fairy Tale)

Shrub • Mild fragrance • 4 to 5' tall • Created by Kordes

This is a very strong growing shrub with a slightly spreading habit. The large flowers are the most amazing warm blends of copper, apricot, gold and cream. I find the blending of colours to be very pleasing at all stages making this rose an ideal shrub for mixed shrub or perennials gardens. Very pretty foliage with reddish tinges. This rose has that "oh la la" factor when in flower! Love it.
Cinderella (Fairy Tale)

Floribunda • Fresh apple fragrance • 6 to 10' tall • Created by Kordes • Photo: W. Kordes’ Söhne

Do they get any more fairy tale than Cinderella? Soft, delicate baby-pink roses on a robust healthy plant that makes a wonderful small climber in our area. The flowers are very delicate in colour and form, resembling the old roses from a hundred years ago. Her foliage is highly polished and resistant to all diseases. Her nodding flowers make her an ideal pillar rose. Growth is six to 10-plus feet. Wonderful fresh apple fragrance.
Elegant (Fairy Tale)

Floribunda • Soft clean scent • 3' wide x 3-5' tall • Created by Kordes

I love the foliage of this rose! Rich deep green with an almost waxy appearance. This is a plant that looks stunning even when not in flower. The roses themselves are very full, in a tradional "English cottage" raised form. They can be light to medium pink depending on time of year and weather. Plants are robust, well branched and produce large clusters of roses all season long. A great rose for a split rail fence, half barrel or garden! Well named!
Floral (Fairy Tale)

Shrub • Sweet fruity fragrance • 2' wide x 3' tall • Created by Kordes

This is the first Fairy Tale rose I grew, and still my favourite. An expert rose grower and long-time friend of mine described it as a "perfect" garden shrub. The flowers are a beautiful soft apricot, frilly pompom style. They remind me of flowers you would see on a wedding car. Foliage is highly polished, dense and amazingly healthy. Plant habit is tidy, growing to about 3 feet. This is an excellent rose for garden or large container growing. Sweet almost fruity rose fragrance.
Golden (Fairy Tale)

Shrub • Pretty rose fragrance • 3' wide x 4' tall • Created by Kordes

Pretty yellow roses are large and open to full, wavy, fragrant roses! The foliage is mid-green densely covering the bush. Golden grows tidy and upright to about four feet. Its habit makes it useful where space is at a premium. Blooms in clusters but also provides the gardener with a few single stem roses! This is a very nice all-round garden shrub. I’ve noticed the colour and flower size of this Fairy Tale rose is much better in cooler coastal gardens.
Lions (Fairy Tale)

Floribunda • Mild, pleasing scent • 2' wide x 2' tall • Created by Kordes • Photo: W. Kordes’ Söhne

Soft creamy with hints of blush to apricot in some climates. Lions is a robust, upright growing shrub that shows outstanding resistant to blackspot. Flowers are a double old-fashioned style. Foliage is dense glossy and covers the plant from top to bottom. Could be used as a short pillar rose in some climates.
Vigorosa Roses

Shrub • Very light fragrance • 3' wide x 2' tall • Created by Kordes • Photo: W. Kordes’ Söhne

A collection of spectacular landscape roses, available in a multitude of colours. Sweet Vigorosa pictured here has shimmering, radiant pink roses in masses all summer long. All Vigorosas have superb, highly polished foliage on plants that spread to about three feet. Rugged, winter hardy and easy to grow in large containers or open ground. These are my favorite carpet and shrub type roses because of their brilliant colours and tidy habits!