FABULOUS™ – pink hybrid tea rose – Ford
Exhibition quality blooms with soft pastel-lavender tonality make this cultivar a focused choice for premium container rose programmes where flower form and colour definition drive value in retail and reseller channels. As a bush-trained own-root starting point with 3–5 strong framework canes it aligns well with 5–7 L premium container targets, supporting exclusive finished-product positioning based on consistent, solitary blooms suitable for cut and specimen use. The mildly scented, high-centred, pointed-budded flowers deliver a cut-rose style look in garden production, while the strongly remontant habit provides a dependable second flush that underpins repeated sales and display windows. H7 hardiness down to -21–-18 °C offers reassuring structural stability for nurseries planning nationwide supply, including colder regions, within systems that demand uniform, high-grade own-root stock. Dense, glossy, dark green foliage supports bench appeal and maintains ornamental value between flushes, though disease susceptibility means this is a managed, high-input option for growers prepared to run regular protection programmes. Own-root propagation material gives a predictable base for collection and show-garden ranges, moving from root establishment in year one, structural shoot build-up in year two, to full ornamental expression by year three for consistent performance.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L hybrid tea feature rose – Own-root, bush-trained plants in 5–7 L pots, marketed on high-centred bloom form and pastel-lavender colour progression as an exclusive feature rose – retail garden centres and quality-led resellers
- Garden cut-flower hybrid tea line – Solitary, exhibition-style blooms and strong remontancy presented in premium containers as “garden cut-flower” stock, highlighting stem quality and repeat flowering – specialist nurseries and mail-order partners
- Pastel romance colour-collection trio – Integrated into a three-cultivar pastel scheme, with FABULOUS™ carrying the soft pink-lavender segment, supplied in matched 5–7 L pots for high-impact benches – style-focused garden centres and concept retailers
- Exhibition and show-support stock – Selected, evenly grown plants in 5–7 L containers for exhibitors needing reliable sources of exhibition-form hybrid tea blooms, emphasising pedigree and form – show growers and rose society networks
- Breeder and origin highlight block – Positioned as part of a “New Zealand-bred hybrid tea” feature, finished in premium containers to underline exclusive status and distinct colour tonality – collection gardens and destination retail sites
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as FORfab, traded as Fabulous™ Hybrid tea rose FORfab; exhibition category cut flower and exhibition hybrid tea; name reflects the meaning “wonderful, excellent”. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by John Ford of Ford Roses, Palmerston North, New Zealand; introduced and initially distributed in the United Kingdom by Style Roses in 2016; breeding year before 2016, parentage not provided. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea shrub to about 85–115 cm high and 60–90 cm spread, with dense, glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickliness; self-cleaning performance not provided, best treated as a groomed, managed plant. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double flowers with 26–39 petals, high-centred and pointed-budded in classic cut-rose style, presented mainly solitary; strongly remontant habit with an abundant second flush after the main flowering period. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Soft pastel pink base colour with delicate lavender veil; buds pale mauve-pink with silvery tip; newly opened blooms soft pink, uniform light pink at full bloom, then pale to silvery-pink with creamy tones; colour retention moderate. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild, pleasantly soft rose fragrance, subtly scented and not overpowering, supporting comfortable use in containers and near seating; double, pointed blooms make stamens less accessible, so it is only moderately attractive to pollinators. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional ovoid hips, about 10–14 mm diameter, orange-red when mature; ornamental effect is secondary to the primary use of the cultivar for its hybrid tea flower form and colour quality. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately -21 to -18 °C, RHS H7, Swedish zone 3, USDA 6b; disease resistance modest with moderate powdery mildew and black spot susceptibility and very high rust susceptibility, requiring regular plant protection. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended as a flower bed, cut flower and specimen rose; supplied bush-trained with 3–5 strong framework canes; best routed into premium container production in 5–7 L pots; maintenance needs are high due to low disease tolerance. |
FABULOUS™ offers exhibition-form hybrid tea blooms and strong remontancy on own-root stock that supports long-term, predictable premium container production; its managed, high-input profile suits growers ready to discuss capacity and scheduling.
