DELABY – orange climbing rose – Georges Delbard
Fragrance and colour define DELABY as a premium climbing cultivar for nursery propagation and trained-finished production, with strong-scented, very full mid-orange blooms shifting to peach-pink that hold their decorative value in vertical plantings. Its remontant flowering pattern, combined with medium maintenance requirements and reliable disease resistance, supports predictable scheduling from pharmaROSA® NEONATAL own-root cuttings into 5–7 L trained climber lines and beyond. As an own-root, premium-gold rated climber from the Fragrant Memories of Love collection, it offers long-term renewal and stable architecture for arches, arbours, walls and flowering hedges, particularly valued where warm, sunny conditions with good summer heat are expected and exposure often mirrors demanding UK public‑realm sites. The robust hardiness profile and professional propagation base help maintain homogeneous, space‑defining features over time in thematic rose gardens and collection projects, supporting a development arc from root establishment through structural training to full ornamental expression by the third year. Its strong branding story and exhibition‑level background give nurseries and wholesalers an exclusive, collection‑grade option for vertical, high-impact ranges.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- 5–7 L trained climber, premium fragrance line – Own-root DELABY in 5–7 L pots with 3–5 canes, marketed on strong fruity fragrance and exclusive vertical feature value – target audience/channel: branded retail climber benches and speciality resellers.
- Architectural arch and arbour duo-pack – Matched pairs of trained DELABY climbers for arches and arbours, leveraging its upright habit and repeat flowering for symmetrical installations – target audience/channel: landscape-oriented retailers and project nurseries.
- Heat-resilient collection climber – Positioned as a warm-site, disease-resistant climber within a curated Fragrant Memories of Love selection, built from NEONATAL own-root material – target audience/channel: garden centres serving warmer and exposed regions.
- Fragrance-feature cut and climb concept – Trained climbers promoted for dual use as garden feature and occasional cut-flower source, using remontant, scented blooms as the main value driver – target audience/channel: higher-end independents and boutique mail-order.
- Heritage medal-winner showcase item – Single-SKU focus on DELABY’s award history and breeder story, finished as an exclusive trained climber to anchor premium vertical assortments – target audience/channel: show gardens, collection projects and prestige retailers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Collection: Fragrant Memories of Love; current trade name: Delaby Fragrant Memories of Love Georges Delbard; American Rose Society exhibition name: Papi Delbard; commercial group: climbing rose; registration name not provided. |
| Origin and breeding |
Climber bred in France by Georges Delbard before 1992, introduced in 1995 by Pépinières et Roseraies Georges Delbard / Georges Delbard SA; parentage unknown, developed and first distributed from Malicorne, France. |
| Awards and recognition |
Internationally recognised exhibition rose with Baden-Baden Gold Medal 1992, Monza Gold Medal 1992, Courtrai Silver Medal 1994 and Orléans Certificate of Merit 1998, supporting high-profile collection and showcase positioning. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, climbing growth with rambling tendency, forming a trained framework when supported; moderately dense, mid to dark green, slightly glossy foliage; prickliness data not provided; height and spread data not provided. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, very full double blooms with 26–39 petals, cup-shaped with a slight rosette character, borne mainly in clusters of three to five per stem; remontant, with an abundant second flush under suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Vivid mid-orange flowers with a subtle peach undertone; buds deep orange-red, opening rich orange with peach-pink centre, then pastel pinkish-orange; colour lightens as blooms open; RHS 67B outer and 24C inner, ARS code ab. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, pronounced fragrance with rich, intensely fruity notes blending citrus and peach on a rosy base; double flowers limit pollinator access, so the variety is primarily ornamental rather than a pollinator-supporting choice. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces small, primarily ornamental rose hips about 5–10 mm diameter; hips are red and decorative in effect but are not recommended for human consumption; detailed hip shape data not provided. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Resistant to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, supporting lower intervention programmes; tolerates summer heat and prefers warm, sunny aspects with regular watering; hardy approximately to -20 to -15 °C, RHS H6, Swedish zone 1–2, USDA 6b. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for training on walls, fences, pergolas, arbours, arches, pillars and as part of flowering hedges, also suitable as a cut flower; medium maintenance; prefers warm, sunny positions, regular watering and trained climber production in 5–7 L pots. |
DELABY offers strongly scented, award-backed orange blooms on a disease-resistant, heat-tolerant climbing framework in own-root form, giving long-lived, predictable vertical displays; please contact us to align production volumes and delivery scheduling.
