MY DAD – yellow flower bed floribunda rose – Matthews
Bring a touch of storybook romance to your family garden with MY DAD, a sun-yellow floribunda that combines generous flowering with reassuringly easy maintenance. This own-root, 2-litre potted rose arrives ready to plant whenever soil is workable, giving you a confident start even in exposed gardens where breezes and showers are part of everyday weather. Its bushy, upright structure and dense, glossy foliage build into a solid framework that anchors borders and cottage-style beds, while medium-height stems carry clusters of very double, cup-shaped blooms in warm, golden tones. Over time, the plant matures steadily, rewarding patient gardeners with a natural progression from establishing roots to stronger shoots and then a full, stable ornamental presence in the border. Medium fragrance with a clean, rose-spicy character drifts around seating areas, perfect for an afternoon tea corner under an arbour or beside the kitchen garden, where you can enjoy repeat flowering from early summer well into autumn. Thoughtfully spaced, it suits both traditional beds and large containers, fitting happily into busy lives and informal cottage borders, while the inherent resilience of an own-root plant supports long-term reliability without fussy care routines.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Cottage-style flower bed in a family garden |
MY DAD forms a bushy, upright shrub with dense, dark green foliage that quickly reads as a “proper” rose bush in a small to medium border, giving structure and classic cottage-garden character without demanding complex pruning, ideal for beginners. |
| Season-long colour focus near seating or arbour |
Clusters of large, very double, cup-shaped blooms open in vivid sun-yellow and soften to creamy edges, providing an evolving focal point beside a bench or arbour from the first flush through a notably abundant second flowering, suiting relaxed afternoon-tea garden users atmosphere. |
| Low informal hedge along paths or kitchen garden |
With a height of 110–150 cm and spread up to 100 cm, MY DAD knits into a low, semi-formal hedge when planted at 50–55 cm intervals, giving a soft golden boundary that frames herbs, vegetables and lawn areas for traditional-minded garden owners. |
| Mixed cottage border with perennials |
The strong yellow blooms pair attractively with cool or pastel perennials such as loosestrife or upright verbenas, while the glossy foliage provides a dark backdrop that helps lighter companions stand out, appealing to colour-conscious border planners. |
| Large pot or half-barrel on patio (40–50 L+) |
The upright, bushy habit and moderate width suit a substantial container of at least 40–50 litres, creating a movable accent for patios or front-door areas where you want long-flowering impact but only simple, occasional care, ideal for time-poor urban gardeners. |
| Exposed or breezy spots in average gardens |
The well-branched framework, moderate thorniness and dense leaf canopy help the plant stand firm and look full in sites that experience regular wind and rain, giving reliable ornamental value without constant staking, reassuring for coastal and open-site households. |
| Long-term feature rose for stable planting plans |
Grown on its own roots, MY DAD regenerates from the base if stems are damaged and ages evenly without graft-union complications, supporting a long lifespan and a consistent look in long-planned borders, attractive to those investing in lasting garden structure. |
| Roses for cutting and bringing indoors |
Large, very double clusters on medium-length stems provide decorative cut flowers with a clean, rose-spicy medium fragrance; while not a competition exhibition rose, it offers charming, informal arrangements for everyday home use, pleasing practical home-flower enthusiasts. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Ribbon Border – Run MY DAD in a loose line along a lawn edge with catmint and pink verbenas for a soft, storybook ribbon of colour – for families who enjoy relaxed, traditional paths.
- Arbour-Tea Corner – Plant a small group near a seating nook, underplanted with lavender, to enjoy the rose-spicy scent and golden blooms during afternoon tea – for those who use the garden as an outdoor living room.
- Kitchen-Garden Edge – Use as a low hedge bordering vegetable beds, mixed with herbs like chives and sage, giving a cheerful, ordered frame to productive plots – for home growers who like a pretty, useful layout.
- Patio-Hero Pot – Place one plant in a 50–60 litre half-barrel with trailing thyme and violas, creating an easy-care focal point by the back door – for busy owners wanting impact close to the house.
- Country-Mix Island – Combine MY DAD with purple loosestrife and white verbena in an island bed, letting its glossy foliage anchor the composition – for gardeners building a romantic, countryside feel in open lawn.
Technical cultivar profile
| Aspect | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose marketed as MY DAD (Bedding rose MATtmaf); registered cultivar name MATtmaf, bred and selected for ornamental bedding and floribunda garden use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Bob Matthews of Matthews Nurseries Ltd, New Zealand; parentage not disclosed. Registered in 2017 with PVR application and introduced to the market in 2018 for garden planting. |
| Awards and recognition |
Received a Certificate of Merit at the International Rose Trial in Palmerston North in 2018, confirming strong garden performance and ornamental value under independent trial conditions. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub reaching about 110–150 cm in height and 70–100 cm in spread, with moderately thorny stems and dense, dark green, glossy foliage providing good visual coverage. |
| Flower morphology |
Large-flowered, cluster-forming floribunda with very double, cup-shaped blooms bearing more than 40 petals; remontant, with generous repeat and a particularly abundant second flush in season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm, vivid sun-yellow flowers (RHS 14A outer, 14B inner) that gradually lighten towards creamy, pale-yellow edges as they age; moderate colour retention, giving soft tonal variation over time. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Clean, rose-spicy fragrance of medium strength, noticeable at close quarters and around seating areas in still conditions, adding a traditional scented-rose element without becoming overpowering. |
| Hip characteristics |
Because of the very double flowers, hips are sparse; where formed, they are small, spherical, about 8–12 mm across, and ripen to an attractive orange-red, with limited ornamental impact overall. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated around USDA zone 6b, RHS H7, tolerating approximately –21 to –18 °C; moderate resistance reported to black spot, powdery mildew and rust, best supported by good planting and hygiene. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to beds, hedging, parks, large containers and cutting; prefers a sunny spot, spacing about 50–55 cm in groups. Maintenance is medium, with routine feeding, pruning and occasional plant protection. |
MY DAD offers warm yellow clusters, repeat flowering and a sturdy, bushy habit in an own-root form that matures reliably over years; a thoughtful choice if you wish to enjoy dependable colour with modest ongoing care.
