SIMPLY STUNNING – carmine-red hybrid tea rose – Delbard
Beneath an arbour or beside a cottage path, SIMPLY STUNNING brings a quietly luxurious sense of romance to everyday garden life, with velvety carmine-red blooms that invite relaxed afternoon tea and unhurried conversation. Bred by Delbard for hybrid tea elegance, it offers long, straight stems ideal for cutting, while its medium, fresh red-berry fragrance carries on still evenings without overwhelming smaller family gardens. As an own-root plant it builds reliable longevity, regrowing from its own base so the bush keeps its shape and colour even after harsher winters. In blustery, unsettled weather it stands reassuringly upright, giving you stable colour even where gardens are often tested by wind and rain. Its dense, glossy dark green foliage creates a tidy backdrop for the richly coloured flowers, helping it sit comfortably among lavender, herbs and cottage-style borders. Over the years it matures into a well-balanced shrub that responds flexibly to different pruning approaches, from lower, floriferous bedding to taller, more formal specimens, matching the evolving rhythm of a busy family garden.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Feature rose in a family front garden |
The upright, compact habit and dense dark green foliage keep SIMPLY STUNNING visually neat near paths and driveways, while the large, cupped flowers provide classic hybrid tea presence without needing complex training, ideal for homeowners. |
| Romantic cottage-style border with perennials |
Its velvety carmine-red blooms sit beautifully among cottage favourites like lavender, bluebeard and woodland sage, and medium disease resistance suits mixed borders where good air movement and simple seasonal care are available for hobby-gardeners. |
| Cut-flower row in a kitchen or cutting garden |
Hybrid tea form with solitary, long-stemmed flowers and very double petals gives you exhibition-type blooms for the vase across the season, making it easy to harvest home-grown bouquets for romantic-traditionalists. |
| Specimen planting near seating or terrace |
The medium-strength, fresh red-berry scent is most noticeable at close range, so placing a single bush near a bench or terrace allows you to enjoy the fragrance on still evenings without needing a large rose collection, perfect for tea-lovers. |
| Small rose bed in average-sized family gardens |
Recommended spacings allow straightforward planning of a simple rose bed; medium maintenance means routine deadheading and basic plant protection are sufficient for reliable flowering over many years, well suited to beginners. |
| Own-root planting for long-term structure |
Supplied on its own roots, the bush can regenerate from the base after hard pruning or winter damage, helping maintain true-to-type growth and colour for the long term, which supports low-fuss gardening for busy-urban-owners. |
| Border in gardens exposed to wind and rain |
The sturdy, upright growth and good anchoring in the soil give dependable structure even where weather is unsettled and showery, so the plant keeps its form and flowering display for coastal-gardeners. |
| Flexible height management through pruning |
Its 80–120 cm height range responds well to different pruning levels, from lower, fuller bedding to taller, more formal shapes, allowing you to adapt the same plant as the garden layout evolves, a benefit welcomed by family-planners. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Red – Plant SIMPLY STUNNING among lavender, woodland sage and herbs to create an English cottage feel beside a front path – ideal for lovers of relaxed, romantic entrances.
- Tea-Corner – Place one or two bushes by a small seating area, adding scented annuals in pots for an intimate tea nook – suited to homeowners wanting a cosy retreat.
- Carmine-Hedge – Use recommended hedging spacings to form a low, rose hedge that frames a kitchen garden or lawn – appealing to families seeking traditional, flower-rich boundaries.
- Cutting-Row – Arrange a straight row in the veg or cutting garden to provide reliable, long-stemmed blooms for vases indoors – perfect for those who enjoy arranging home-grown flowers.
- Storybook-Spot – Combine a single specimen with a wooden obelisk, soft grasses and bluebeard for a storybook focal point near a terrace – ideal for gardeners wanting a simple yet elegant centrepiece.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as DELroufra, marketed as Simply Stunning – Scented Memories of Love – DELroufra; ARS exhibition name La Rose des 4 Vents, from the Scented Memories of Love collection. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Georges Delbard in France, breeding completed 2005; parentage not publicly disclosed. Introduced 2006 via Georges Delbard SA and Matthews Nurseries, representing modern French hybrid tea breeding. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush, around 80–120 cm high and 50–70 cm wide with moderately thorny stems and dense, glossy dark green foliage, forming a well-filled shrub suitable for beds, borders and specimen use. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, solitary, cupped hybrid tea blooms, 40+ petals, very double and formal in outline. Remontant, with a generous second flush, though spent blooms generally need deadheading as self-cleaning is weak. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Carmine-red flowers, deeper towards the centre; buds dark ruby red. Colour holds moderately well, lightening slightly in strong sun and staying richer in cooler weather, giving layered crimson and raspberry-red effects. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength fragrance with a fresh, red-berry character, noticeable at close range around seating or path edges. Primarily ornamental, the very double flowers limit pollen access and are not focused on pollinator support. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set generally poor due to very double flowers; where present, small spherical red hips about 8–12 mm in diameter may form, adding modest late-season interest without dominating the plant’s appearance. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 4, USDA 5b). Shows medium resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust, benefiting from basic preventive care and good cultural conditions. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in well-drained soil with regular watering in heat. Suitable for flower beds, hedging, specimen and park planting, including light partial shade; maintain with seasonal deadheading and occasional plant protection. |
SIMPLY STUNNING offers velvety carmine-red hybrid tea blooms, dependable upright structure and home-grown cut flowers on a long-lived own-root plant; a thoughtful choice if you enjoy romantic roses without complicated demands.
