Shortlisted for RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year

WATFORD FOREVER represents a significant step forward in rose breeding, bringing together a series of improvements within one variety in the notoriously challenging bicolour range. Developed through an ongoing and comprehensive breeding programme, it combines a compact habit with striking bicolour and striped flower characteristics from carefully selected parent lines.

This thoughtful breeding approach has resulted in a plant that not only offers visual impact, but also improved structure, resilience and overall garden performance - qualities not always found together in bicoloured roses.

The result is a rose that is both beautiful and dependable, with strong petal structure, well-formed blooms and excellent plant shape, making it a genuinely garden-worthy advancement on existing varieties.

Why grow it in your garden?

Rosa WATFORD FOREVER stands out in several ways:

• Striking bicolour blooms in a notoriously difficult colour range
• Strong, rigid petals that hold their shape and extend flower life
• Pointed
  A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers.

  buds that open into bright blooms that are accessible to pollinators
• Compact, full-looking growth with leaves closely arranged along the stems
• Exceptional hardiness for this colour group, with good resistance to winter damage
• A perfect balance of beauty, structure and resilience in one plant

Care and growing advice

This rose is designed to be both rewarding and accessible, making it suitable for gardeners of all experience levels.

• How to grow roses

Where and how to plant the WATFORD FOREVER rose

• Suitable for garden borders or containers
• Ideal for patios, smaller gardens and modern planting schemes
• Thrives in well-prepared soil enriched with organic matter such as homemade compost
• Plant at the correct depth – keep the stem union at or just above soil level in most soils
• In free-draining soils, you can plant it slightly deeper

How to care for the WATFORD FOREVER rose

• For container growing, use a high-quality peat-free compost
• Water well, preferably early in the day (to reduce risk of disease) and ideally with collected rainwater, to support healthy growth
• Feed every 7–10 days with a liquid seaweed feed, following the instructions on the bottle

Rosa WATFORD FOREVER is easy to grow, making it highly accessible to a wide range of gardeners.

Compact, resilient and full of vibrant character, this rose delivers both reliability and visual excitement – offering a rewarding gardening experience for novices and experts alike, and marking a meaningful advance in modern rose breeding.

Breeder: Kordes Roses. Exhibitor: Hare Spring Cottage Plants. Supplier: Hillier Nurseries Ltd.