DONATELLA® – light pink hybrid tea rose
With its romantic pastel blooms and tea-rose fragrance, DONATELLA® creates an intimate, storybook mood in even the smallest family garden. This upright, elegant hybrid tea forms a dense, glossy backdrop of foliage and XL, very double flowers that repeat generously from early summer well into autumn. Bred by Meilland for resilience, it shows reliable health and copes calmly with blustery, rainy spells in more exposed British locations. As an own-root plant it settles steadily, building a long-lived framework that can regenerate from the base and maintain stable ornamental value over the years. In beds, borders or large containers, its fragrance-rich blooms lend a soft, feminine charm that suits cottage paths, kitchen gardens and relaxed afternoon-tea seating.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Feature rose by a seating area or terrace |
The very strongly scented, classic rosy perfume is ideal where you sit and linger, so each flush of blooms can be enjoyed up close in the late afternoon and evening; perfect for fragrance-lovers and relaxed beginners. |
| Romantic focal point in a cottage-style border |
Its upright habit and XL, very double rosette blooms give a graceful look that stands out among perennials and herbs, creating a soft, feminine accent in traditional borders for cottage-garden admirers. |
| Low-maintenance family garden planting |
Good resistance to black spot, mildew and rust keeps care routines simple, so occasional deadheading and seasonal pruning are usually enough, suiting busy households. |
| Own-root long-term specimen shrub |
The own-root form builds a durable shrub that can regenerate from its base after hard pruning or winter damage, supporting a long planting life for long-term planners. |
| Cutting garden and home flower arrangements |
Large, very double flowers on upright stems make excellent cut blooms for vases and table settings, adding a classic florist-style touch for home arrangers. |
| Large container or courtyard planting |
Performs well in a generous pot of at least 40–50 litres with regular watering and feeding, bringing romantic colour and scent to small patios sought by town gardeners. |
| Mixed hedge or repeated border rhythm |
Even height, dense foliage and repeat flowering allow regular spacing for a soft, flowering hedge or rhythm in borders, creating structure and privacy valued by family buyers. |
| Weather-tolerant display in variable UK conditions |
Reliable health and performance in typical British summers, even where gardens are breezier and wetter than average, support fuss-free enjoyment for coastal and exposed-site owners. |
Styling ideas
- COTTAGE BORDER COLUMN – Plant DONATELLA® in small groups with catmint, hardy geraniums and lavender to create a pastel vertical accent – ideal for romantic cottage-border enthusiasts.
- TEA-TIME TERRACE – Grow one plant in a 50–60 litre terracotta pot beside a bistro set, underplanted with trailing thyme – suited to balcony and courtyard hosts.
- SOFT HEDGED WALK – Repeat along a path at 50–60 cm intervals, edging with low box or dwarf lavender – attractive for families wanting a gentle, traditional approach.
- KITCHEN-GARDEN CENTREPIECE – Position as a scented focal point among herbs and salad beds, pairing with chives and sage – appealing to kitchen-garden cooks.
- EVENING PERFUME NOOK – Combine with white foxgloves and pale hostas around a bench for dusk fragrance – perfect for evening readers and contemplative sitters.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose from the Romantica® collection; registered as MEIkerira, marketed as DONATELLA® Romantica® MEIkerira, ARS exhibition name Donatella, light pink hybrid tea type. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in France by Michèle Meilland Richardier for Meilland International; parentage undisclosed; breeding completed 2009, registered 2009, introduced to the market in 2011. |
| Awards and recognition |
Gold Medals at Baden‑Baden, The Hague and Rome, plus a dedicated Fragrance Award at Roeulx, confirming both ornamental and scent qualities for garden and exhibition use. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea, typically 90–130 cm tall with 55–85 cm spread; dense, glossy dark green foliage; moderately thorny stems; forms a tidy, structured shrub in borders or as a specimen. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, rosette-shaped blooms with 40+ petals, XL flower size on cluster-flowered stems; strongly remontant, producing abundant repeat flushes after the main early-summer flowering. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Delicate light pink blooms; buds mid-pink, opening to soft pastel tones that gradually fade towards a pale, silvery-rose shade; overall colour effect remains gentle and harmonious through flowering. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strongly scented hybrid tea with a long-lasting, classic rosy character; fragrance is most noticeable near seating areas or paths and is a key ornamental feature of this cultivar. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is usually slight due to deadheading of very double flowers; when present, hips are ovoid, 10–14 mm in diameter, orange-red and ornamental but not a dominant feature. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated resistant to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardy to around -21 to -18 °C (RHS H7), USDA Zone 6b, Swedish Zone 3; moderate heat and drought tolerance with watering in dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to borders, hedging, specimen planting, terraces and containers; low maintenance with basic pruning and deadheading; recommended spacings: 50–90 cm depending on use and planting density. |
DONATELLA® offers romantic light pink, strongly fragrant blooms on a healthy, long-lived own-root shrub that suits relaxed family borders and containers, making it a refined choice for gardeners seeking enduring charm with modest effort.
