Cream Abundance

Where to plant. At the front of a border, in a container, on a patio; the compact size and profuse cluster flowering make it ideal for small spaces; striking in groups of 3–5 bushes.

Climate. RHS H6 (−15…−20 °C), USDA zone 6b and warmer; in colder areas of Ukraine, cover container plants for winter.

Care. Full sun (≥5–6 h); moist well-drained soil (tolerates clay, chalk, sand); spring pruning by ⅓; regular removal of spent flowers prolongs the flushes.

Name. 'Cream Abundance' – ‘cream abundance / plenty’: the name combines the cream colour and the Abundance series (‘plenty’), united by profuse, almost continuous cluster flowering and a reliable garden character. Trade synonym – 'Covent Garden'. Bred by the house of Harkness (Great Britain), introduced 1999, code HARflax. The Harkness house is one of the oldest English rose firms (founded 1879, Hitchin, Hertfordshire), known for garden floribundas and hybrid teas.

Significance. A model of the English ‘border’ floribunda – healthy, compact, profusely flowering. Part of the Abundance series, whose coloured ‘sisters’ of one habit give a ready-made gradient for a mixed border. An ideal choice for a container and for the front of a flower bed.