Photo: © Pépinières et Roseraies Georges Delbard (official variety photo)

Floribunda (bedding, cluster-flowered)Delbard, 2012Apricot and orange

Dolce Vita

Apricot-honey rosettes in clusters; buds pink-red; a compact, healthy, free-flowering bedding rose.

Delbard's 'flowers for bouquets' collection

Variety profile Gardeners' photos

Variety profile

Flowering

Repeat, in flushes

Repeat-flowering in waves, from May to the first frosts. Months are approximate, for the climate of Ukraine.

Legacy

Delbard

From Delbard's colourful bedding collection — easy-care, healthy cluster-flowered roses

Winter hardiness

−20 °C

USDA zone 6b+. South and centre of Ukraine; in the north, with protection. South and centre of Ukraine · in the north, with winter protection.

Compare reference temperatures

Plant size

40–60 × 40–50 cm

Habit: Compact, low, bushy, upright, well balanced
Dimensions: 40–60 cm tall × 40–50 cm wide
Support: Not needed; a compact bedding rose
Shoots: Sturdy, short
Branching: Dense, free-flowering

Flower

5–7 cm

Bud shape: Rose-red, rounded
Open flower: Globular-cupped, rosette-like (old-fashioned type), dense centre; about 5–7 cm across
Centre: Dense, filled with petals
Fullness: Double, very full (~26–40 petals)
Flower carriage: In sprays of several flowers, up to ~15 per stem (typical floribunda)

Fragrance

Barely noticeable; the variety is valued for its colour and abundance, not its scent

Barely noticeable; the variety is valued for its colour, health and abundance.

Disease resistance

4 out of 5

Black spotresistantPowdery mildewresistant

Good against black spot and powdery mildew; tolerates rain and heat.

Sun

Full sun

Good tolerance of rain and heat.

Thorns

Moderate

thornlessfewmoderatemanyvery many

Moderate prickliness (few precise data for this variety).

Foliage

Dense, dark green, glossy, leathery, healthy.

Other names

Breeder's code DELcentoran.

All characteristics in a table

Group: Floribunda (bedding, cluster-flowered)
Breeder: Delbard, France, 2012
Bud shape: Rose-red, rounded
Open flower: Globular-cupped, rosette-like (old-fashioned type), dense centre; about 5–7 cm across
Centre: Dense, filled with petals
Colour: Apricot-honey blend: yellow-orange with peach and amber tones; buds pink-red; with age it fades to creamy apricot
Fullness: Double, very full (~26–40 petals)
Flower carriage: In sprays of several flowers, up to ~15 per stem (typical floribunda)
Flowering: Repeat-flowering in waves, from May to the first frosts
Fragrance: Barely noticeable; the variety is valued for its colour, health and abundance
Hips: Usually not left on the bush; spent flowers are cut off
Habit: Compact, low, bushy, upright, well balanced
Branching: Dense, free-flowering
Shoots: Sturdy, short
Thorns: Moderate prickliness (few precise data for this variety).
Dimensions: 40–60 cm tall × 40–50 cm wide
Support: Not needed; a compact bedding rose
Foliage: Dense, dark green, glossy, leathery, healthy
Resistance: Good against black spot and powdery mildew; tolerates rain and heat
Variations of the variety: Also sold as a standard ('on a stem'); no coloured sports are known

Colour scheme

Apricot-honey blend: yellow-orange with peach and amber tones; buds pink-red; with age it fades to creamy apricot

Rose neighbours

Lady of Shalottapricot-orange

Crown Princess Margaretadeep apricot

Just Joeyapricot-orange

Munstead Wooddark raspberry · contrast

Perennials to plant nearby

Catmint (Nepeta)blue

Sage 'Caradonna'purple

Perovskialavender smoke

Gypsophilawhite mist

Neighbouring roses

Apricot, honey and orange varieties keep the same warm, 'sunny' mood around Dolce Vita.

Lady of Shalott Crown Princess Margareta Just Joey Munstead Wood

Perennial companions

Blue-violet and silvery flowers give a clean contrast to the warm apricot-honey:

catmint (Nepeta)sage 'Caradonna'perovskiagypsophila

Contrasting accents

Blue spires and a sheer 'haze' add depth to the warm palette:

DelphiniumNepeta Six Hills GiantPerovskia

More about the variety

Hips: Usually not left on the bush; spent flowers are cut off
Variations of the variety: Also sold as a standard ('on a stem'); no coloured sports are known

How to grow

Where to plant. In a bed, a border, the front of a mixed border, or in containers on a terrace; its compactness suits small gardens and mass plantings.

Climate. South and centre of Ukraine: no protection needed; in the north: winter protection.

Care. Full sun, fertile soil; undemanding and healthy; removing spent flowers encourages new waves.

About the name

Name. Italian 'la dolce vita', 'the sweet life'; a cultural allusion to the atmosphere of an Italian garden and to Federico Fellini's film of the same name (1960).

Breeding. Bred by the Georges Delbard house (France), introduced in 2012. Patent code DELcentoran (synonym Sweet Life). The breeder does not disclose the parent forms.

Significance. Part of Delbard's colourful bedding collection of 'flowers for bouquets': healthy, undemanding, free-flowering cluster roses for the modern garden.

Frequently asked questions about Dolce Vita

Does Dolce Vita need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −20 °C (USDA zone 6b+). Overwintering depends on the conditions. South and centre of Ukraine; in the north, with protection.

How many times a season does Dolce Vita flower?

Repeat-flowering in waves, from May to the first frosts.

How big does Dolce Vita grow?

40–60 cm tall, 40–50 cm wide.

Which diseases affect Dolce Vita?

Overall resistance: 4 out of 5. Good: resistant to black spot and powdery mildew.

How much sun does Dolce Vita need?

Full sun; good tolerance of rain and heat.

What does Dolce Vita smell like?