Heimatmelodie

Where to plant. Sunny beds, groups of 3–5 bushes, borders with a dramatic colour palette; it looks lovely paired with white varieties to emphasise the bicolour; its compact size suits small plots or containers.

Climate. Down to −20 °C — in Ukraine with moderate cover; in the south, minimal cover.

Care. Classic floribunda — prune in spring by ⅓; removing spent blooms encourages new flushes; standard seasonal disease prevention.

Name. 'Heimatmelodie' is German for 'melody of the homeland'. A romantic, welcoming name that evokes home and nostalgia, conveying a warm emotional atmosphere. In different countries the variety is sold under different trade names: Franck Michael / Frank Michaël (possibly after the Belgian-French singer Franck Michel, born 1949), Majora and Raspberry Queen.

Breeding. CORRECTION: the earlier working notes had the hypothesis 'Tantau or Kordes'; Tantau is confirmed. Bred by Hans Jürgen Evers (1940–2007) at Rosen Tantau, Uetersen, Germany, in 1996; commercial introduction in 2000. Code TANeidol (RT 96-115). The parentage is not published, which is standard Tantau-practice.

Significance. The 9th variety of the 'Evers dynasty' in our catalogue. Together with Candlelight (1994), Cappuccino (2005), Andre Le Notre, Chippendale (2005), Elfe (2000), Dukat (2010), Friedenslicht (2010) and Hansestadt Rostock (2004), it belongs to the Evers family's group. Hans Jürgen Evers was Tantau's chief breeder from the 1970s to the 2000s, and he mostly bred nostalgic and dramatic varieties. Heimatmelodie stands out among his works for its clear bicolour character: it is not a 'nostalgic' rose but, on the contrary, a bright bed accent. The variety is especially valued in Germany and the post-Soviet space; in Ukraine it is also known by the name 'Malynova koroleva' (Raspberry Queen).