Kinda Blue

Where to plant. First and foremost for cutting and bouquets — the rare lavender colour and pompom form are prized in floristry; in the garden — an accent in the cool (lilac-silver) part of a mixed border.

Climate. South and centre of Ukraine; garden hardiness roughly USDA zone 6 — in the north with cover (the variety was bred as a greenhouse cut flower).

Care. Full sun, any well-drained soil; holds up well in heat; regular cutting encourages new flowers.

Name. English 'kinda blue' — 'rather blue': an honest hint that the rose is actually lavender, not truly blue (there is no truly blue colour among roses). The American name 'Blue PomPom' describes the 'blue' pompom flower.

Breeding. Bred by W. Kordes' Söhne (Germany) in 2004, introduced in 2015 (in Japan by the nursery Keisei as 'Kinda Blue', in the USA by Newflora as 'Blue PomPom'). Code — KO 04/2033-08. Parent forms have not been disclosed.

Significance. A modern cut-flower rose from Kordes, valued for its rare lavender-'blue' colour, dense pompom flower, heat-stable colour and long life as a cut flower.