Cream-white base with a pale yellow inner zone and a subtle pink rim. - hybrid tea rose - mild, subtly scented rose - pleasant character
– Elegant cream‑pink Hybrid Tea blooms
– Long‑lasting colour, only gently fading
– Reliable remontant flowering through summer
– Medium disease resistance, hardy to H7
– Ideal for beds, hedges and cut flowers Gné speisialta: Buaiteoir First Prize (2014) Baden bei Wien.
Thoughtfully curated range – Lively, vibrant garden
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL 2-litre own-root potted rose
19,40 €
3.5(5647)
ATHENA® – cream-pink hybrid tea rose - Kordes
The elegant ATHENA® hybrid tea offers classic, high‑centred blooms in a soft cream‑pink blend that suits both modern and cottage‑style Irish gardens. Its remontant flowering brings a generous second flush, so You enjoy a long season of colour from summer into autumn. Upright and compact, it fits comfortably into average front gardens, entrance beds and small groups without overwhelming nearby plants. The mildly scented flowers are excellent for cutting, giving You refined, long‑stemmed blooms for the vase. Bred by Kordes, it shows reliable hardiness to typical Irish winters, while good leaf health helps it cope with a wet, cool summer. As an own‑root plant it develops a naturally balanced bush with the potential for a long garden life and easy rejuvenation. With lighter soil improvement to help manage our heavier, rain‑soaked clay patches, You can simply plant, water and let it grow, watching roots establish in year one, stronger shoots build in year two and full ornamental value unfold by year three for a calm, dependable display.
Freshly opened Athena® bloom with creamy-white petals and a pale pink edge.
Use cases
Target area
Reason
Front garden feature rose beside the entrance path
Its upright, compact structure keeps a neat outline in small front beds, while the refined hybrid tea flowers provide a welcoming focal point near your doorway, ideal for homeowners who prefer a tidy, elegant look for their front-garden.
Cutting patch or mixed border for home-cut flowers
The long, straight stems and high-centred blooms are perfect for vases, giving You reliable, florist-style cut flowers through the season from just a few bushes, well suited to beginners who enjoy occasionally bringing their own roses indoors for arrangements.
Small group planting in a family back garden
Planting 3–5 bushes together creates a fuller effect without taking much space; the bushy shape fills out gaps over time, making it easy to achieve a satisfying display for those wanting quick impact but only modest garden maintenance.
Sunny bed with other shrubs and perennials
Good overall foliage health and resistance to black spot mean the plant stays attractive among hydrangeas, catmint or hardy perennials, matching Irish gardens where frequent rain and humidity can otherwise spoil leaves for busy, low-intervention gardeners.
Rose bed in cooler or exposed Irish sites
With hardiness down to roughly -25 °C and robust growth, it copes well with typical Irish winter conditions and breezier sites, giving reassurance if You garden in open or rural locations and still want a long-lived rose investment.
Patio planter near a seating area
In a 40–50 litre container with good drainage it forms an upright, space-saving bush whose mild scent and creamy blooms can be enjoyed up close, suiting balcony and patio users who want a rose presence without turning the space into a full-scale garden.
Feature rose in a cottage-style mixed border
The cream-pink flowers blend gently with lavender, catmint or Annabelle hydrangeas, adding a romantic touch that still looks ordered and upright, ideal for those who like a cottage feel but prefer individual plants that remain visually disciplined.
Long-term own-root planting for family gardens
As an own-root rose it develops its final bush shape on site, regenerating well from the base and ageing evenly, so the planting matures steadily over the years rather than needing frequent replacement, appealing to time-pressed, planning-ahead families.
Decorating ideas
Front-Door Welcome – Pair ATHENA® with dwarf lavender and low box edging by the path to create a calm, scented entrance – ideal for homeowners who want a smart look with minimal fuss.
Romantic Cottage Row – Plant a short row of ATHENA® in front of Annabelle hydrangeas for layered cream tones and soft pink accents – perfect for rural cottage gardens seeking gentle structure.
Elegant Cutting Corner – Dedicate a sunny strip with ATHENA® and airy grasses so You can pick long-stemmed blooms without spoiling main borders – great for beginners who love home bouquets.
Patio Calm – Grow one bush in a 40–50 litre terracotta pot with trailing thyme at the rim for a relaxed, Mediterranean touch – suited to small urban patios and balconies.
Soft Sunset Border – Combine ATHENA® with catmint, soft pink salvias and pale campanulas to echo its pastel tones – appealing to those who prefer soothing, evening-friendly planting.
Technical cultivar profile
Parameter
Data
Name and registration
Hybrid tea rose, registered as RühKOR, marketed as Athena® Eleganza®. Part of the Eleganza® collection, with the ARS exhibition name Athena, suitable for garden and show use.
Origin and breeding
Bred by W. Kordes’ Söhne in Germany from an own seedling crossed with ‘Helmut Schmidt’. Breeding work completed in 2002, registered in 2004 and introduced to the market in 2014.
Awards and recognitions
First Prize at Baden bei Wien, Austria, in 2014, recognising its ornamental garden qualities and flower form in Central European conditions comparable to many Irish growing sites.
Growth and structure
Upright, bushy habit reaching about 85–115 cm in height and 50–70 cm spread. Dense, mid-green, slightly glossy foliage with moderate thorns; forms a balanced, medium-sized bush over time.
Flower morphology
Very double, high-centred hybrid tea blooms with over 40 petals on large, solitary flowers. Buds are pointed and elegant, opening slowly on long, straight stems ideal for cutting and exhibition.
Colour and phenology
Cream-white base with pale yellow centre and a soft pink rim. Colour is stable and only gently fades in strong sun. Flowers in flushes from early summer with a generous second flowering later.
Fragrance and aroma
Mild, pleasant scent typical of many modern hybrid teas. Best appreciated at close range around seating areas or when stems are cut for indoor arrangements, where the fragrance is more noticeable.
Rose hip characteristics
Rose hips are rarely produced due to very double blooms, though occasional small, egg-shaped, orange-red hips 10–14 mm across may appear late in the season on some stems.
Resistance and hardiness
Hardy to around -26 to -23 °C (RHS H7, Swedish Zone 4, USDA 5b). Disease resistance medium overall, with good resistance to black spot and rust, and moderate susceptibility to powdery mildew.
Horticultural recommendations
Prefers a sunny site with well-drained but moisture-retentive soil. Space at 55 cm in beds or 50 cm in low hedges; around 3–4 plants per m². Best for cut flowers, specimen planting and small rose groups.
ATHENA® offers elegant cream-pink flowers, compact, upright growth and reliable remontant performance, and as an own-root rose it promises long-term stability and easy rejuvenation, so You can choose it with confidence for your garden.
Detailed product attributes
Product Identification Data
Product Name:
ATHENA® – cream-pink hybrid tea rose - Kordes
Product Type:
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL - 2-litre own-root potted rose
Pollinator Attraction:
Its very double flower form makes it poorly attractive to pollinators because the densely packed petals restrict access to the stamens.
Pollinator-Friendly Rating:
Its very double blooms enclose the stamens, making it primarily an ornamental variety
Rose Hip Notes:
Rose hip formation is expected to be limited due to double flowers; occasionally an ovoid, orange‑red rose hip 10–14 mm in diameter may appear.
Our product is a rose grown with unique pharmaROSA® cultivation technology!
2 litre, own-root, potted rose.
With shoots appropriate to the season.
With roots thoroughly interwoven through the growing medium.
Quality in line with the requirements of the E.N.A. (European Nurserystock Association).
In unique packaging that prevents damage.
Can be planted during frost-free periods.
True-to-type rose plant with an individual identifier.
The pharmaROSA® own-root potted rose is a well-rooted plant that supports reliable establishment when planted and cared for properly, so it can be planted whenever the soil is not frozen.
Stock: several varieties and several stages of development in a short stock section.Shoot system: intensive growth of fresh basal shoots on a young plant.Root system: presentation of the strong root system interwoven through the growing medium with the pot removed.Balance: mature plant where the development of the root system and the shoots is in harmony.
Information about the videos
The video series is not a “seasonal showcase”, but makes the essence of pharmaROSA® own-root production tangible: how the plant is built, what the root system is like and how the shoots renew themselves. The footage was therefore taken at different times, showing plants at different stages of development, so mixed leaf coverage or differing growth stages may appear in the videos. This is not a “sample” of the batch delivered, but an illustration of how the technology works. The current condition of the rose available to order — typical of the given period and similar to what you can expect to receive in the parcel — is shown at the top of the product page.
Pages for private customers Garden roses for the family garden, with minimal care → ORIGINAL® Premium garden roses – instant impact, a truly showpiece garden → EXTRA® Pages for professionals and private customers Roses for public spaces – large areas, sustainable maintenance → NATURAL® Roses for projects – hedge and row planting, fast implementation → RAPID® For professional partners only Production – propagation material for garden roses, wholesale → NEONATAL®
Company details
PharmaRosa Ltd. Company registration number: 01-09-717479 VAT number: 13075314-2-43 Plant health registration no.: HU130721 Bank account (IBAN): HU85117631891388688400000000 BIC (SWIFT): OTPVHUHB Bank name: OTP Bank Nyrt.
