OLD PORT – deep purple bedding floribunda rose - McGredy
This richly coloured floribunda brings a touch of harbour romance to small Irish gardens, combining a compact, bushy habit with deep purple blooms that echo aged Port. OLD PORT settles in steadily, coping well where soils are heavy and rainfall frequent, helping You enjoy reliable display without complicated care in our climate. Its remontant flowering means wave after wave of velvety rosette blooms, ideal when You want a front garden that simply looks after itself. Own-root plants like this are naturally long-lived and recover well if ever cut back hard, giving reassuring stability in a family garden where life is busy. The strongly scented flowers offer a full, perfumed character You notice each time You pass the path or patio, while the moderately dense, dark green foliage builds a neat background that lets every cluster of flowers shine. With suitable spacing it works elegantly as a low hedge, a border highlight or a fragrant specimen near the door. In year one it concentrates on roots, year two brings more shoots and shape, and by year three You enjoy its full ornamental value with minimal routine pruning. Whether You are an enthusiastic beginner or an experienced hand, OLD PORT offers dependable colour, scent and structure that quietly earns its place for the long term in Your garden.
Use cases
| Target area |
Reason |
| Front garden focal point by the entrance path |
The strong, long-lasting fragrance and striking crimson-purple rosettes create a welcoming, romantic accent where You walk past every day, offering an easy-care focal point that suits busy homeowners and beginners. |
| Small group planting in a cottage-style border |
Planted in groups of 3–5 at the recommended spacing, the bushy, upright habit and moderately dense foliage form a coherent, low bedding mass ideal for relaxed cottage borders and families seeking simple structure with characterful colour for years. |
| Low flowering hedge along a drive or front boundary |
Its consistent height and bed-rose character allow a neat, scented hedge when spaced in rows, providing a defined, decorative edge that stays manageable in ordinary family gardens and appeals to those wanting order without formal topiary for impact. |
| Feature rose in a large patio container |
OLD PORT performs well as a solitary specimen in a 40–50 litre container, where its repeat flowering and showy clusters bring colour close to seating areas, ideal for balconies and patios where easy watering and occasional deadheading suit urbanites. |
| Mixed border with perennials and shrubs |
The floribunda growth habit and repeat bloom cycle provide ongoing colour among shrubs and perennials, giving a reliable backbone of purple-lilac flowers that knit beds together for homeowners who like variety but still value straightforward care for balance. |
| Partially shaded side garden or north-facing bed |
This variety tolerates partial shade, maintaining flower production where sun is limited, which is especially useful in narrow Irish side gardens or overshadowed spots, supporting gardeners who must work around buildings and fences in their plots. |
| Border planting in wetter, heavier Irish soils |
With appropriate soil preparation for drainage, the variety copes well in regions where winter rain and heavier clays are common, reassuring those gardening near the Atlantic that it will establish reliably and adapt to their typical conditions. |
| Cutting patch for fragrant, nostalgic arrangements |
The large, very double blooms on clustered stems make superb, long-scented cut flowers, so a short row in a utility bed can supply vases for the home, suiting gardeners who enjoy bringing garden fragrance indoors with minimal extra work for themselves. |
Decorating ideas
- Cottage Harbour Front – Combine OLD PORT with lady's mantle and garden wallflower for a soft, billowing cottage edge that highlights the rich purple blooms – ideal for those wanting a romantic, easy-kept front path.
- Twilight Patio Pot – Grow a single OLD PORT in a 40–50 litre container with trailing thyme at the rim for scent and texture – perfect for balcony or terrace gardeners who prefer low-maintenance evening colour.
- Vintage Border Ribbon – Plant a wavy ribbon of OLD PORT through a mixed border, weaving between hydrangeas and hardy geraniums – suited to families seeking a unifying, fragrant thread without complex planting plans.
- Entrance Hedge Flair – Line a short drive or front path with evenly spaced OLD PORT, underplanting with low catmint for a soft blue carpet – for homeowners who want a clear boundary that still feels welcoming and manageable.
- Romantic Wall Companion – Set a group of OLD PORT in front of Japanese creeper on a wall to contrast velvety blooms against changing foliage – appealing to gardeners who enjoy seasonal drama yet need straightforward pruning and care.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose registered as MACkati, marketed as Old Port Bedding rose MACkati. ARS exhibition name Old Port, part of the Bedding rose collection, shrub rose exhibition category. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Samuel Darragh McGredy IV, McGredy Roses International, Auckland. Parentage ‘Macsupple’ × ‘Big Purple’. Registration year 1992, introduced after 1992, initially distributed by Egmont Roses in New Zealand. |
| Growth and structure |
Bushy, upright shrub floribunda rose, 80–100 cm high and 70–90 cm spread. Moderately dense, matt dark green foliage provides good cover. Sparsely thorned stems make routine care and cutting flowers easier for everyday gardeners. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double rosette flowers with more than 40 petals, forming large 2.75–3.95 inch blooms. Produced mainly in clusters of one to three per stem. Remontant with a generous second flowering flush through the season. |
| Colour and phenology |
Deep crimson-purple blooms with velvety buds, shifting to lilac as they age. Colour retention moderate; in hot weather may warm toward deep pink. Overall effect a rich purple-lilac display from bud through full bloom and fading. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long-lasting scent with a full, perfumed character, noticeable at close range and along nearby paths. Suitable for gardeners prioritising fragrance in small gardens or patio settings where scented air is especially appreciated. |
| Rose hip characteristics |
Hip set is usually limited due to very double blooms. When present, hips are small, spherical and orange-red (RHS 43A), about 6–10 mm in diameter, adding occasional late-season interest without significant seeding issues. |
| Resistance and hardiness |
Hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (USDA 6b, RHS H7, Swedish Zone 3). Disease resistance moderate overall; black spot resistant, powdery mildew and rust moderate. Tolerates warmth but needs consistent watering during prolonged drought. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to borders, low hedges, specimen and cutting. Medium maintenance; benefits from deadheading and occasional disease control. Plant 55 cm apart in masses, 50 cm for hedges, 90 cm as solitary; 3.2–3.7 plants/m² for bedding. |
OLD PORT offers rich purple, strongly scented blooms on a compact, long-lived own-root bush that settles in reliably and rewards You with repeat colour and straightforward care over many seasons, making it a thoughtful choice for your garden.
