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Garden Party (Rosa 'Garden Party'), whole plant
  • Garden Party — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • Garden Party — seasonal appearance
  • Garden Party in a garden setting

Garden Party

Rosa 'Garden Party'

Medium · Some experience

About Garden Party

Garden Party is a delicate ivory-white hybrid tea rose lightly blushed with pink, producing large 5-inch high-centered blooms with mild tea fragrance. Growing 4 to 5 feet tall with glossy foliage, this 1960 AARS winner bred by Herb Swim remains a beloved American garden rose for its soft romantic coloring and reliable repeat bloom.

  • Cut-flower
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to -20°F (-29°C)
USDA hardiness zones 5–9

How to care for Garden Party

Watering

  • Springevery 5 days
  • Summerevery 3 days
  • Fallevery 7 days
  • Winterevery 14 days

Soil · Rich & loamy

  • Top dressingBark mulch15%
  • Main mixRich loam + compost 3:170%
  • DrainageGravel15%

Use fully finished compost — fresh compost burns roots.

FERTILIZER

Balanced Feed 14-14-14

An even feed covers all three needs at once, keeping leaves, roots and blooms moving together with nothing pushed out of balance.

N33%P33%K33%
  • Nitrogen · Leaves
  • Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
  • Potassium · Strength
  • Springevery 30 days
  • Summerevery 30 days
  • Fallevery 45 days
Get watering reminders for Garden Party — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • NativeNorth America
  • Height4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m)
  • Spread3–4 ft (0.9–1.2 m)
  • Flower colorWhite, Cream, Pink
  • Foliage colorGreen
  • SoilLoamy, Well-drained, Rich
  • LocationsYard

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Deadhead for repeat bloom; prune late winter

Fragrance

LIGHT FRAGRANCE

The flowers have a light fruity scent.

Toxicity

Humans Slight

Unknown toxic principle

Slight

  • Stem
  • Contact

EXPOSURE Touching stems.

EFFECT Pricks from thorns.

NOTE Not toxic; thorns cause mechanical injury.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for dogs; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for cats; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

DISTRIBUTION

Garden Party · Native
  • Native
  • North America

History

Illustrated historical scene for Garden Party

Rosa 'Garden Party' is a creamy white hybrid tea rose bred by American hybridizer Herb Swim at Armstrong Roses in Ontario, California, released in 1959. The cross between the crimson 'Charlotte Armstrong' and the famous 'Peace' produced a cultivar inheriting its parent's refined form and subtle coloring: creamy-ivory petals with a delicate pink blush along the edges, opening from long elegant buds to high-centered blooms twelve centimeters across. The rose won the All-America Rose Selections award in 1960, and later became a parent in Swim's 1977 masterpiece 'Double Delight'.

'Garden Party' is valued for its vigorous upright growth, disease resistance, and the way its shade-loving creamy flowers light up evening gardens. Light fruity fragrance.

Bred by Herb Swim at Armstrong Nurseries in California, introduced in 1959 and winning AARS in 1960. Remains a staple in American rose catalogs for over six decades.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

Garden Party Rose carries gentle joy in its soft, romantic coloring — a Hybrid Tea bred for the ceremony of a long summer afternoon. Its elegance is the graceful kind: classic, considered, unhurried. In its luminous form, the literal idea of a 'garden party' is given an exact floral spokesperson.

  • Elegance — soft romantic coloring
  • Celebration — classic garden party flower

Where the Name Comes From

Named 'Garden Party' to evoke elegant social gatherings in classic American gardens.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Ivory-blush high-centered blooms star in wedding-style bouquets
  • Mild tea fragrance suits cottage and formal rose beds
  • Soft romantic color anchors traditional American garden plantings

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Garden Party?

In summer, water about every 3 days; in winter, about every 14 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does Garden Party need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is Garden Party toxic to cats or dogs?

Pets Safe (Dogs Safe · Cats Safe) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Is Garden Party easy to grow?

It is moderately demanding: a good choice once you have a little experience.

When does Garden Party bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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