Just Joey Rose Bushes

• Variety: Just Joey
• Type: Hybrid Tea
• Colour: Rich apricot-copper
• Fragrance: Moderate — fruity, sweet
• Height: 90cm (3ft)
• Flowering: June to October, repeat-flowering
• RHS AGM: Holds the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit
• Good for: Cut flowers, borders, specimen planting
• Sold as: Bare root (November–March) and potted plants
• Delivered: By next-day courier. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Just Joey is a classic Hybrid Tea rose with large ruffled double blooms in rich apricot-copper, featuring wavy petal edges and moderate fruity-sweet fragrance. Bred by Cants of Colchester in 1972 and named after Joy Cant, this award-winning variety remains one of the finest roses for cutting and border display.

Just Joey, A Warm Apricot Rose with Timeless Appeal

Just Joey was created to honour Joy Cant, wife of the breeder at the renowned Essex nursery. From its first season, this rose has captivated gardeners with its sumptuous blooms and reliable character. In 1994, it won the World Federation of Rose Societies Award as the favourite rose of the world — a remarkable honour that speaks to its universal appeal across gardens from cool British summers to warm Mediterranean climates.

The variety produces large, individual blooms with generous ruffled petals and distinctly wavy edges, creating a voluptuous flower form that looks far more complex than it is easy to grow. The colour is a warm apricot-copper, deepening to richer, more mahogany tones as temperatures cool in autumn. This colour shift is part of the rose's charm, giving you subtly different tones throughout the season. Height reaches 90cm (3ft), making it an excellent border rose or specimen planting, and it flowers reliably from June to October with strong repeat-flowering.

The moderate fragrance is distinctly fruity and sweet, with an old-fashioned charm that enhances the blooms' generous form. This is precisely the rose to grow if you value cut flowers — the individual bloom size and stem length make it ideal for arrangement, and vase life is excellent.

Growing Just Joey in Your Border

Just Joey thrives in full sun, ideally six hours or more daily, and prefers well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. Plant it where you can enjoy the fragrance — near a seating area or entrance — and space it 60cm (2ft) from neighbouring plants to allow air circulation. Deadhead spent blooms throughout the season to encourage continuous flowering, and apply a balanced rose fertiliser fortnightly during the growing season.

Pruning is straightforward. In late winter (February to March), cut back to outward-facing buds at roughly 45cm (18 inches) from the base, removing any dead or diseased wood. This low, hard prune encourages strong new growth and the largest blooms. The rose is vigorous and healthy, requiring only routine attention to keep it performing well.

A Rose Recognized Worldwide

Few roses have achieved the international recognition of Just Joey. Its World Federation Award reflects the esteem in which it is held by rose societies, breeders and gardeners across the globe. The combination of reliable repeat-flowering, generous bloom size, graceful form and distinctive colour makes it a rose that performs beautifully in the British garden, particularly from mid-summer onwards when the apricot tones deepen in the cooling air.

Companion Plants for Apricot Roses

Just Joey pairs beautifully with soft purple companions such as lavender and clematis, or with cool silver foliage like artemisia. Consider planting with allium for height contrast, or edge the bed with cream-coloured herbaceous perennials to soften the warm tones.

Why Buy Your Roses from Ashridge Nurseries?

Our roses are budded onto vigorous rootstock and grown for us by specialist rose growers. As winners of the Which? Gardening Best Plant Supplier award and the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, we're committed to sending you healthy, established plants. Browse our full rose collection here.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I plant bare root Just Joey?

Plant bare root roses between November and March, when the plant is dormant. Soak roots for two hours before planting, and avoid planting during hard frost. See our full guide to growing roses.

How hard should I prune Just Joey?

Prune in late February or March to roughly 45cm (18 inches) from the base, removing all dead or diseased wood. This hard prune encourages strong growth and larger blooms. Read more in our rose pruning guide.

Can Just Joey be grown in a pot?

Yes. Use a large container (at least 50cm deep) filled with rose compost, water well, and place in full sun. Feed fortnightly during the growing season. Potted roses need more frequent watering than border roses.

Is Just Joey suitable for cutting?

Absolutely. The large individual blooms, good stem length and excellent vase life make Just Joey one of the finest roses for cutting. Harvest blooms in early morning and place immediately in water.

Why are my Just Joey blooms smaller than last year?

Smaller blooms usually indicate insufficient pruning, poor feeding, or overcrowding. Prune harder in spring, apply balanced rose fertiliser fortnightly, and thin crowded shoots to improve air flow.