EU Handbook of Roses 2023

Handbook of Roses 2023

BEHIND THE COVER ROSE

The exquisite petals of Queen of Sweden (Austiger) grace our front cover for 2023. Introduced in 2004, there is a unique style to this rose with little buds that open to halfenclosed cups, eventually becoming wide, shallow and upward facing. A real striking beauty in any garden, these pure pink blooms stand proud and tall, almost soldier-like. Named to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between Queen Christina of Sweden and Oliver Cromwell of Great Britain in 1654.

WELCOME

Welcome to our 2023 Handbook of Roses. In creating our 61st edition, we’ve had a chance to reflect on the exciting journey our handbooks have been on throughout the years. We will continue to share with you our in depth rose care knowledge, to present our most loved and recommended rose varieties, together with a compilation of beautiful real-life examples to inspire, regardless of your gardening expertise.

Throughout this past year we have seen an enormous amount of love for our roses, more so than ever before. It’s refreshing to know that the time we were spending in our gardens throughout the pandemic was not just a way to pass the time, but a hobby that has prevailed. The joy a blooming rose can give, as well as the time and care it takes to nourish them towards maturity, is a wonderful feeling and one that we must say, can be highly addictive.

As ever, we thank you for your custom and your continual devotion. With that, we hope you thoroughly enjoy your new Handbook of Roses and find within it new ideas and inspiration to add to your own gardens.

David J. C. Austin

Roald Dahl™ (Ausowlish) English Shrub Rose, Private Gardens, Shropshire, UK

THE DAVID AUSTIN STORY

As our name suggests, it was by the hand of Mr Austin that our story began. In the late 1940s, as a teenager, he developed a passion for plants and fell in love with roses. This resulted in the creation of our very first rose, Constance Spry, released for public sale in 1961. During Mr Austin’s lifetime, he bred more than 200 English roses, built a great British business and raised a family. It was to his son, David, that the secateurs were passed to continue the cultivation of the finest English Roses.

Like his father, David’s relationship with roses began as a teenager. His initial motivation being to make his own money to fund the motorbike that would grant him greater freedom and independence, especially living seven miles away from the nearest town. This was the early 1970s, when the business was small, and the toil especially tough. He worked with the team in the field growing roses. The task of cutting wood, budding and patching, one of the most gruelling jobs on the nursery, often fell to him –– but all the while instilling in him the importance of preparation and learning from the bottom-up.

It wasn’t until 1982 that David joined the business full-time. Motorbiking and university days done, he worked from a second-hand Portakabin, while his father remained working in the family home. These were, after all, still the very early days of David Austin Roses, but 1982 proved to be a milestone for more than one reason. The company qualified for its very first

Chelsea Flower Show – a turning point and a memory still held dear to this day.

As the years ticked by, the business evolved. Roses had been sold by mail order from the very beginning but from the early 1990s our roses began to appear at carefully chosen garden centres across the length and breadth of Britain. Subsequently, licensees were taken on across the world in many countries from Canada to Australia as territories had the desire to grow and sell our roses. This was a terribly exciting time for all under the David Austin Roses’ roof. And needless to say, the family home went back to being just that, as it began to burst at the seams with a team prospering as much as the roses they nurtured.

But one thing that has remained unchanged over the years is the philosophy that has long been rooted in the business. David Austin Roses was founded on the belief of creating a more beautiful rose. Mr Austin loved Old Roses with their heady fragrances and multi-petalled heads, but they’d fallen out of favour because they only flowered once, unlike the more popular Hybrid Teas. Not to be deterred, he cross-bred the Old Rose and Hybrid Tea with a view to get the best characteristics of both. He wanted to create a rose that was beautiful but that would bring everlasting joy to gardeners. And it is that desire that drives the business forward with each waking day. The constant quest for classic English Roses that enchant and that endure.

David Austin Rose Gardens, Albrighton, Shropshire, UK

THE ART OF ROSE BREEDING

Our collection of over 200 English Roses did not happen overnight. It has been patiently nurtured from our very beginnings with a specialist breeding programme overseen by our Rose Breeder, Carl Bennett. Here, we took a moment, amongst the rose-filled greenhouses that he calls home, to learn more about the artistry of rose rearing and romancing to produce the variations only true to David Austin Roses.

Q: FIRST, TELL US HOW YOU STARTED LOOKING AFTER OUR ROSE BREEDING PROGRAMME?

A: I came to David Austin Roses in January 1989, straight out of college when the company was tiny and the breeding programme only a seedling of an idea in itself. I began as a bit of a foreman really, shadowing Mr Austin as we walked about the beds. I’d ask lots of questions, and eventually, started to understand what he was looking for and began to notice the same things he did. We walked the garden scenes together for many, many years sharing ideas and discussing which roses to cross. Learning is one thing, but you need a natural eye to do this job. I was never officially made Rose Breeder back then; you become the job and suddenly you realise you’re doing it and you don’t even know how you got here! I’ve been looking after our breeding now for 15 years with Mr Austin’s blessing. It’s an honour to look after his vision and continue his legacy.

Q: COLOUR-WISE, IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR HUE THAT’S PROVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO BREED?

A: Reds are notoriously hard, especially for us, as the tone of red we favour is crimson. The best ones in a palette can often be so weak with disease and lack the necessary vigour that I’ve spoken about. However, watch this space, the future looks red.

Q: IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE A FAVOURITE SCENT, WHICH WOULD IT BE AND WHICH ROSE CARRIES IT BEST?

A: If I had to choose just one rose for its fragrance, it would be Desdemona. It has a classic, strong Old Rose scent but interesting notes of almond blossom, cucumber and lemon zest really come through which makes it totally unique.

Q: AND WHAT ABOUT SURPRISES? DO YOU EVER BREED A ROSE THAT COMES OUT NOT QUITE AS YOU ENVISAGED?

A: They’re rare, have to say. Most crosses come out in the way you expect, but on a new cross, when you’re breeding roses together with particular characteristics that you’re hoping to combine, there’s occasionally an outcome that’s…unusual. There was one instance when was after a certain colour and that came through but almost like it was handpainted which was too modern for us. Susan WilliamsEllis was that actually, a happy surprise. It’s probably nicer than The Mayflower come to think of it – a pure white, which is extremely hard to achieve.

Q: HOW MUCH DO TRENDS INFLUENCE OUR BREEDING PROGRAMME?

A: Honestly, they don’t. Breeding is a 13-year cycle so it’s just impossible to breed for trends or novelty. Instead, we do it for every colour. Mr A was always one for pastels and I remember when we first bred a rose, which we named after Pat Austin, Mr A’s wife – a real vibrant copper unlike any we’d had before and we really hesitated over whether to launch it. We did, and it was so popular. We look for pure, true colours and we breed for those, knowing that when colour is done properly, beautifully, they’ll always be on trend.

Q: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF THE ENGLISH ROSE LOOK LIKE IN YOUR EYES?

A: You can fall into a trap. If you want a rose that’s disease-free, that has colour, that looks great in a border and so forth, that’s fairly easy to achieve. When it becomes tricky is promising all of that and then achieving the distinct fragrance and stunning shape. Some of the most beautiful characters are those from the 80s or 90s, but they struggle more with tolerance. So the future, to me, is capturing the quintessential charm of the most classic old English roses but with the vigour and the strength of the varieties we’ve been breeding most recently. This way, the English rose can live on and on as it should. It deserves to be everlasting.

AN INTERVIEW WITH CARL BENNETT

Why Roses?

COLOUR, FRAGRANCE & BLOOMS ALL SUMMER LONG

Flowering in flushes from June until November, English Roses are the highlight of any planting scheme. With their strong fragrance and large blooms, they are ideal for growing well in beds, borders, pots and containers. Here we highlight the many reasons why English Roses are the star of the garden show.

COLOUR

Roses come in a wide spectrum of colours, from vibrant hues to soft tones and anything in between. There is a rose shade to suit any style of planting scheme.

LONG FLOWERING

Repeat flowering roses are one of the longest flowering plants in the garden; producing colourful, fragrant blooms between June to November. Our most abundantly flowering roses are identified by this symbol.

BEST FOR FLOWERING

FABULOUS FRAGRANCE

Famed for their wonderful fragrances, the scents of roses are diverse and intoxicating. There is nothing quite like the scent of a rose garden in mid-summer. Our most beautifully fragrant roses are identified by this symbol.

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE

EASY TO GROW

Roses are particularly robust plants and are therefore easy to look after. Very tolerant, they’ll grow in a range of different soil types and many cope well in shady spots.

LONG LIVING

Flowering year after year, a single rose can live for two decades or more, thriving in even extreme conditions, making them a worthy investment for any garden. Our top selection of healthy roses are identified by this symbol.

BEST FOR HEALTH

UNRIVALLED VERSATILITY

There are so many ways to grow roses due to their different flower forms, colours and sizes. From shrubs to climbers and ramblers, there’s a variety for every garden. Our IDEAL FOR symbols help you to select the right rose, for the right situation.

Gabriel Oak (Auscrowd) English Shrub Rose Silas Marner (Ausraveloe) English Shrub Rose The Poet’s Wife™ (Auswhirl)

Dame Judi Dench (Ausquaker) English Shrub Rose Claire Austin (Ausprior) English Climbing Rose Gertrude Jekyll® (Ausbord) English Climbing Rose

RECURVED

ROSE BLOOM STYLES

Despite their many differing qualities, one attribute English Roses share with each other is their beauty. Coming in many shapes and forms, they are all beautifully unique. From full bodied, peony-like blooms to single petalled standouts with prominent stems, the breadth of rose styles can be quite staggering.

A characteristic of very full petalled blooms where an attractive button eye is revealed as the outer petals reflex back.

ROSETTE (Ruffled)

Rosette blooms are full bodied and feature many slightly overlapping petals of different sizes, creating a ‘ruffled’ effect.

RECURVED

Recurved blooms feature petals which are curved delicately inward or backward.

INCURVED DEEP CUP SHALLOW CUP

INCURVED

A characteristic of cupped or chalice shaped blooms, the petals curve inwards creating a ethereal quality through light and shade.

DEEP, SHALLOW & OPEN CUP

Arranged in a curving, circular pattern, the outer petals of the attractive cupped bloom are slightly taller than those towards the centre, curving inward to create a many petalled ‘chalice’ shape. Variations of the cupped bloom are open cup, shallow cup and deep cup.

SEMI-DOUBLE

Featuring two to three times more petals than a typical single bloom, often in two or three rows, the semi-double has a more relaxed feel, allowing visibility of the rich, golden centre of the rose.

SINGLE

A simple yet elegant formation of typically five fully open petals, set around a prominent stamen, creating a spectacular almost wild rose feel when viewed en-masse.

BUTTON EYE ROSETTE

OPEN CUP SEMI-DOUBLE SINGLE

BUTTON EYE

English Roses from left to right on each row: Emily Brontë™ (Ausearnshaw) The Pilgrim® (Auswalker), Eustacia Vye (Ausegdon) Desdemona™ (Auskindling) Roald Dahl™ (Ausowlish), Harlow Carr (Aushouse) Scepter’d Isle™ (Ausland) Scarborough Fair (Ausoran) Kew Gardens (Ausfence)

RETIRING OUR ROSES

Sometimes nature simply cannot be tamed. Stepping in isn’t always the right path to take and instead, we must step back to allow a certain variety to sing its swan song.

At David Austin Roses, we have been breeding and caring for roses for over sixty years. That means we are well-placed in witnessing the various environmental changes that impact the health of some roses more than others. Pests evolve and climates change; both of these factors felt by the nation’s favourite flower.

As custodians of the English Rose, we believe it is our responsibility to respect when the time has come to bid farewell to certain blooms. These are never decisions that we make lightly, or easily. There have been times where we must retire a rose loved

by many because we can no longer promise its longevity once planted. Roses and revenue are of course closely tied for us, but our decision-making is always guided by what is right by the rose.

Know then that the roses placed into retirement are always done so with a heavy heart. Perform as they might in some conditions, in the long term, the changing climate means that we must recommend alternative varieties, born from our meticulous breeding and trialling programme with this in mind.

Our simple aim is to get the best-performing, most delicately fragranced and beautifully petalled roses into the hands and gardens of our customers, thereby ensuring the best chance of success and happiness for many seasons to come.

Paving the way for many more roses to come

I‘m so proud that we have taken the brave move to put the future of the rose at the forefront of everything we do. I take great comfort from the fact that I know we are only selling the best roses.

DAVID AUSTIN

”

AN INTRODUCTION TO GARDEN DESIGN

If you’re contemplating creating a rose garden or looking for a way to inject the beauty of roses into an existing garden design, it can be difficult to know where to begin. English Roses epitomise variety with their different forms, growth habits, fragrance and foliage, which enables you to create a multitude of different designs and schemes.

DESIGNING WITH ROSES

A magnificent garden full of roses is easy to achieve, even if you’re new to gardening or not particularly green fingered. English Roses are straightforward to grow, care for and maintain. Let us help you get the best out of your blooms, ensuring your roses will bring you pleasure for years to come.

CONSIDER YOUR SPACE

There are many different soil types including clay, sandy and chalky. Roses generally prefer a moisture retentive, humus rich soil, which can be achieved with mulching well in the spring and adding generous quantities of well-rotted soil improver or manure.

Consider the amount of light your planting area is exposed to. Roses are sun lovers and will bloom at maximum capacity in full sun positions, however there are many varieties that will also thrive in shadier spots that are light and airy. Ensure a minimum of 4 hours of sunlight per day and avoid anywhere under a canopy of large trees or shrubs to minimise competition from neighbouring plants.

CONSIDER YOUR STYLE

There are many different garden designs you can create using English Roses. To create a formal style of garden, focus on creating a tidy, polished look. An example of this could be rose borders closed off with box hedging. Olivia Rose Austin and Queen of Sweden will help to create an impressive and classic feel.

Rounded and arching varieties such as Charles Darwin and Dame Judi Dench are perfect if the aim is to create a more informal and relaxed feel. Think less about straight lines and more about blurring the edges with roses or perennials.

Contemporary and more urban style gardens can thrive using roses in containers placed upon hard landscapes and modern structures. A limited colour palette can ensure it stays stylishly smooth and clean.

CONSIDER YOUR SENSES

When you are considering your colour schemes there are many different options with roses. Contrast, complement, or exhibit a sample of each colour, the choice is yours. The beauty of roses is that they’ll never look out of place with their partners.

CONSIDER YOUR VARIETIES

Our extensive guidelines on each variety should help you to match the right rose to your chosen space. Look at the size of the space you have and select appropriately. Upright and compact varieties are perfect for small garden spaces, whereas arching and rounded growth works best in mixed borders where the roses will be offered support by neighbouring varieties.

CONSIDER YOUR COMPANIONS

Using other plants as companions to your roses not only helps to lengthen the season of interest, but also helps to highlight the beauty of the rose with interesting colour and shape combinations. Choose perennials that will grow happily with your roses, but not overrun the space. Interplanting your companions allows you the freedom to express artistic license without worrying about the competition from underplanting too closely.

CONSIDER YOUR STRUCTURES

Obelisks, arches and pergolas are a great way to add material interest to the garden and are useful for dividing different areas and creating a flow through. Adorning these structures with repeat-flowering climbers or smaller ramblers is a great way to build colour and texture and can help you to achieve many styles.

DRAW OUT YOUR DESIGN

The best way to design a border accurately is to measure the length and width and draw it to scale, marking where you plan to plant your roses. We recommend leaving a 50cm gap between roses in the same group. Using this rule can make it easier to organise your planting and visualise what you can fit in your chosen space. Always leave a minimum of 50cm from each border edge and leave at least a metre between different varietal groups to allow maintenance access.

Lion Garden, David Austin Rose Garden, Shropshire,UK

Aster ‘Little Carlow’

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR FLOWERING

LADY OF SHALOTT ™ (Ausnyson)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Orange Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Medium, Tea

Rich orange-red buds open to chalice-shaped blooms, filled with loosely arranged, orange petals. The surrounding outer petals are salmon-pink with beautifully contrasting golden-yellow undersides.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

GET THE LOOK

COTTAGE GARDEN

No two the same, yet immediately recognisable, the cottage garden has captured the hearts of a nation for centuries. While it has evolved from its original purpose, there is still so much that can be drawn upon it in our gardens today.

The antidote to formality, the cottage garden is instead a place of expression, maximalism and charm. A rejection of the manicured lawn and formal box hedging, instead every inch of space is abundant with edible delights, lovingly pruned shrubs and vigorous perennials. Immerse yourself in the works of Gertrude Jekyll, and it quickly becomes apparent that the rose always was, and undoubtedly still is, a pillar of the cottage garden. Nothing short of a symphony, the colours, scents and textures

of the cottage garden are composed together by the hand of the gardener and nature’s own will. When space is scarce, every plant must either earn its place or command it. Clusters of sweetsmelling herbs, carefully chosen for their culinary and medicinal efficacy, grow shoulder to shoulder with spontaneous self-seeded counterparts, like foxgloves, dotted through borders as if they were whimsical exclamation marks.

Somewhere in the balance between the necessity of edible plants and the wilful tendencies of others, lies the rose. While the rose can be practical, from its thorny habit to unique flavouring, it is the undeniable allure of its blooms that earn its place in our hearts and gardens.

OLIVIA ROSE AUSTIN ™ (Ausmixture)

QUEEN OF SWEDEN ™ (Austiger)

EMILY BRONT Ë ™ (Ausearnshaw)

COTTAGE GARDEN

MIXED BORDERS

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE BEST FOR FLOWERING

™

SCEPTER’D ISLE

English Shrub Rose

(Ausland)

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Medium

Colour: Light Pink Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Strong, Myrrh

Partnered with Nepeta x faassenii ‘Kit Kat’

This pretty rose bears numerous cupped flowers, each with yellow stamens. They are a lovely light pink, becoming paler on the outer petals, and have a powerful myrrh fragrance.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

THE BASICS OF MIXED BORDERS

Picture pathways that meander through your garden with strips of abundant planting either side, or imagine the perimeter lining, filling and picture-framing your space in a way that’s soft and worthy of stopping to take it all in. Such is the beauty of a border, and they’re all the more so when your rose selection is intertwined with companions of all shapes, shades and sizes.

There are many reasons why roses make themselves so at home in a border. The first being the fragrance that will naturally fill the length and breadth of your garden, following you as you move your way around it. The second being the health benefits that are part and parcel of planting roses in a mixed environment as each species supports another. But perhaps one of the greatest reasons of all to introduce a mixed border is because it provides repeat flowering and year-long interest. Thanks to the natural, shrubby growth that our English Roses possess, all manner of other shrubs, perennials and annuals can live and thrive side by side to promise a constant tapestry of texture, colour and interest, even when your roses are dormant.

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH

LADY OF SHALOTT ™ (Ausnyson)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Orange Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Medium, Tea

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR FRAGRANCE

GERTRUDE JEKYLL ® (Ausbord)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Bright Pink

Fragrance: Strong, Old Rose

Flowering: Repeat

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

CLIMBERS & RAMBLERS

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE

STRAWBERRY HILL (Ausrimini)

English Climbing Rose

Size: Short Climber 10ft (3m)

Colour: Mid-Pink Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Strong, Myrrh Bloom Size: Large

Beautiful at all stages, bearing small clusters of mid-pink, mediumlarge, cupped rosettes. They have a strong, delicious myrrh and heather honey fragrance. The arching branches are clothed in glossy, dark foliage.

6ft Wall or Fence Standard Arch Obelisk or Pillar Doorway

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE BEST FOR HEALTH

CLAIRE AUSTIN (Ausprior)

English Climbing Rose

Size: Medium Climber 12ft (3.75m)

Colour: Creamy White Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Strong, Myrrh Bloom Size: Medium

This vigorous, upright rose makes a very good climber in both beauty and performance. It bears pleasingly cupped, pale lemon buds which gradually open to large, creamy white flowers, the outer petals perfectly arranged in concentric circles.

6ft Wall or Fence Standard Arch Obelisk or Pillar Doorway

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

FEATURED ROSE THE PILGRIM ® (Auswalker)

English Climbing Rose

Size: Medium Climber Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Soft Yellow Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Strong, Myrrh

This variety has particularly beautiful blooms. The buds open to reveal many petalled cups, which gradually form large, flat rosettes. The colour is a very attractive shade of soft yellow, the petals paling prettily towards the edges.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

A THEATRE OF ROSES

I once had one of my gardens described as a firework display in slow motion. A visual that struck a chord.The idea of a slowmoving theatrical performance is something that is always in my mind when I’m plotting out a garden. Gardens aren’t static, so you always must think dynamically when you design them.

Very early on in my career as a landscape designer I decided that roses need not always take the lead role; that sometimes it is ok for them to be part of the chorus and play a different part. In truth, very rarely treat them as specimen shrubs and allow them to dominate a scene. Instead, the position they occupy in the gardens I design is part structural, part perennial flower. will often plant roses close together in groups of threes and, where space allows, repeat these groups across a planting scheme. will hide roses in amongst ornamental grasses or herbaceous perennials and leave strict instructions that they are to be kept in check, each plant never allowed to get bigger than a handheld bouquet of flowers from the florist. In a front garden in Hampstead, Desdemona went head-tohead with Lavandula Hidcote in a battle for perfume. It could easily have been a draw, but in my mind, it was very closely won by the delicate citrus almond sweet fragrance of the rose. The structural quality of the rose is something that I thought a lot about when set out to design a ‘kind of’ rose garden in Spitalfields. For its sculptural, procumbent habit, turned to Smarty. At the centre of this garden, its open form wild rose-like blooms spill over the side of a 14th century font in frothy bundles that suggest a cascade of water. It is a theme returned to again recently with a formal garden I designed for an estate in Kent. Originally a fountain had been planned, but when the clients got cold feet about the presence of open water and their small children, a trio of Emily Brontë worked brilliantly as a stand in; still giving that dramatic moment while also adding a sensory dimension to the garden.

Roses are not all prettiness and scent though and should not be dismissed as such. They can work really hard in a garden. When I want bang for my buck and space is limited (as is so often the case with city gardens) I will look to The Generous Gardener. It is a climbing rose that very rarely gets sick, has some thorns, but not so many that arm-gaiters are required, and will flower in the shadier parts of a garden. I often plant it next to a Trachelospermum jasminoides; the star jasmine providing evergreen coverage, the rose pops of pink, and both offering their own unique but complementary fragrances. However, while the jasmine has a relatively short floriferous moment, The Generous Gardener, is like its name, very giving, repeat flowering with bee-friendly blooms throughout the summer and into the autumn. In the micro-climate of the city, it also tends to hold onto its foliage all winter, earning in my mind, if not officially, a semi-evergreen status in the garden.

Choosing the ‘right’ rose is not just about selecting one that will perform well. It is also about how much time, in busy urban living, you have to actually ‘garden’. Often, people rule out roses because they think they are too much work and don’t sit well with the whole low maintenance, high impact holy grail. Of course, many roses are delicate flowers, but there are increasingly lots to choose from that are tough as old garden boots, and just because some people get obsessed with picking aphids off by hand, doesn’t mean you have to. Pruning doesn’t have to be a burden either. You really don’t have to study books and watch lots of YouTube videos. My advice is to be confident. Don’t dance around the edge. Cut out the dead, diseased and weak wood, then you decide how you want the plant to grow (what shape, what size etc.) and don’t be timid about cutting some flowers for a vase. In true theatrical fashion, a perfumed rose will smell even more sublime as it gasps its last breath.

Comma, all my love.

MIRIA HARRIS

A conversation with East London-based Landscape and Garden Design expert, Miria Harris about her love of English Roses and how they play their part in a more urban landscape.

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH

OLIVIA ROSE AUSTIN ™ (Ausmixture)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Mid-Pink Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Light-Medium, Fruity

Pretty buds open to beautiful, cupped rosettes of an even, mid-pink colouring. They have a light to medium fruity fragrance. It commences flowering exceptionally early in the season and flowers in flushes until well into the autumn.

Though roses have close ties to cottages and countryside, they also come alive in more urban contexts, suiting city gardens in their many guises. A small number of potted roses can help to create a container garden in a bijou London townhouse, a trailing rose that weaves its way up a latticed panel on an urban loft’s balcony, or even a rose that laces up and over an iron arch-way seen on white stucco regency villas –all these are spots where roses can live and prosper to provide a provincial perspective.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

GERTRUDE JEKYLL ® (Ausbord)

VANESSA BELL (Auseasel)

LADY OF SHALOTT ™ (Ausnyson)

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH

KEW GARDENS (Ausfence)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Small

Colour: White Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Light

Small, single flowers held in very large heads, rather like a hydrangea, produced almost continuously from early summer into autumn. Soft apricot buds open to pure white, with a hint of soft lemon behind the stamens.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

THE BASICS OF CONTAINER GARDENING

Gardening in containers is an excellent way to benefit from the beauty of English Roses when space doesn’t allow, or you have a more urban, hardscaped setting. Not only does planting in containers allow you to be more creative and temporary, moving them around as you please, but it helps create a greener and more immersive environment to indulge in for you and nature surrounding. For the novice gardener, container planting can be a great place to start as it can feel less overwhelming to plant one at a time, rather than attempt to create a whole scheme.

Embrace your creative side and create a truly spectacular sight brimming with colour, not just in the roses, but the containers themselves, to brighten up a dull, maybe paved area and hide unsightly everyday features such as drainpipes and wiring. Placed correctly, they can create an amazing view, say out of the kitchen window, or on a patio, giving you bursts of colour and scent nearby seating areas or walkways.

BEST FOR HEALTH

PRINCESS ANNE (Auskitchen)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Rich Pink Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Medium, Tea

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH

ROALD DAHL ™ (Ausowlish)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Medium

Colour: Apricot Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Medium, Tea

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

CREATING A SENSORY GARDEN

A garden that looks breathtakingly beautiful is, naturally, a wonderful sight. A garden that’s full of fragrance from the sweetness of honeysuckle to those roses with the greatest depth (Princess Anne being a case in point) is one that you will never want to walk away from. A garden that’s filled with pollinators to provide the contented background humming of breakfasting bees is a joy to behold. But a garden that stirs all five senses is one that will never be forgotten.

It is no great secret that being surrounded by nature, both flora and fauna, is good for the soul. Stress levels drop in its company, allowing for a safe space for mindfulness and even meditation in whatever form that might take. Forming a sensory garden only heightens wellbeing benefits, and can be achieved in almost all garden contexts, be that a terrace, a balcony or something sprawling.

When building yours, gather together plants that vary in colour, size, shape and pattern so that your eye is always entertained. Place them in a mixture of pots and containers in a smaller garden, strategically next to a bench where you can sit and appreciate them in all their glory. With scented roses in particular, pairing them with lavender brings out each other’s fragrance notes so that you can enjoy double the impact. Aside from contented bees, bring in other elements of sound to your space through a waterfall or other water feature whose steady trickle will lower your shoulders in an instant. Encourage touch with contrasting surfaces. Textured leaves, petals that change from one plant to the next, and the softness of a rose set against a garden wall will always tempt you to reach out and caress. As for taste, remember that ruby-toned rose hips are there to be foraged. We turn ours into jellies to layer into sandwich cakes and syrups for cocktails and cordials.

Princess Anne (Auskitchen) English Shrub Rose

Susan Williams-Ellis™ (Ausquirk) English Shrub Rose

Long Garden, David Austin Roses Gardens, Shrophire, UK

Kew Gardens (Ausfence) English Shrub Rose

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH

OLIVIA ROSE AUSTIN ™ (Ausmixture)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Mid-Pink Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Light-Medium, Fruity

Pretty buds open to beautiful, cupped rosettes of an even, mid-pink colouring. They have a light to medium fruity fragrance. It commences flowering exceptionally early in the season and flowers in flushes until well into the autumn.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

The impressive gardens at Wynyard Hall date back to 1623 and have undertaken many restoration projects since.The Wynyard Rose Garden is full of over 300 David Austin Roses, which burst into colour each year amongst graceful water features and meandering paths.

A particular highlight to the gardens at Wynyard Hall are the popular wooden obelisks, which add a range of colourful heights across the landscape, along with the enchanting pergola walkways.

2022 LOCATIONS

WYNYARD HALL

HARLOW CARR (Aushouse)

LADY OF SHALOTT ™ (Ausnyson)

THE POET’S WIFE ™ (Auswhirl)

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR FLOWERING

VANESSA BELL (Auseasel)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Medium

Colour: Pale Yellow Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Medium-Strong, Tea

Pink-tinged buds open to medium sized cups held in large clusters. Pale yellow, paling to white at the edges; each has a rich yellow eye. The fragrance is similar to green tea with aspects of lemon and honey. It forms a bushy, upright shrub.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

Standon Hall was designed to be a distinctive, opulent wedding and event venue. The entire garden was re-landscaped with a contemporary layout and traditional planting scheme, concentrating on important locations for outdoor wedding photography and for visitors to unwind and enjoy the peaceful setting. By creating a secret rose garden too, there’s an added sense of romance in which the happy couple can lose themselves for a few stolen moments.

David Austin Roses are a perfect backdrop to any wedding photoshoot, and the design was heavily influenced by the Lion Garden at Albrighton. The roses at Standon Hall were chosen to fit the desire for vibrant, fragrant blocks of colour, while mixing herbaceous plants that would both enhance the roses during flowering season and continue to provide colour and structure throughout the rest of the year. Using Port Sunlight and Harlow Carr standards made the more formal beds stand out. The roses chosen for the remainder of the gardens were designed to carry the concept and create significant statements across the space.

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE BEST FOR FLOWERING

DESDEMONA ™ (Auskindling)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Medium

Colour: White Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Strong, Old Rose

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH

PRINCESS ANNE (Auskitchen)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Rich Pink Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Medium, Tea

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE BEST FOR FLOWERING

PRINCESS ALEXANDRA OF KENT ™ (Ausmerchant)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Bright Pink Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Strong, Tea

The unusually large, bright pink flowers are full-petalled and deeply cupped. In spite of their size, they are never clumsy, being held nicely poised on a well-rounded shrub.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

2022 LOCATIONS

BADMINTON HOUSE

TRANQUILLITY

Princess Alexandra of Kent is perfect for floral displays and the cutting beds at Badminton are filled with these large bright pink flowers with a faintly orange tinge at the end of the petals. They are repeat flowering and have a delicious heady scent. They are combined in the cutting beds with the lemon yellow blooms of The Pilgrim rose.

The bright pink Gertrude Jekyll is complemented by the blues and mauves of their companions, which include irises, phlox and lavender

The beautiful Tranquillity is a stalwart of the gardens at Badminton. It works perfectly in a mixed bed and is underplanted here with the violet-blue Geranium ‘Rozanne’ and strong pink Geranium ‘Elke’, while behind it on the wall is an espaliered pear and the light pink repeat flowering Blush Noisette climbing rose on a wooden obelisk.

™ (Ausnoble)

HARLOW CARR (Aushouse)

GERTRUDE JEKYLL ® (Ausbord)

HOW DOES MY GARDEN GROW

A SHORT GARDEN STORY BY DAVID AUSTIN

love many flowers, but I find the impact of a rose impossible to beat. Of course, would say that, but the infatuation is real, and so it’s no surprise that my very own garden is filled with an abundance of these characterful blooms. The thing that has inspired my garden design the most would have to be the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to witness thirty-plus years and counting of the very best designs, and I’ve soaked up all that can – every inch, every detail, every ounce of creativity. There’s nothing wrong in copying things you’ve seen and loved, but for me it’s about adapting elements to fit your space and moulding them to reflect your personality. That moulding might not be a onetime exercise either. In our current garden, it’s a project of gradual enhancements to improve the weaker areas piece by piece, and find it deeply rewarding. I’ve learnt to be brave, and to sometimes uproot healthy plants and trees if feel in my heart of hearts that they’re not in the right spot. It’s not something I felt comfortable doing at first, but my rule is if you take one tree out, plant two more, but in the right place.

Naturally, you will find roses all about my garden. My longest standing favourite is Olivia Rose Austin, named after my daughter. It has a beautiful bloom that flowers very early and continues over a long period, and on the right day, a lovely fragrance. Without a doubt, she’s one of our best and very easy to grow. Keeping it in the family, James L. Austin, named after my brother, is a more recent favourite of mine. Introduced only in 2017, he’s gone under the radar to some extent but has performed really well here in my garden. The blooms are classic old rose with an abundance of petals and a heady perfume. The shrub shape is a little more upright, so I’ve found it works well in a mixed border where he can stand above the perennials that surround him. think he deserves more attention. Maybe this is his moment.

I also have Kew Gardens in a long curving hedge that looks magnificent year after year, and never stops flowering. My best performing standard rose has to be the purple-toned Young Lycidas. Its well-structured blooms give off such an incredibly powerful scent and as it blooms at head-height, you needn’t bend to appreciate them. The Poet’s Wife is another outstanding performer to be found in my garden –typically supported by a couple of metal hoops to help with its tendency to flop a little – and the incredible Roald Dahl with its peachy-apricot petals. have him in a border full of bright colour, and though not the most vivid, he always stands out. Let me mention too a couple of the best climbers and ramblers. Claire Austin is one of our strongest, promising huge volumes of medium-cupped blooms with a hint of lemon in bud but opening to a pure white. have her on the south-side of my greenhouse where she cools things with her mass of

shading foliage. On our two arches that cover our walkway, there’s Malvern Hills. It never fails to amaze – at first the growth looks a little sparse and you think you are not going to get much flower and yet before you know it there are clouds of yellow blooms above you. It’s my all-time go-to rambler.

From flowers that feed my imagination to plants that provide, there is little in my garden that doesn’t sustain me. I began growing vegetables as a young teen and it’s something I have continued to do ever since. There is no greater source of happiness for me than picking something fresh and grown in your garden and fifteen minutes later having it cooked on your plate. Broad beans in spring, courgettes in summer, carrots in autumn, Jerusalem artichokes in winter. We tend to walk around the garden every evening from late spring to early autumn, and most days there’s something new that has come into flower. We walk, we talk, we harvest, we absorb the views … we sit, we eat, we take it all in.

The joy from a garden is endless.

Kew Gardens (Ausfence) English Shrub Rose

Olivia Rose Austin™ (Ausmixture) English Shrub Rose

The Poet’s Wife™ (Auswhirl) English Shrub Rose

THE BOUNTIFUL BENEFITS OF COMPANION PLANTING

Let nature lend a helping hand in caring for your roses by planting alongside them flowers and herbs that look out for one another. Companion planting, as the term suggests, means your roses will have close friends nearby to not only add year round colour and interest, but to attract insects that in turn deter pests and help to prevent disease.

Gertrude Jekyll® (Ausbord) English Shrub Rose, Private Gardens, Gloucestershire, UK

A Few

FAITHFUL FRIENDS

LAVENDER

Helps to deter nibbling deer and rabbits but attracts pollinating bees

Helps to protect roses from pests like aphids

Asks for little fuss and water

FOXGLOVES

Complements roses with its tall spires

Creates impact in borders, especially along pathways

Flowers in various colours to suit your palette

Thrives in a range of conditions making it an easygoing soul

SALVIA

Attracts a wide range of pollinators and other insects

A wonderful array of textures and tones

Requires extra attention during colder temperatures

A broad genus of plants, including herbs such as common sage and rosemary

ALLIUMS

Offers contrasting structure against delicate rose heads

Emits a strong scent that wards off aphids and other pests

Helps to prevent black spots from appearing on roses

Olivia Rose Austin™ (Ausmixture) English Shrub Rose

The Poet’s Wife™ (Auswhirl) English Shrub Rose Kew Gardens (Ausfence) English Shrub Rose

Boscobel™ (Auscousin) English Shrub Rose

Companion Plants

HOW TO USE THEM

ENVISION A SEASONAL SCHEME

Companion planting can be used to lengthen rose season so that there is life, texture and colour for months on end, but focus too on using plants that flower at the same time as your roses. High-summer perennials such as Phlox, Geranium, Delphinium, Nepeta, Campanula and Penstemon work well, but the repeat-flowering nature of English Roses also gives you a second wind for creativity come autumn. Try using Aster, Helenium, Rudbeckia, Sedum and Salvia or add movement and structural interest with grasses like Miscanthus and Pennisetum

VARY HEIGHT, SHAPE & FORM

Variation in a border allows each plant to have its moment. Introduce those with vertical spikes such as Digitalis (Foxgloves) or spires of Salvia nemerosa ‘East Friesland’ alongside airy plants such as a Sanguisorba or Gillenia trifoliata

GARDENER’S TIPS

Give Your Roses Room to Grow

Roses are greedy feeders and do not like too much root competition, particularly when they are young and establishing. Leave a minimum of 50cm from the base of your roses and your companion plant to make sure they do not pinch all the goodness away from your rose.

PLANT PERENNIALS IN GROUPS

If you’re choosing perennials as companion plants to your roses, we recommend planting in groups to give the illusion of larger plants. Not only is this a visually appealing option, but it also helps to protect your soil. Just be sure to leave enough space for your plants to mature.

REMEMBER THAT SIMPLE IS SOMETIMES BEST

Shy and retiring types of flowers act as a foil so that your rose can stand out all the more. Cosmos, Ammi majus, Nigella and Anchusa will bring in beneficials such as hoverflies and ladybirds to keep your aphid population down, and introduce movement through stalwart bulbs like Allium

GARDENER’S TIPS

Repeat Lots of a Good Thing

Repeating plants, roses or others, helps bring cohesion to an area. Along a garden border, for example, you could repeat structural plants in and amongst your roses, like clipped Taxus baccata (Yew) or shrubs such as Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender).

Lady of Shalott™ (Ausnyson) English Shrub Rose

Harlow Carr (Aushouse) English Shrub Rose

Desdemona™ (Auskindling) English Shrub Rose

Queen of Sweden™ (Austiger) English Shrub Rose

BE INSPIRED BY ENGLISH ROSES

Not only do the rose varieties included in this section boast exceptional beauty, outstanding health and reliability, but they also embody the powerful and delicious fragrances that have become synonymous with a David Austin Rose. We stand by all of our roses, and each has its own place within a garden, but here we’ve taken the opportunity to pick our favourites and give them the attention they deserve.

Princess Alexandra of Kent™ (Ausmerchant) English Shrub Rose, Private Gardens, Shropshire, UK

OUR FAVOURITES

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH

OLIVIA ROSE AUSTIN ™ (Ausmixture)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Colour: Mid-Pink Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Light-Medium, Fruity Bloom Size: Large Pretty buds open to beautiful, cupped rosettes of an even, mid-pink colouring. They have a light to medium fruity fragrance. It commences flowering exceptionally early in the season and flowers in flushes until well into the autumn.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Rose Hedges Shady Areas Cutting

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE BEST FOR FLOWERING

GABRIEL OAK (Auscrowd)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Colour: Deep Pink Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Strong, Fruity Bloom Size: Large

A magnificent variety, bearing large, many petalled rosette blooms. They are a striking shade of deep pink, the outer petals of each bloom paling slightly over time. The beauty of the blooms is enhanced by a wonderful, strong fruity fragrance.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Rose Hedges Cutting

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR HEALTH

EUSTACIA VYE (Syn.

English Shrub Rose

STS. Francis and Claire) (Ausegdon)

Size: Medium Shrub Colour: Mid-Pink and Apricot Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Strong, Fruity Bloom Size: Medium

An exceedingly pretty rose of soft, glowing apricot-pink, each bloom packed with numerous delicately ruffled petals. The blooms begin as shallow cups, opening to full rosettes, which gradually pale over time. They have a delicious strong fruity fragrance.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Shady Areas

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE BEST FOR FLOWERING

HARLOW CARR (Aushouse)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Colour: Mid-Pink

Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Strong, Old Rose Bloom Size: Medium Bears flowers of the most perfect formation – shallow cups of the purest mid-pink. They flower very freely from early summer until well into the autumn and have a strong, pure Old Rose fragrance.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Rose Hedges Cutting

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FLOWERING

DESDEMONA ™ (Auskindling)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Colour: White Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Strong, Old Rose Bloom Size: Medium

Peachy pink buds open to beautiful, white, chalice-shaped blooms, with a pinkish hue. The incurved petals create an arresting interplay of light and shadow. The strong Old Rose fragrance has hints of almond blossom, cucumber and lemon zest.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Rose Hedges Cutting

Bare Root €23,95

Potted €29,95

OUR FAVOURITES

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH

ROALD

English Shrub Rose

DAHL ™ (Ausowlish)

Size: Medium Shrub Colour: Apricot Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Medium,Tea Bloom Size: Medium Soft orange-red buds open to medium-sized, cupped rosettes of perfect apricot colouring. They are extremely robust and have a lovely fruity Tea scent. Very healthy; it matures into an attractive, rounded, bushy shrub with few thorns.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Rose Hedges Shady Areas

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

OUR FAVOURITES

BEST FOR FLOWERING

LADY OF SHALOTT ™ (Ausnyson)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Colour: Orange Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Medium, Tea Bloom Size: Large

Rich orange-red buds open to chalice-shaped blooms, filled with loosely arranged, orange petals. The surrounding outer petals are salmon-pink with beautifully contrasting golden-yellow undersides.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Rose Hedges Shady Areas Attracting Bees

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

CLAIRE AUSTIN (Ausprior)

English Climbing Rose

Size: Medium Climber Colour: Creamy White Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Strong, Myrrh Bloom Size: Medium

This vigorous, upright rose makes a very good climber in both beauty and performance. It bears pleasingly cupped, pale lemon buds which gradually open to large, creamy white flowers, the outer petals perfectly arranged in concentric circles.

THE BASICS OF FRAGRANCE

Inspired by Old Roses, David Austin Snr passionately believed that fragrance was intrinsic to the beauty of a rose. Choose from a varied palette of fragrance types and indulge in their heady scents by placing at an entrance to delight passers-by.

Desdemona™ (Auskindling) English Shrub Rose, Private Gardens, London UK

The human sense of smell is a mysterious and potent sense which we have used to survive and thrive over many millennia. An encounter with a particular scent can take our thoughts on a journey that can traverse decades or continents and it can buoy our spirits in a heartbeat.

A certain perfume may remind us of our mother or the scent of a rose may rekindle the memory of our grandmother’s garden. It is magical, a fleeting image flies through our mind, we can’t quite grasp it but it feels so real for just a second.

The reason scents can conjure these memories and feelings is because of the way our brain receives scent signals. The scent receptors in our nose make connections with the area of the brain that is responsible for emotion and memory. As such, our relationship with scent plays an important role in making our memories and building our emotional identity.

Many of the most beautiful and extraordinary scents are those created by plants. Scented plants, and in particular roses, have long been an intrinsic part of human life. We have been captivated by their exquisite perfumes and gathered and extracted their essences since time began. Ancient remains show a glimpse of how our ancestors employed these scents but we can only wonder about the effect they had on them and the memories they evoked… did they feel the same as we do today when we plunge our noses into a soft petalled rose or catch a drift of wood smoke in the air?

When we think about botanical scents the rose is probably the plant that comes to mind most often. Roses produce some of the most prized attars and essential oils and these have been used by master perfumers to craft some of the world’s most prestigious perfumes.

While we love inhaling the scent of roses and feel the pleasure they give us, we rarely think about the intricacies of how roses create their alluring perfumes.

Roses are quite sophisticated when it comes to producing scent, as a genre, roses are able to create over 400 different aroma molecules. Depending on its parentage, each scented rose variety is able to produce a selection of these molecules to create its own unique formula. It is this vast array of differing scent building blocks that gives roses their abundance of different characters, each one with its own nuance.

Most roses produce their scent inside the petals where it is created in small gland like structures, but roses can also produce scent in other parts of the plant. Some varieties have the ability to produce scent in their stamens, others in

their leaves and the moss roses can produce scent in their calyxes. The scents produced in these different parts of the plant tend to smell different too.

The scents produced by the stamens smell quite different; these are often heady, spicy scents with notes of honey and clove. Musk fragrances like these can be found in some of the rambling and climbing roses that descend from Rosa moschata, aptly named the musk rose. Rosa rubiginosa, sometimes referred to as the sweet briar, produces fresh green apple notes in its leaves, and the leaves of Rosa primula, produces a soft ambery scent which is why this rose is called the incense rose. The moss roses can also produce a resinous ambery aroma which comes from the sticky substance secreted around their mossy calyx. Having a focus on scent when breeding roses is important as it’s the ancestors of each rose that determine the character and intensity of the scent of each new cultivar.

Desdemona® (Auskindling) English Shrub Rose

Harlow Carr (Aushouse) English Shrub Rose

Princess Alexandra of Kent, Harlow Carr English Shrub Roses

Kew Gardens English Shrub Rose

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE

BEST FOR FLOWERING PRINCESS ALEXANDRA OF KENT ™ (Ausmerchant)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Bright Pink Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Strong, Tea

The unusually large, bright pink flowers are full-petalled and deeply cupped. In spite of their size, they are never clumsy, being held nicely poised on a well-rounded shrub.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

DELIGHT THE SENSES

FRAGRANT GARDENS

Growing scented roses will add another sensory dimension to your garden. Selecting these varieties is an important part of crafting your garden design, but siting them is also key and will help enhance the scent.

Consider location and plant scented roses in places you use regularly, near a seating area, by your back door or alongside a path you use frequently. The time of day you use these locations is also important. Roses produce most scent during the day, so place them in the most used areas. If you have a seating area and you want to extend the scent into the evening, try pairing your roses with scented honeysuckles, jasmines or phlox which tend to produce scent through late afternoon into dusk.

EMILY BRONTË ™

(Ausearnshaw)

Temperature can also effect how noticeable the scent is. Roses are best when it’s warm and sunny because this is when their pollinators are most likely to be active. However, it is worth noting that if the spot gets extremely hot it will cause the scent to vaporize rapidly, so avoid these situations where possible.

Another great way to intensify the scent of your roses is to grow them in a sheltered or enclosed location such as a courtyard or patio. These positions tend to be warm but also have reduced air flow and this allows the fragrance concentration to build up.

If you have a prevailing wind through your garden, plant your roses so that the breeze carries the scent into your garden and not away from it. This is a particularly useful if you have climbers or ramblers.

SCEPTER’D ISLE ™ (Ausland)

THE POET’S WIFE ™ (Auswhirl)

Fragrance

DELICIOUS DISPLAYS

Displaying the very essence of what makes a David Austin rose so special, these varieties boast delicious and powerful scents. Ranging from Old Rose, through to fruity, Tea, myrrh and musk, these have won many awards and will delight the senses of your garden visitors for years to come.

EMILY BRONTË ™ (Ausearnshaw)

Strong, Old Rose / Tea

HARLOW CARR (Aushouse)

Strong, Old Rose

PRINCESS ALEXANDRA OF KENT ™ (Ausmerchant)

Strong, Tea

THE POET’S WIFE ™ (Auswhirl)

Strong, Fruity

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE BEST FOR FLOWERING

GABRIEL OAK (Auscrowd)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Deep Pink Flowering: Repeat Fragrance: Strong, Fruity

A magnificent variety, bearing large, many petalled rosette blooms. They are a striking shade of deep pink, the outer petals of each bloom paling slightly over time. The beauty of the blooms is enhanced by a wonderful, strong fruity fragrance.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

THE BASICS OF COLOUR

The colour of roses and accompanying plants is a matter of personal taste, but there are a few simple guidelines you can follow to make this decision a bit easier. Decide if you want to stick to varying shades of the same colour or select something brighter for a more eclectic feel. There is a rainbow of rose shades to suit every taste.

Gertrude Jekyll® (Ausbord) English Shrub Rose, Princess Alexandra of Kent™ (Ausmerchant) English Shrub Rose, The Pilgrim® (Auswalker) English Climbing Rose, Private Gardens, Badminton Estate, UK

Plant with a

PALETTE IN MIND

Curate your companion planting scheme by choosing a colour palette. Many gardeners lean on the colour wheel to guide them towards a complimentary collection of petal tones, letting it guide (but not restrict) their choices. A few approaches to using the colour wheel include:

ROALD DAHL ™ (Ausowlish) VANESSA BELL (Auseasel)

COMPLEMENTARY

For an experimental and energising palette, colours opposite one another on the colour wheel will provide your scheme with high contrast, safe in the knowledge the colours will always gel.

Colour wheel aside, most roses can be safely paired with purple/blue flowering partner plants, since this is not a natural colour in the rose world. Failsafe companion plants will always include: Verbena bonariensis Nepeta x faassenii Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’, Delphinium ‘Black Knight’, Dipsacus fullonum Lavandula angustifolia and Perovskia atriplicifolia.

ANALOGOUS

For a colourful but calming scheme, these are colours that sit side by side on the wheel such as orange and yellow or red and pink.

Try planting: Lady of Shalott with Geum ‘Lady Strathenden’ or Gabriel Oak with Sanguisorba officinalis ‘Tanna’.

MONOCHROMATIC

For softness and subtlety, far from being black and white, monochromatic companion planting involves choosing one colour and playing with its depths. Be mindful that you might need long-flowering perennials in the mix to break things up, such as Nepeta or Geranium

Try planting: Stalwart English Roses like Princess Anne with Agastache (Hyssop) ‘Cotton Candy’.

Try planting: Vanessa Bell with the tall and structural Verbena bonariensis or pair Roald Dahl with low-growing geranium such as Geranium clarkei (Cranesbill) ‘Kashmir Blue’ or Geranium x magnificum (Cranesbill) ‘Rosemoor’.

OLIVIA ROSE AUSTIN ™ (Ausmixture)

COLOUR

Perfect Pinks

The most versatile shade within our rose collection, pink roses never go out of style and can be used to either lift or soften beds, borders or backdrops. From the softest blush to the brightest magenta, you can create a multitude of styles.

FEATURED ROSE QUEEN OF SWEDEN (Austiger)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Medium

Colour: Light Pink Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Medium, Myrrh

Exquisite little buds open to half-enclosed cups, eventually becoming wide, shallow, upward-facing cups of pleasing formality. The colour begins as soft-apricot pink, gradually changing to pure soft pink over time.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FLOWERING

EMILY BRONT Ë ™ (Ausearnshaw)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Flowering: Repeat

Colour: Soft Pink/Apricot Bloom Size: Large

Fragrance: Strong, Tea/Old Rose

An exceptionally beautiful rose with distinctive neat, flat blooms. Each bloom is a lovely soft pink, the smaller central petals deepening to rich apricot and surrounding deep-set stamens.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Rose Hedges

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE BEST FOR FLOWERING SCEPTER’D ISLE ™ (Ausland)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Flowering: Repeat

Colour: Light Pink Bloom Size: Medium

Fragrance: Strong, Myrrh

This pretty rose bears numerous cupped flowers, each with yellow stamens. They are a lovely light pink, becoming paler on the outer petals, and have a powerful myrrh fragrance.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers

Shady Areas Attracting Bees

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE BEST FOR FLOWERING PRINCESS ALEXANDRA OF KENT ™ (Ausmerchant)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Flowering: Repeat

Colour: Bright Pink Bloom Size: Large

Fragrance: Strong, Tea

The unusually large, bright pink flowers are full-petalled and deeply cupped. In spite of their size, they are never clumsy, being held nicely poised on a well-rounded shrub.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers

Shady Areas Rose Hedges

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH PRINCESS ANNE (Auskitchen)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Flowering: Repeat

Colour: Rich Pink Bloom Size: Large

Fragrance: Medium, Tea

The young flowers are deep pink, almost red, fading to pure rich pink. The rather narrow petals are unusually substantial, with a hint of yellow on their undersides. Held in large, fragrant clusters, they are produced with remarkable freedom.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers

Shady Areas Rose Hedges

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

FEATURED ROSE

GERTRUDE JEKYLL ® (Ausbord)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Short Climber Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Bright Pink Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Strong, Old Rose

A short climber; it is always one of the first English Roses to start flowering. It bears perfect, little, scrolled buds, which open into the most beautiful rosetteshaped blooms of glowing bright pink.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

COLOUR

Glowing Orange

You can create a spectacular effect with roses in orange shades. Bright and vibrant, the deepest orange shades will bring heat and drama to mixed border designs, whereas the lighter, more delicate shades can add a subtle pop of much needed color.

THE LADY GARDENER ™ (Ausbrass)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Flowering: Repeat

Colour: Apricot Bloom Size: Large

Fragrance: Medium, Tea

Bears large, quartered rosettes, each about 4” across, packed with loosely arranged petals. They are a beautiful shade of pure apricot, paling towards the edges. There is a lovely Tea fragrance, with hints of cedar wood and vanilla.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers

Shady Areas Rose Hedges

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

BATHSHEBA (Auschimbley)

English Climbing Rose

Size: Short Climber Flowering: Repeat

Colour: Apricot Bloom Size: Large

Fragrance: Medium-Strong, Myrrh

Apricot-yellow buds open to shallowly cupped, many petalled rosettes. They are a beautiful blend of subtle apricot-pink and soft yellow, giving the overall impression of apricot, with creamy outer petals.

6ft Wall or Fence Standard Arch Obelisk or Pillar Doorway

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR HEALTH

DAME JUDI DENCH (Ausquaker)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Apricot-Orange Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Light-Medium, Tea

A beautiful rose; the blooms are a particularly rich shade of apricot-orange, paling prettily towards the edges. The striking, red-tipped buds gradually open to reveal large, informal rosettes, each with ruffled petals and a button eye.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

COLOUR

Illuminating Yellow

Add a touch of vitality to your garden with yellow roses, from a bashful primrose through to a rich daffodil and a buttery yellow in between. Elevating radiance within your borders, these shades look wonderful when balanced with grey or silver toned foliage and also paired with other vibrant tones.

BEST FOR FLOWERING

VANESSA BELL (Auseasel)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Flowering: Repeat

Colour: Pale Yellow Bloom Size: Medium

Fragrance: Medium-Strong, Tea

Pink-tinged buds open to medium sized cups held in large clusters. Pale yellow, paling to white at the edges; each has a rich yellow eye. The fragrance is similar to green tea with aspects of lemon and honey. It forms a bushy, upright shrub.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Rose Hedges

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

THE PILGRIM ® (Auswalker)

English Climbing Rose

Size: Medium Climber Flowering: Repeat

Colour: Soft Yellow Bloom Size: Large

Fragrance: Strong, Myrrh

This variety has particularly beautiful blooms. The buds open to reveal many petalled cups, which gradually form large, flat rosettes. The colour is a very attractive shade of soft yellow, the petals paling prettily towards the edges.

6ft Wall or Fence Standard Arch Obelisk or Pillar Doorway

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR FRAGRANCE THE POET’S WIFE ™ (Auswhirl)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Large

Colour: Rich Yellow Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Strong, Fruity

Bears rich yellow flowers, which pale over time. Their formation is most pleasing, having a neat outer ring of petals enclosing an informal group of petals within.

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

COLOUR

Wonderous Whites

Simple, elegant and timeless, planting in swathes of white is unquestionably impactful. Make a breathtaking statement with a blanket of pristine white roses amongst the green of a garden, combining different bloom styles for a touch of complexity.

FEATURED ROSE

BEST FOR HEALTH

SUSAN WILLIAMS-ELLIS ™ (Ausquirk)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Bloom Size: Medium

Colour: White Flowering: Repeat

Fragrance: Medium-Strong, Old Rose

A delightful, unassuming rose of typical Old Rose beauty. It is a pure white sport of the pink English Rose, ‘The Mayflower’. The remarkable thing about these two roses is that, in so far as we are aware, they are completely free from disease.

BEST FOR FLOWERING BEST FOR HEALTH

KEW GARDENS ® (Ausfence)

English Shrub Rose

Size: Medium Shrub Flowering: Repeat

Colour: White Bloom Size: Small

Fragrance: Light

Small, single flowers held in very large heads, rather like a hydrangea, produced almost continuously from early summer into autumn. Soft apricot buds open to pure white, with a hint of soft lemon behind the stamens.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Attracting Bees

Shady Areas Rose Hedges Few Thorns

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

TRANQUILLITY

English Shrub Rose

™ (Ausnoble)

Size: Medium Shrub Flowering: Repeat

Colour: White Bloom Size: Large

Fragrance: Light, Fruity

Beautifully rounded flowers, with neatly placed petals making up perfect rosettes. The buds are lightly tinged with yellow but as the flowers open they become pure white.

Mixed Border Pots & Containers Cutting

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

Bare Root €23,95 Potted €29,95

THE BASICS OF ROSE CARE

Roses are easy to grow and are remarkably tolerant. However, with a little extra care and attention you can help your roses to thrive. Our Rose Care section on our website is packed full of helpful hints from our experts and inspirational design schemes. Here we give you the basics to help you on your way in planting and caring for your perfect rose.

Seasonal ROSE CARE

SPRING

Arguably the most exciting and important time of the year for rose care, now is the time to get them ready for their magnificent display come summer. You’ll soon start to notice beautiful fresh growth in the form of red leaves sprouting from your rose bush. If not already done, in early spring clear around the rose, removing dead leaves and any other debris. Follow this with a feed and a mulch during April to revitalise the roses’ soil and ensure they are happy in their bed. It is the perfect time to start planting more roses.

SUMMER

In hot temperatures, you’ll need to ensure more frequent watering and maintenance to ensure best health, including deadheading and controlling insects and disease. This is the time to really enjoy your roses as they flourish into full bloom. They’ll equally enjoy and benefit from the care and attention you provide to them by keeping them as happy and healthy as possible during this time of year.

AUTUMN

Now is the perfect time for planting bare roots. In early autumn, be sure to avoid deadheading hip producing roses to ensure they provide seasonal colour and a valuable food source for birds and wildlife alike. Your roses will start to slow down now in preparation for the colder months, however you may still see flowering from your roses until the first frosts, so sit back and enjoy the final blooms of the year.

WINTER

It can be said that this is the time for roses to go into a hibernation of sorts. Let them go into dormancy during this season and don’t worry too much about tending to them, even in frosty conditions. Towards the end of the season, in January and February, you’ll need to think about preparing them for the year ahead. Pruning should take place now.

Rose Care CALENDAR

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH

PRUNE PRUNE PRUNE (early March)

APRIL MAY JUNE

FEED & MULCH (early April)

SPRAY

WATER WELL SPRAY

DEADHEAD (after flowering)

WATER WELL SPRAY

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

DEADHEAD (after flowering)

WATER WELL SPRAY

DEADHEAD (after flowering)

DEADHEAD (after flowering)

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Your roses are winding down for the winter, let them go into dormancy

A quick guide to PLANTING YOUR ROSE

STEP ONE

If you are planting a bare root rose, rehydrate in a bucket of water for a minimum of two hours prior to planting.

If you are planting a potted rose, water it generously immediately prior to planting.

STEP TWO

Dig over the soil thoroughly using a garden fork and remove any weeds or large stones. This will ensure that the new roots can venture freely in their new environment.

STEP FIVE

If planting a bare root rose, remove the rose from the bucket of water and whilst holding the rose over the planting hole, sprinkle the roots with Mycorrhizal Fungi.

If planting a potted rose, remove carefully from its container and sprinkle Mycorrhizal Fungi over the root ball.

STEP SIX

Position the rose in the center of the hole. The bottom of the stems should sit 5cm (2”) below the top of the hole –use a bamboo cane to help.

HOW TO ORDER

Not sure which rose to choose? Need help selecting a variety? Got a question about planting? Our team of friendly rose experts are here to help.

STEP THREE

Using a spade, dig a hole big enough for the roots approximately 45cm wide by 45cm deep (17.5” x 17.5”).

STEP FOUR

Break up the soil at the base of the hole with a fork. Add a spadeful of Carr’s Special Organic Soil Improver (or well-rotted manure) with the soil at the bottom of the hole and mix a further two spadefuls of soil improver with the soil removed from the hole.

STEP SEVEN

Backfill around the roots of the rose, using the soil that was originally dug to make the hole. Then, lightly firm the soil around the rose with your foot.

STEP EIGHT

Water the rose well. If planting during May - September, we recommend watering your new rose twice a week or every other day if the weather is very hot.

5 YEAR PROMISE

PLANT WITH PEACE OF MIND

If a rose fails to grow or arrives damaged, we will replace it free of charge. That’s the David Austin promise.

Austin Roses Limited, Bowling Green Lane, Albrighton, Shropshire, WV7 3HB