60 Years of Handbooks

from Special 60th Edition Handbook of Roses 2022

Roses as Gifts

60 HANDBOOKS OF ENGLISH ROSES

Our story begins with a man who had a single vision; to bring beautiful, repeat-flowering, fragrant roses to gardens everywhere, and with the launch of one rose in 1961. Constance Spry (Ausfirst), was the original English Rose, a pioneering and magnificent climbing rose of cupped pink blooms and an enchanting myrrh fragrance. The inaugural David Austin Roses ‘catalogue’ followed in 1962; no more than a simple pamphlet, it modestly introduced English Roses to the public. Debutante variety Constance Spry was available to purchase by telephone or post, with enquiries and orders handled from the kitchen table of the family farmhouse – the same table our gardeners sit at for lunch today. Since that time much has changed and six decades on, our library of much-loved handbooks offers us a treasured window through which to reflect on the milestones we as a company have reached, and to contemplate the world events, unprecedented advancements and far-reaching changes that have taken place alongside our own journey. Reflecting on this passage of time has been thought-provoking, inspiring and, at times, overwhelming. The sheer scale of change that has taken place over the last 60 years has been extraordinary. There have been technological advancements that have impacted our own business, such as the introduction of the electronic pushbutton telephone system, followed later by the fax machine. Then there was the launch of the Internet in 1991, which paved the way for the first David Austin website at the turn of the millennium. These seismic progressions have altered beyond measure the way we engage with our customers and operate commercially. As we have continued to develop and bring roses to our customers through the yearly incremental changes in our Handbook of Roses, monumental moments in history have occurred, transforming the way we live our day-to-day lives. Breathtaking events such as the first moon landing, Britain’s joining, then exiting, the EU, the dawn of the internet and arrival of mobile phones, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the release of Nelson Mandela, the 50th, 60th and soon to be 70th Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign, have all earned their place in history. Throughout these momentous events, we have continued to stand the test of time, adapt to the ever-changing world around us, hone our skills and breed the best, the healthiest and most beautiful roses in the world.

Despite this great pace of change, there has remained a dependable constant over the past six decades; the David Austin Handbook of Roses - its arrival on our doorsteps signifying the start of a fresh new season, opportunity, and the promise of something beautiful to come. Eagerly anticipated, cherished, marked-up and referenced time and again for the iconic imagery, inspiration, knowledge and expertise held within its pages, the Handbook of Roses has come to symbolise the pioneering and innovative journey of David Austin Roses, a beacon of the horticultural industry to this day. In the early days, the catalogue was the only way customers could explore our range of roses, and David Austin was one of the first companies to offer plants by mail order, with each order being hand-written and transposed onto early computer systems. At the turn of the millennium, we became one of the first to introduce online ordering via our website. Little more than a digitised mail order form, orders still had to be written up manually and many still ordered by post, fax and phone. Today, we remain at the forefront of the mail order industry with the majority of orders being placed online and exponential growth seen in our rose sales over the last 30 years. Although you can now explore our extensive collection of roses online, our Handbook of Roses remains free of charge to this day, enjoyed by more rose enthusiasts than we could ever have imagined when the very first David Austin rose pamphlet was printed.

The late David Austin Snr. in the library of his farmhouse in Shropshire. A literary enthusiast and poet as well as pioneering plantsman and shrewd businessman. His vision, often discussed at length in this very library with his late wife Pat, has literally changed the face of gardens around the world.

Our Nursery Manager, Chris, who first walked the fields in 1986, accompanied by our Production Manager, John, who between them share 66 years at David Austin Roses. Here they are, inspecting the growth of our roses, number of breaks and depending on time of year, whether they are ready for lifting. Our roses are continuously monitored to make sure that, even in challenging weather, they are at their best. We will only send out a rose if it passes the intricate quality control process carried out by our experts.

PLANTS

The ‘English Rose’ – the term given to a rose bred by David Austin – was born from a simple desire to create a more beautiful rose. Mr Austin set out on his life-long quest, aspiring to combine the very best characteristics of the ‘modern’ Hybrid Tea Roses, in particular their repeat-flowering reliability and vast array of vibrant colours, with the much-loved aspects of Old Roses, notably their rich fragrance, shrubby habit and classic charm. He was certain that if he could marry the very best traits of these two rose types then he could create an exceptional repeat-flowering garden rose of unrivalled charm, colour, and fragrance. A process of experimentation, or ‘amateur hybridisation’ as Mr Austin himself referred to it, began. Originally carried out by Mr Austin in his small greenhouse, the intricate skill of crossbreeding is today undertaken by a team of skilled hybridisation experts, a unique combination of science and art. It remains a delicate and meticulous process where each year 40,000 roses are cross-pollinated by hand using an artist’s paintbrush. Early attempts at hybridisation came with varying degrees of success – one step forward, two steps back scenarios played out as progress was made and challenges presented. Helped by a touch of luck, eventually a small group of plants developed that were deemed sufficiently viable for introduction to the public. In 1961 the first Austin rose came into being; ‘Constance Spry’ (Ausfirst) – the foundation rose in the evolution of English Roses. Not without her challenges, eventual subsequent crosses with her offered more varieties – all pink at this point, but all true of colour and exceptionally pure. By 1969 the small debut collection of English Roses was ready. Wife of Bath (Auswife), notable for being the first truly repeat-flowering Austin rose, was joined by Canterbury (Auscanterbury), Dame Prudence, The Friar, The Knight, The Prioress and The Yeoman (Ausyeo) who have all now been retired. Of course, this initial collection was just the start of the journey. Learning, experimentation, research and development were ongoing, yet as knowledge and skills expanded, gaps appeared and more questions raised. Complex crossing and backcrossing was undertaken when the quality was not quite there or seedlings were not as strong as Mr Austin would have liked, despite careful selection of vigorous parent roses. Achieving variety of colour was elusive at first; red roses proved a challenge, with Chianti (Auswine) arriving in 1967. It also took time for a yellow rose to emerge, the first being Graham Thomas (Ausmas) in 1983, a breakthrough in achieving a brightly coloured bloom. Health, Mr Austin observed, would become a trait that could only be built over time through the process of backcrossing and crossing healthier roses, each time capitalising on the progress made so far. The Mayflower (Austilly, 2001) and Princess Anne (Auskitchen, 2010) are, to this day, seen as fine examples in the quest to breed ever healthier roses.

It is quite astonishing to comprehend the scale of achievement that has been reached, when it takes ten years of patience and dedication, not to mention around 120,000 development roses to create just one rose variety. Very little has changed over the years, apart from raising our exacting standards ever further in our pursuit of the finest English Roses. Every year around 200,000 unique seeds will be planted individually by hand and nurtured in our greenhouses, under heat and light until they are ready to be assessed. This is still one of the most exciting, yet anxious, times of the year, dictating which of the most promising seedlings will be chosen to continue their journey and develop into full size rose bushes, under the ever-watchful eye of our experts. Ongoing assessment over seven years will result in the selection of just ten of the original 200,000 seedlings, from which just one will be chosen for release.

With a growing collection of varieties and increased interest in English Roses, particularly thanks to Graham Thomas (Ausmas) and Heritage (Ausblush) causing a stir at Chelsea Flower Show in 1983, Mr Austin found himself simultaneously developing the farming and production of roses at scale. Despite his farming

Row 1: Munstead Wood® (Ausbernard), Pat Austin® (Ausmum), The Squire (Ausquire), Chianti (Auswine). Row 2: Gertrude Jekyll® (Ausbord), Mary Rose® (Ausmary), Wife of Bath (Auswife), Constance Spry (Ausfirst). Row 3: Heritage® (Ausblush), Chaucer (Auscer), Leander (Auslea), A Shropshire Lad (Ausled). Row 4: Shropshire Lass, Graham Thomas® (Ausmas), Lady Emma Hamilton (Ausbrother), Charles Darwin (Auspeet).

background, producing a crop of roses was still new territory, and a significant step up from the handful of plants grown in the garden at the beginning. From the preparation of freshly ploughed land, to growing and budding thousands of root stocks, the nurture of maiden plants into saleable roses came with its hurdles. Initial years saw a lot of wastage, and learning took time with two years required to produce a crop of roses to harvest. Today, we confidently harvest over half a million bare root roses each autumn with a good yield, improving practices as we go and learning the preferences of each variety.

The introduction of potted roses in the late 80s transformed the business, as it allowed customers to buy and plant English Roses all year round. Tentatively starting life in a basic potting shed, where soil was shovelled through a hole in the wall from a truck on the other side, around 700 plants were hand-potted each day. Today, our potting machines fill around 14,000 pots every day to meet demand.

Many elements of rose farming continue today as they have done for decades, yet some have doubtlessly changed with the arrival of technology, improvements in machinery, and changes generally in the horticultural sector. Technology can bring with it tremendous benefits, removing some of the thornier elements of the job. Our longest serving colleagues recall the finger-numbing days where root washing had to be done in snow and freezing temperatures, while today they watch the automated root washing machines make light work of the task. Flailers now remove leaves quickly and painlessly, where in the early days, they would have been removed by hand. Similarly, tying-machines now quickly and efficiently bundle roses, which would have originally been tied by hand; tricky when wearing thick gloves. These automations, some of which are carried out by bespoke machines almost 40 years old, were a necessity to keep up with demand as the business grew. Some elements still require the human touch though. For example, the grading of each plant continues to be carried out by eye, using the Grading Bible, and every rose is hand-finished with a little light pruning and careful inspection before leaving our nursery. Changes in the perception and acceptability of pesticide use, has impacted the way we grow our plants, as has the introduction of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), enabling us to reduce the need for pesticides by keeping certain damaging pests at bay. Prior to its introduction, we would spray our crop for those damaging pests, and in doing so would destroy the beneficial insects too. IPM is a system we have utilised successfully for the last three years, both in the garden and with our potted roses, reducing the need for sprays and helping to reduce our impact on the environment.

As awareness and understanding of the need to care for and protect our planet has grown, so has our emphasis on the environmental and sustainability considerations of our actions and of our plants. Over the years, this has led us to explore more sustainable options, from the introduction of our bio-mass boiler in 2014 which heats our greenhouses, to our evolving iconic green and gold pots, initially introduced in 2006, today they are made from 98% recycled material and are, themselves, fully recyclable. We are continuously looking at new ways to tread more gently on the planet, considering new concepts and thoroughly testing each one to make sure any advancements can be introduced without negatively impacting the quality of our product. Popularity of the English Rose continues to grow, as does the collection, which today stands at around 200 varieties. But of course, the introduction of new varieties inevitably involves the retirement of others. As we breed better, healthier roses and our knowledge and expertise increases, those varieties which no longer meet our exacting and improving standards are retired. Old favourites will in time be superseded by better-performing, healthier roses, whose lineage has benefited from our learning and refined methods. Despite all that has been achieved, the quest continues to breed the perfect rose and bring the delight of English Roses from our small Shropshire village to gardens all over the world.

Within the walls of our breeding houses we propagate both our garden and cut rose varieties. Each breeding programme is unique since the requirements of garden roses differ to the requirements of roses used in the floristry industry. Once bloomed, our rose breeder Carl begins his selection process, where selected garden rose varieties will be moved into the trial fields outdoors.

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The towers of bare root roses freshly harvested from the fields and prepared ready for the start of the bare root season. Once harvested, the roses are placed in one of seven cold stores which between them can hold up to 1.5 million roses at capacity. This particular cold store was upgraded in 2021 to be able to hold 400,000 roses and has given us the ability to store at a cooler temperature, down to 1˚ centigrade, keeping our roses in the best condition for as long as possible. Our humidification system keeps our roses at 97% humidity, making sure they never dry out.

“I like to be creative and do something worthwhile. When I see what we have created, something that has taken over 10 years to make, released and sold all over the world, it fills me with joy – it’s quite something. I never dreamt my career would lead me to where I am today, having bred so many incredible new varieties. I just want to breed roses. That’s all I want to do –breed the best roses in the world.”

Carl Bennett, Rose Breeder

Members of our production team grading the roses that have been lifted from our fields to enable us to select only the best roses for our customers.

PEOPLE

As a family-owned and run business, embracing its third generation, we are hugely fortunate to work with the talented people who make up our extended family. Our people are the cornerstone of David Austin Roses; without them, there would be no plants. For what is now a globally recognised brand, David Austin’s beginnings were humble and befitting of the modest and passionate gardeners and farmers who built it. Centred around the clear vision of the late Mr Austin, or Mr A, as he was affectionately known, and supported by his wife Pat and a small close-knit team, David Austin Roses bloomed onto the horticultural scene, breaking new ground, learning as they went and overcoming barriers along the way. Early on, things were a touch experimental as the newly appointed David Austin team navigated the challenges of running a horticultural mail order business from a kitchen table with just six people. By the 80s, there were two dozen people on board, as demand and expectations expanded. Carl Bennett, who joined back in 1989 when he was just 18 years old, was one of those lucky people. Originally there to assist with general duties, he is now a rose breeder, having learnt his craft from over 30 years of working side by side with Mr Austin.

The speed of progress increased as the team grew and with it the aspirations of Mr Austin. Gardeners were needed to tend to the freshly installed public rose gardens and waiting staff required to serve the customers in the newly constructed restaurant. The successful introduction of potted roses further fuelled the need to add more people to the ever-growing bunch of personalities tasked with making these initiatives a reality. Recruitment was often informal, almost accidental, with roles advertised in the local Post Office or offered by word of mouth. Interviews quite frequently featured a dog, a quick chat with Mrs Austin and could even mean a same day start! Mr Austin had an eye for a person’s character and their motivation to succeed. He wasn’t fazed by inexperience, believing skills could be taught and expertise nurtured. He built a team of creative problem solvers who shared his pioneering spirit and could overcome obstacles with positivity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. In 1994, Mr Austin was joined by his son, David Austin Jnr, who having been surrounded by roses his whole life, as well as being a successful businessman in his own right, brought a fresh outlook. This led to the creation of the marketing department, more investment into new technologies and international expansion. The 90s proved to be an incredibly exciting time as English Roses began to take-off around the world and the little team in Shropshire visited the USA, Japan and Europe. Growth exploded in every way; new varieties, rose orders, recruitment, infrastructure - there was no looking back. The commitment of the relatively inexperienced, good-hearted, loyal bunch of employees forged the business into what it is today. Many of these people who joined as youngsters, often on horticultural apprentice schemes, are still with us 30 years on and continue to work with the same determination and drive they had at the very beginning. Learning as they went, direct from Mr Austin and the early stalwarts, knowledge and expertise was handed down person to person, building a camaraderie, team spirit and a common goal. Never was this more evident than during flower show season, with everyone pulling together to introduce new varieties and bring home a gold medal.

Perhaps it is the nature of growing plants, the uncontrollability of the seasons and the hard graft required in all weather conditions that pulls people together, forges friendships and builds the trust needed to withstand the challenges of a rapidly expanding company in an evolving world. There is no denying that part of the success of David Austin is due to the personalities who work here, the way we embrace the eccentricities, hard work, fun and spirit of people who genuinely love what they do. There is no time of year when this is more evident than the legendary Christmas parties, known for their relaxed atmosphere, probably helped by Beryl’s famous alcoholic trifle.

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

First exhibiting at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 1982, flower shows have always been a regular pilgrimage requiring a monumental effort from everyone involved, rewarded with 25 gold medals to date. The early Chelsea Flower Shows feature in the memories of many as halcyon days – a real family affair, where everyone rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in. From diligently working with Mr Austin on the show varieties in the Chelsea House at Albrighton, to heading down to London at a moment’s notice to set-up and man the exhibition stand, not realising there may be a need to stay longer and finding yourself with no spare clothes or indeed, a bed to sleep in!

The anticipation of the Chelsea medal result was always a tense but exciting time. The whole team back at the gardens would be on tenterhooks waiting for the announcements, armed with homemade banners and congratulatory poetry, ready for Mr Austin and the show team’s return.

THE GOLDEN GIRLS

Established early on, the ‘Golden Girls’ - Val, Jan, Beryl, Norma, Iris, Ann and Elaine (not pictured) - were an eclectic bunch and integral to the fabric of the company; they’d been there, done that and smelt all of the roses! They were hugely knowledgeable and so much fun.

GROWING UP WITH ROSES

Growing up at David Austin Roses, our Nursery Manager, Chris Lowe, joined over 30 years ago as part of the Youth Training Scheme. “No two days are the same. I have been nurtured and given the most amazing opportunities to travel, learn and work with some wonderful people.” Known for his infamous Christmas party skits and impressively large hair, Chris was once offered £5 by the quietly good-humoured Mr Austin himself to ‘get yourself a haircut if you’re going to be at Chelsea!’ Eager to please, Chris obliged and has attended many Chelsea Flower Shows since, minus the large hair.

It’s not just local talent that we’ve been lucky enough to recruit. Our Eastern European employees come from all walks of life, and a number from Lithuania, who joined us on the SAWS (Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme) around 20 years ago are still with us today. Sharing our passion, now living locally with their own families, they have also grown up at David Austin Roses, making Shropshire their home.

CHRISTMAS PARTIES

Internally notorious, the David Austin Roses Christmas parties were first held in a freezing cold barn with haybales for seating, Mr Austin carving the turkey, followed by Beryl’s renowned ‘boozy trifle’ and Mrs Austin handing out presents to staff from a wheelbarrow. It was a bit like spending Christmas with your own family. Over time, as numbers grew and people settled in, there would be sketches, skits and performances – including, to name a few – renditions of Abba, Oasis and the Spice Girls. Our current staff still remember to this day the simplicity and easy going, caring nature of the people at the heart of our business and celebrating with them was always an absolute joy.

BERYL BROWN: her David Austin Roses story

Beryl Brown was one of David Austin’s earliest employees, remaining part of the family for over 30 years. Below is a wonderful account of her time with the company which as she says in her own words, “well, I never really left, did I?”

Beryl retired in 2000 aged 63 and sadly passed away last year. Below is her story, recorded in 2005:

“I was in Albrighton Post Office in the 1960s when I saw a little advert saying ‘Driver / child minder required. Car provided.’ Mr Austin interviewed me and I got the job, so that was when I first got to know the family. I drove the three children, David, James and Claire to their schools and did babysitting from time to time. Sometimes I couldn’t get out to go home because they kept geese and they were quite fierce, but they were lovely children. Then I left to have my own baby. When Jonathon was still quite young, I met Mr Austin again by chance. He wanted to send some catalogues out to customers and wondered if I’d help. So, later that week he brought some addresses round to my house. They were on postcards in a little file, and I sent some of the first David Austin Roses catalogues out from my house. They weren’t anything like the 100-page colour catalogues you send out now. He hadn’t got many varieties at the time, it was more like a leaflet - just a few small pieces of paper folded over, in black and white without any pictures. After that, Dad came to live with us and I had less room at my house, so I used to work from the kitchen or the little dining room of Mr Austin’s house. He would dictate letters and give me more addresses to send catalogues to, but he spent most of the time breeding the roses. You never saw him - he was just lost. I mean, that’s his life, isn’t it? – his roses and his family. Mrs Austin is a sculptress and she used to be working on her sculptures most days. Many of them are in the rose gardens now. The 1970 catalogue had about nine of the new repeatflowering English Roses in it and had grown to well over thirty pages. By then, Mrs Austin was doing beautiful line drawings of roses to show people what they looked like. She drew the David Austin house and roses logo which is still used on all the pots to this day. At the time it was really just Mr Austin looking after the roses, with me posting out the letters, but it wasn’t long before he branched out and in 1972 there were around six of us including Ann who is working here now. She worked outside and helped with the plants and the watering. It got too much for me with the baby, so the lady who lived three doors down from me took over, called Doreen Pike. She threw herself into the business and she was very thrifty, which she needed to be as there was never any spare money. She did everything herself on the office side at first, then gradually she got other staff in to help. In time she became the office manager. Before she retired, she had a fragrant, pink rugosa rose named after her. People started to realise that the English Roses were better than other roses and it started to get busier and the phones kept ringing. My sister had been over to stay and I was feeling really sad because she’d just gone back to America. My phone rang and it was Doreen. She needed to send a lot of letters out and she wanted me to help for a couple of days. That was 1978 – well, I never left, did I? Although it was getting busier, things were still tight money-wise. Doreen used to save Christmas cards and we’d use the backs of the cards as notepaper. All the time Mr Austin was out breeding his roses. Each time he did a new catalogue, he would launch a few more varieties, until gradually we had a much better catalogue with more varieties and lots more information. At that time, I was answering the phones to people who rang up asking for catalogues or wanting advice on roses. At first when customers asked me a question I had to go

and find the answer out, but I remembered the answers and I learned more and more about roses until I was able to answer most questions. We were working in Mr Austin’s outhouse by then, but it started to get more successful and eventually we got too big for the house and we moved into a portacabin. Mr Austin’s oldest son, also called David, joined us at that time. We did love him. He was very open, just very nice, and you could always talk to him about anything. I remember Michael Marriott joining and we liked him too. He knew about roses when he first came, but I think he has learned a lot more while he’s been here. That is the beauty of the place – it was like a family and we all blended in.

David the son didn’t stay long the first time, then he left, but after a few years he came back again. One of his jobs was to work on the Chelsea rose display and that was the first time we won a medal. When we started doing Chelsea, I was a little unsure about going at first, but Doreen persuaded me. It was a super experience. I got to see the other stands, which I really enjoyed, but ours was always the best. I was able to meet the customers - and to see some celebrities too - and

often the same ones came back year after year. Many customers are very knowledgeable and they love seeing the roses. You just feel very proud. After that first time, we often won medals at Chelsea and every time we used to write Mr Austin a poem on two big sheets of paper and stick it to his window as a congratulations message from us all. With all the catalogues going out and the Chelsea medals and of course people telling each other about the roses, we grew out of the portacabin and got a second-hand prefabricated building. They called it ‘The Terrapin’. That was lovely because we were overlooking the roses as we worked. Then Mr Austin got a man in and started to make the rose gardens. At first it was quite small but they gradually added to it step by step. I can remember them making the canal garden – that was a big thing at the time. Now it is one of the best rose gardens in the world. At first it was just the UK, but as the 1990s went on, people started to ask for the English Roses from countries like France and America. David, the son, began to travel the world and the business really grew. Now the roses and the gardens are well known and people travel from all

over the world just to visit the famous roses at Albrighton. I stayed in customer services as I enjoyed talking to the customers. Some of them became like friends and they would call up just to ask me how I was or to tell me how well their roses were doing. In the end I was just doing the mornings and my friend Elaine did the afternoons. When I came to think about retiring, Elaine didn’t want me to leave and David was grand about it. He said, ‘You’re part of the family and you’ll always have a job here for as long as you need it – you don’t have to leave just because you’re 60’. So, I retired when I was 63. It was a nice time to finish because it was Christmas and I had my leaving do at that year’s Christmas Party. We still get invited back every year.”

“ That is the beauty of the place - it was like a family and we all blended in.”

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David J C Austin meticulously checking roses soon to be sent out to customers. A weekly crop walk is carried out by management to assess the quality and health of our potted roses, with a daily check being carried out by our production team to ensure every rose that leaves our field is perfection.

The Large Cambridge House, standing for more than 35 years. Beyond that, The Small Cambridge House, just a few years younger, was bought second hand by Mr Austin who had it dismantled and re-erected within the fields. Seedling House No.6, in the background, joined the family in the late 90s.

PLACE

There is something about the home of David Austin Roses that is effortlessly enchanting. Hidden in the Shropshire countryside it is the epitome of Englishness, a little haven of busy gardeners, growers, people and plants going about their daily tasks without fuss or applaud. There is a uniqueness to be found in the tranquil gardens where you may be greeted by a proud resident peacock, or in the shining greenhouses where you may happen upon a rose breeder toiling away quietly in a secluded corner. We like to think of this place as the working home of the English Rose, and we’d love to give you a glimpse behind the scenes.

Strolling from across the fields, we pass, the little lake which is actually part of our reservoir system used to water the roses as part of our sustainable closed-loop set-up. Extended in 2011, it is often visited by dragonflies or bees from the hives resting on the bank, going about their business. Further on, a hum of activity catches the ear, easily mistaken for the buzz of light aircraft from the nearby RAF Cosford on the horizon. It is actually the sound of activity within the large barns as people in thick gloves pack orders and pot roses with a deftness of skill that belies the thorns of the product. Although many processes are still manual today, automated machines have allowed us to upscale order production. This modernisation started over 25 years ago with the arrival of the simple, yet effective, conveyor belt system which is still used to this day. Investing in technology has helped us to keep up with demand as David Austin Roses grew as a company, and made the jobs of our hard-working employees a little bit easier. We have since invested in custom built machines that make the production process a seamless one. Rose tying, pot washing, bark topping and rose flailing machines mean we can operate much more efficiently and process the thousands of orders that we receive each and every day. Over the way are our growing or trial fields where the landscape and activity varies throughout the seasons. Exposed to the elements, during the winter months we find brown earthy expanses being farmed and prepared for the next rose crop. In summer months, we will be greeted by a wash of colour reminiscent of a watercolour painting as all the colours of the rose varieties blend into one another.

Technology has, and continues, to impact every aspect of our business, the contrast between old and new visible as the old tractors work happily alongside the newest modern electric additions. We often take for granted the convenience of smartphones which have removed the need to track down a colleague on-site, often trekking across the fields in search of an answer to a question. Now, a simple call or message gives us the solution within moments and can allow conversations to happen easily, even when miles apart.Technology has also been instrumental in improving the health and wellbeing of our plants. The introduction of bio-mass boilers ensures a reliable heat source for the germination of seeds and growth of new rose seedlings in our greenhouses. Neutron probes are used to measure moisture levels in our production crops and notify us of the optimum watering time required to ensure our roses are kept as healthy as possible at all times.

The office is where change is most noticable, as computers have become a necessity and technology has advanced, there has been a need for more space. No longer could we get away with the accounts being written up by hand by Beryl as she leant against the boiler in the old farmhouse, or could we manage with orders being processed and packed on the kitchen table by hand. From Betamax systems to networked servers and now essential remote cloud working, technology has ensured the running of our business is still possible. As the company has evolved and expanded, so too have our buildings. Old barns have become ‘new offices’ and cattle sheds, rudimentary event spaces for Christmas parties. Portacabins became temporary offices prior to the building of the office block in 2008 and in some ways, nothing has changed, as we have relied once more on

Head Gardener, Steve Parnham, inspecting the progress in ‘The Chelsea House’. “A lot of hard work goes into preparing for Chelsea, with the guys out in the gardens pruning and potting all year round. It’s a real team effort and everyone mucks in. One of the proudest moments of my career was winning gold at my first experience of Chelsea Flower Show. It was extremely rewarding.”

portacabins to provide further makeshift offices during the pandemic. Away from the eye of the public, there are old barns and outbuildings awaiting their next responsibility, delightfully decorated with climbing roses growing for 30 years or more and filled with trinkets, gardening history or old wrought iron fireplaces. The blue doors of the wonderful old farmhouse are the gateway to Mr Austin’s panelled library, floor-to-ceiling in gardening books, English literature, and poetry. Out in the private garden the uniquely designed stilted hornbeam hedge and surrounding moat are tended to with the utmost care of our expert gardeners. Each year they have over 1000m of hedge to cut and over 5000 roses to prune, continuously refreshing and replanting new varieties both in the private and public gardens. Hundreds of thousands of visitors have enjoyed a stroll through our magnificent rose gardens, built in the late 80s by Mr Austin to showcase his creations, they are now home to the National Collection of English Roses. In true David Austinstyle the gardens remain free to visit for all to enjoy, and delight in a blaze of colour and profusion of scent especially during the summer months when the roses are in full bloom.

Stepping into these magnificent gardens, set across two acres, with over 5000 rose plants on display in the five themed rose gardens, you can’t help but be inspired. Pergola-framed walkways enveloped in colour and scent are interspersed with stunning displays of roses, perfectly at home within their given space. Amble along the canal where roses in undulating beds are reflected in the still water or take a moment to sit within the commanding Renaissance Pavilion and take in the peaceful surroundings. Once ready, why not pop next door to The Lion Garden where many visitors have offered a friendly pat to the statue of the lion, sculpted by the late Pat Austin. The formal Victorian Walled Garden provides another wonderful treat for the senses, its large circular wall standing 8ft tall and 100 yards long, offering an impressively vast backdrop along which many of our beautiful climbing roses grow. There will always be a diligent gardener or David Austin Rose Expert, attending to and pruning our garden roses, ensuring they look pristine. There are few things better than sitting in a rose garden and enjoying a nice cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake. For that reason, in 2001 the old barn, that had been converted into offices was reimagined, creating our Plant Centre, Gift Shop, Garden Tea Room and traditional timber-framed Restaurant. Quintessentially English and offering lovely home-cooked food, the restaurant quickly became a popular attraction, turning a visit to the gardens into a wonderful day out. From a simple greenhouse and selling roses direct from the family’s kitchen table to over 100 acres of fields today, each one of our rose varieties has originated from this magical place, imparting its qualities into every rose. Despite change and progress, there remains a unique charm, where traditional and contemporary work contentedly side by side. The human ingenuity of our gentle but detailed work has made it a place where our people are happy to stay and settle, raise their families and become part of the continuing legacy that is David Austin Roses.

We look forward to more seasons of change, as we develop our land further, introduce new technologies and expand our offices, always keeping our people at the heart of everything we do.