DAVID AUSTIN OR ENGLISH
Technically, David Austin roses are not a separate class of roses, but because of their uniqueness and successful marketing efforts, many consumers regard them as a separate classification. They are often referred to as “English Roses.” David Austin of Shropshire, England, wanted to cross old garden roses because of their mostly very large, fragrant once-blooming bushes with modern hybrid teas and floribundas because they are repeat blooming and have a larger color range. He succeeded in his mission, and now hundreds of varieties of David Austin roses have been warmly embraced by the gardening public. The typical winter hardiness and disease resistance of some of the classic old garden roses was initially compromised in the process; many English roses were susceptible to the same disease problems that plague many modern roses. However, during the last 12 years, disease resistance has moved to the forefront of Austin’s breeding efforts, and the cultivars listed below are much improved.
Rather than deadheading them immediately below the spent flowers, the David Austin roses benefit from cutting the stem back by 1 to 3 feet, depending on the size of the plant.
Introduced in 2014, ‘Boscobel’ is one of the most fragrant of all David Austin roses. The numerous petals can cause balling (see Troubleshooting) in wet weather, but it is an excellent repeat bloomer, so the next flush is never far behind. This rose was named after Boscobel House, a beautiful timber-framed house built in 1632 and famous for being the place where King Charles II hid in an oak tree while being pursued by Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers during the English Civil War in 1651.
ZONE 5
COLOR: Salmon pink
GROWTH HABIT: Upright
SIZE: 3′ h. × 2½ w.
PETAL COUNT: 78
‘Lady of Shalott’ was introduced in 2009 to celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s birth. The cultivar’s name is taken from the Tennyson poem of the same name. In the poem, the Lady of Shalott lives in a castle close to King Arthur’s Camelot and is held captive by a spell until she sees the reflection of Sir Lancelot in a mirror. The lightly fragrant flowers have a heavy petal count and may ball (see Troubleshooting) in wet weather. Their profuse blooming and exceptional disease resistance make it easy to forgive an occasional loss of buds. The flowers are good for cutting.
ZONE 5
COLOR: Apricot blend
GROWTH HABIT: Shrub
SIZE: 4′ h. × 4′ w.
PETAL COUNT: 60
AWARDS: Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit
A showstopper at the 2014 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show, this landmark rose was one of the first cultivars to be released from David Austin’s new breeding program of disease-free lines. The exceptionally fragrant, frilly pure-pink flowers have no hint of yellow, apricot, or salmon, so it is easy to place them in the garden. A vigorous grower, ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ is named after David Austin’s granddaughter, and the company claims that this is possibly the best rose that it have introduced to date. The cultivar was introduced in the United States in 2016 after taking over 9 years to develop.
ZONE 5
COLOR: Pure pink
GROWTH HABIT: Upright and bushy
SIZE: 3′ h. × 30″ w.
PETAL COUNT: 41+
Introduced in 2015, ‘The Lady Gardener’ is the first apricot-colored rose bred by David Austin, and the blossoms have a delicious, strong tea scent with hints of vanilla. It is quick to repeat bloom and produces a staggering number of roses from early summer to first frost. The large 4-inch fully double flowers age to cream and hold up well in rain. ‘The Lady Gardener’ is a healthy, strong performer in the garden.
ZONE 5
COLOR: Apricot
GROWTH HABIT: Upright
SIZE: 3’–4’ h. × 2½’ w.
PETAL COUNT: Fully double
