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David Austin & Old English Roses 2023

Tried & true, these classic roses fit in all garden landscapes.

Combining the delicate charm and wonderful fragrances of the Old Roses with the wider color range and repeat-flowering nature of modern roses, they are hard to beat for sheer exuberance of flower and scent. As a group they are renowned for their outstanding health, reliability and vigor. Their graceful, shrubby habits make them ideal for specimen plants, mixed borders or for creating any kind of rose garden.

 

DAVID AUSTIN ROSES ARE OUR MOST POPULAR ROSES AND ARE SOLD OUT FOR 2023.

PLEASE BE ADVISED, WE ARE NOT TAKING PRE-ORDERS FOR DAVID AUSTIN ROSES UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY 2024.  THANK YOU

 

Abraham Darby

Old fashioned, large 5" cupped, very fragrant blooms of rich shades of apricot at times touched with gold. A well-rounded, vigorous shrub producing lovely large flowers throughout the season. It has a rich, fruity fragrance with a refreshing sharpness.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Bathsheba™

A vigorous repeat-flowering English Rose. A short climber, bearing many petalled rosettes. The beautiful combination of colours gives the blooms an overall impression of rich apricot and they have a superb myrrh fragrance - floral and warm in character, with hints of honey.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Boscobel™

Named after Boscobel House, which is where Charles II hid in an oak tree at during the English Civil War. Red buds open to beautifully formed, upward-facing, coral-pink rosettes. Small petals of varying shades mingle to provide a most pleasing effect. The myrrh fragrance has delicious hints of hawthorn, elderflower, pear and almond.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Brother Cadfael™

Bears very large, globular, clear pink flowers, reminiscent of peonies. Despite their size, they are never clumsy and are held nicely upright on the plant. There is a particularly strong and rich Old Rose fragrance. It forms a tall, upright shrub; the flowers, leaves and growth all in proportion.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Crown Princess Margareta

Glorious, neatly formed rosettes of a lovely apricot-orange colour. Repeat flowering habit. Bears quite large, apricot-orange flowers, in the form of neatly arranged, many petalled rosettes. They have a strong, fruity fragrance. This repeat bloomer forms a tall, slightly arching shrub with plentiful glossy foliage.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Darcey Bussell™

When young, the outer petals of each bloom form a perfect ring around an inner cup, gradually opening out to form a perfect, medium-large rosette. The colour is a deep, rich crimson-pink, taking on a tinge of mauve just before the petals drop. There is a light-medium fruity scent. It forms a compact shrub with attractive bushy growth. Named after the highly acclaimed ballerina.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Desdemona®

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. It forms a most attractive neat, rounded, bushy shrub. Named after the tragic heroine of Shakespeare’s Othello.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

England's Rose

Bears large clusters of rich glowing pink flowers, the outer petals eventually reflexing back to reveal an attractive button eye. The blooms are produced almost continuously from June right through to the first frosts and do not ball in the rain. They have a warm, spicy Old Rose fragrance. It forms an attractive, bushy shrub.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Eustacia Vye™

An exceedingly pretty rose of soft, glowing apricot-pink, each bloom packed with numerous delicately ruffled petals. Held on red-tinged stems, the blooms begin as shallow cups, opening to full rosettes, revealing petals of a richer hue, which gradually pale over time. They have a delicious strong fruity fragrance. A very healthy variety; it makes a strong, vigorous shrub with bushy, upright growth. Named after the flawed heroine of Thomas Hardy’s, The Return of the Native.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Gabriel Oak™

A magnificent variety, bearing medium sized, 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. A vigorous rose; it forms a very shapely, broad, rounded shrub with mulberry purple stems and dark green foliage, giving the overall impression of richness and abundance.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Gentle Hermione™

The perfectly formed, shallow cups are pure light pink, paling to soft blush on the outer petals. There is a strong, warm myrrh fragrance. It forms an attractive, quite broad shrub, with slightly arching stems. The leaves are tinged red at first, later turning green. Hermione is the faithful wife of Leontes, the King of Sicila, in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Gertrude Jekyll®

Always one of the first English Roses to start flowering, its perfect scrolled buds open to large, rosette-shaped flowers of bright glowing pink. The beautiful, perfectly balanced Old Rose scent is often described as being the quintessential Old Rose fragrance. A vigorous rose; it will form a medium-sized, upright shrub. Named for the famous garden designer and author.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Golden Celebration®

One of the largest-flowered English Roses, bearing rich yellow blooms in the form of giant cups. They have a strong Tea fragrance, developing wonderfully combined notes of Sauternes wine and strawberry. It forms a rounded shrub, with ample foliage – the flowers held beautifully poised on long, arching branches.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Graham Thomas®

Bears medium-sized, cupped blooms of an unusually rich, pure yellow. There is a light Tea fragrance, with a cool violet character. It forms a bushy, upright and vigorous shrub, with attractive, smooth green foliage. David Austin, 1983.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Heritage

Repeat-flowering and one of the most planted of all English Roses, Heritage is a fantastic rose which bears soft pink, cupped blooms of delicate, shell-like beauty that fades to white. They have a wonderful myrrh scent with overtones of fruit, honey and carnation. It forms a well-rounded shrub with bushy growth.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Imogen™

Bears pretty, lightly scented, pale yellow blooms, fading almost to cream. The many delicately frilled petals are arranged around a button eye. It forms a sturdy, quite upright shrub with glossy foliage. Named after the character in Shakespeare's Cymbeline.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

James L. Austin™

Bears large, many petalled, deep pink rosettes, each with a button eye. There is a light-medium strength fruity fragrance. It forms a neat and tidy shrub with a bushy, upright habit. Named for the son of David Austin Senior and brother of David Austin Junior.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

James Galway®

David Austin describes it like this "A superb large shrub with long, slightly arching, almost thorn-less growth". Disease free rose. With its vigorous, upright growth it makes a wonderful climber in a short time. The strikingly beautiful flowers are mid pink at the centre, gradually becoming lighter towards the edges. The numerous, neatly placed petals in each bloom create a slightly domed shape. Named after the British flautist.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Lady of Shalott™

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. There is a pleasant, warm tea fragrance, with hints of spiced apple & cloves. It quickly forms a bushy shrub with slightly arching stems & mid-green leaves, which have attractive, slightly bronzed tones when young.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Lichfield Angel

Pale peachy pink buds gradually open to form neatly cupped, cream rosettes. Each bloom has a perfect ring of waxy petals enclosing numerous smaller petals. Eventually the petals turn back to form a large, domed flower. It forms a vigorous, rounded, almost thornless shrub, its blooms nodding attractively on the branch. Named after an 8th century limestone sculptured panel, discovered in Lichfield Cathedral.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Olivia Rose Austin™

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. It forms a very healthy, well-balanced shrub with dark green foliage, which shows off the flowers to the very best effect. Named after the daughter of David Austin Junior and granddaughter of David Austin Senior.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Port Sunlight

Medium-large, flat, quartered rosettes of rich apricot, paling towards the edges. They have a lovely Tea fragrance. A vigorous, rather upright shrub; the foliage and young stems are a beautiful bronzy-red at first, becoming dark green over time. Named after the model village in the Wirral where there is a beautiful garden of English Roses.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Princess Alexandra of Kent™

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. There is a strong and delicious fresh Tea fragrance, which changes to lemon, eventually taking on hints of blackcurrants. Named for Princess Alexandra – a keen gardener.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Princess Anne­®

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. A particularly healthy variety; it forms a bushy, upright shrub with thick, succulent, highly polished foliage. Named for Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Queen of Sweden™

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. There is a lovely myrrh fragrance. It forms a bushy, yet upright shrub. Named to commemorate the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Sweden and Great Britain.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Roald Dahl™

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. Named to mark the centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth, with the approval of his wife, Liccy Dahl – the colouring reminiscent of the eponymous peach in James and the Giant Peach.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Scepter’d Isle

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. It forms an elegant, upright shrub, its blooms held gracefully above the foliage. The name is taken from John of Gaunt’s speech, expressing his love for England, in Shakespeare’s Richard II.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Silas Marner

An unfussy rose of soft mid pink, the petals are pale on the reverse and fade at the edges creating a gentle quality. Held on red stems, the medium-sized cupped blooms have relaxed, almost ruffled petals which are set around an attractive button eye. There is a medium-strong Old Rose fragrance with accents of fruity lemon, green banana and apricot. A very healthy medium-sized shrub with glossy dark green foliage and wide, arching growth. Named after the kindhearted hero of George Eliot’s classic novel.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Sir John Betjeman™

The flowers start as small buds, opening to full petalled, wide open rosettes of a bright crimson-red. As the flowers age, the blooms becomes dome-shaped while the colour – unusually for the English Roses – gradually intensifies. It forms a very bushy, neatly rounded shrub with slightly arching growth. Named after the well-known writer, journalist and broadcaster.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Strawberry Hill

Beautiful at all stages, bearing small clusters of mid pink, medium-large, cupped rosettes. They have a strong, delicious myrrh and heather honey fragrance. The arching branches are clothed in glossy, dark foliage. Named after the gothic revival house in Twickenham, London, built by Horace Walpole.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Summer Song

Vibrant blooms of an unusual orange-red colour. They open to full, medium-large cups, with many inner petals arranged rather informally within a perfect ring of outer petals. There is a lovely mixed scent with hints of chrysanthemum leaves, ripe bananas and Tea. It forms a bushy, upright Old English shrub rose.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Teasing Georgia®

A very refined rose of great beauty with rich yellow, rosette-shaped blooms. Lovely, strong tea fragrance. A striking statement. A beautiful climbing rose. The rosette blooms are a rich shade of yellow, the outer petals falling back and fading to palest yellow, providing a most pleasing two-tone effect. There is a lovely strong Tea Rose fragrance.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Tess of the d'Ubervilles™

Large fragrant 4" flowers of bright crimson coloring with a niceA striking climber bearing large, deeply cupped, bright crimson-red blooms, with a pleasing Old Rose fragrance. It is a relatively compact climber clothed in large, dark green leaves. , deeply curved shape with an old rose/fruity myrrh fragrance., This repeat bloomer is robust, bushy and spreading.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

The Country Parson™

A pretty yet feisty rose of Scottish descent, bearing open, medium-large, almost flat rosettes of pure yellow. The petals appear gracefully translucent towards the outer edges of each bloom creating an illuminated effect. There is a delicious medium-strong fruity fragrance with notes of sweet apricot, green apple and honey. A rounded medium-sized shrub whose little spiny thorns mingle with small, greyish-green leaves. A very healthy and robust rose, producing continuous, plentiful blooms from June through to the first frosts.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

The Generous Gardener®

Bears beautifully formed flowers, which nod gracefully on the stem. When the petals open they expose numerous stamens, providing an almost water lily-like effect. The flowers are a pale glowing pink and have a delicious fragrance with aspects of Old Rose, musk and myrrh.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

The Lady Gardener™

Considered one of the most fragrant and best repeat-flowering of all English Roses. It is incredibly floriferous, nearly covering itself in perfume and apricot flowers from early summer to frost. 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.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

The Pilgrim®

"A Rose as good as 'The Pilgrim' is an all too rare reminder that the many years of work are worth it in the end." -David Austin. The soft yellow flower is a welcome change over many of the garish yellow hues offered in roses. This tough, robust shrub has many virtues - continuous blooms (three flushes), disease resistance, vigorous, and fragrant, beautiful flowers.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

The Poet's Wife™

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. There is a strong, wonderfully rich fragrance with a hint of lemon, which becomes sweeter and stronger with age. It forms a bushy, nicely rounded shrub with arching branches and rather shiny foliage.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Thomas A. Becket™

A striking crimson-red; the individual flowers can best be described as shallowly cupped, opening as informal rosettes; the petals quickly reflexing as the flowers age. They are held in medium-sized heads; the individual blooms nodding attractively on the stem. They have an Old Rose fragrance with a strong lemon zest character. It forms a strong, rather informal shrub. Named for Canterbury Cathedral.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Tranquility

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. A vigorous shrub; its growth is bushy and upright, clothed in light green foliage, curving outwards in a most attractive manner. This rose lives up to its name.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Vanessa Bell™

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. Named for the artist, designer and founder member of the Bloomsbury Group – sister of the writer, Virginia Woolf.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

Wollerton Old Hall

Strong, warm and intensely floral, it is one of the most fragrant of all English Roses. It combines the elegance and perfume of old roses, with the long flowering season that so many old roses lack. The plump buds, with attractive flashes of red, gradually develop into chalice-shaped, butter-yellow blooms which then soften to a creamy color with hints of peach.

SOLD OUT FOR 2023

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