David Austin Roses will be attending RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019, showcasing two new personalities from its English Rose collection, Eustacia Vye (Ausegdon) and Gabriel Oak (Auscrowd).
Thomas Hardy fans will recognise the new roses bear the names of two characters from the author’s classic novels, The Return of the Native (1878) and Far from the Madding Crowd (1874).
Named after the heroine of The Return of the Native, Eustacia Vye is a rose of soft, glowing apricot-pink. Each bloom has 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. It has a strong, delicious fruity fragrance and bushy, upright growth.
Far from the Madding Crowd’s central male character is the inspiration behind the name of the other new rose, Gabriel Oak. A vigorous rose, bearing large, many petalled rosette blooms, this variety is very much in the style of the Old Roses. The outer petals of each bloom are a shade of deep pink which pale slightly over time, coupled with a strong fruity fragrance.
David Austin, Managing Director, commented: “As many will know, the Chelsea Flower Show holds a very special place in our hearts. It is where in 1983 my father, David Austin Snr—or Mr A as he was known—introduced the very first English Rose varieties to overwhelming acclaim from the press and general public. The following year these beautiful, fragrant and hardy roses began to be recognised with the first of many gold medals at the show.
A calendar highlight for my father, it is a pleasure and a privilege to be exhibiting with two new English Rose varieties that were lovingly created and nurtured over the last nine years under his ever-watchful eye”.
The two new roses will be seen for the first time in bloom at the show, creating the focal point of David Austin’s Secret Garden themed display.
For more information:
David Austin
www.davidaustinroses.com
www.davidaustin.com