For Spring 2020, U.S. and Canadian gardeners have three new David Austin English Roses to grow. All are soft-hued with distinctive looks and fragrance. 'Emily Brontë' features a two-tone flower in soft pink and apricot. 'Tottering by Gently' has simple pale yellow flowers with a wildflower look. Deeply-cupped 'The Mill on the Floss' has densely packed pink petals that are picotee-edged in carmine-red. “These delicate-looking beauties are exceptionally strong shrub roses that bloom their hearts out, early summer till frost,” says Michael Marriott, technical director and senior rosarian of David Austin Roses Ltd in Albrighton, England.
Austin’s English Roses are known for combining the classic flower forms, perfume and bushy habit of antique roses with the expanded color range and repeat flowering characteristic of modern roses. They are bred for disease resistance and can be grown in full sun or partial shade.
'Emily Brontë'
'Emily Brontë' adds a two-tone splash of soft color to the garden. Its dense petals are blush pink with just a shimmer of palest apricot. Towards the center, the apricot color darkens, adding visual depth and charm. Its fragrance is heady and unusual. "In scent, 'Emily Brontë' delivers an unexpected plot twist," says Marriott. "The flowers open with a fine Tea fragrance. In mid-bloom, the Tea wanes and Old Rose comes on strong, followed by teasing hints of lemon and grapefruit. In the garden, the effect is magical." According to Marriott, a rose fragrance that transitions from Tea to Old Rose is completely unexpected. Usually, Tea transitions to Fruity.
'The Mill on the Floss'
Also new for Spring 2020 are English Roses 'Tottering by Gently' and 'The Mill on the Floss'. 'Tottering by Gently' produces masses of single yellow flowers held in large, open sprays. The flower form is simple, with five petals surrounding prominent golden stamens which appeal to pollinators and beneficial insects, says Marriott. The fragrance is a light-medium musk with fresh notes of orange peel. Gardeners also will appreciate its generous crop of large rose hips.
'The Mill on the Floss' is a tall, full-bodied garden rose that bears large clusters of deeply cupped blooms. At first the flowers are mid-pink with a lilac-pink cast. As they open further, the pink pales and a carmine-red outline appears along the edges of individual petals, an unusual picotee effect in English Roses.
Including the three introductions, a total of 117 Austin-bred English Rose varieties are now available to North American gardeners as bare root stock by mail-order or online purchase from davidaustinroses.com. Additionally, Austin offers 30 varieties on their own roots sold bareroot, and 26 varieties on their own roots sold in 2 quart pots for early summer and fall planting. Starting in Spring 2021 the three new varieties also become available in nursery pots at fine garden centers across the U.S. and Canada where David Austin roses are sold.
'Tottering by Gently'
Business continuity and personal loss
For David Austin Roses, the past year has been one of personal loss, but also of celebration of an extraordinary life. In December 2018, David C.H. Austin, founder and hybridizer emeritus of David Austin Roses Ltd. in Albrighton, England, died at age 92. Mr. Austin will be remembered as the creator of English Roses.
"For more than 50 years, he continually raised the bar of rose breeding," says Mr. Austin's eldest son, David J.C. Austin. "In introducing a new philosophy of rose breeding, he and his team created an entirely new type of garden rose. They literally revolutionized the world of modern garden roses."
Today, David J. C. Austin, managing director of David Austin Roses since 1993, helms one of the world's most respected rose breeding, growing and selling enterprises. Austin's hybridizing program is overseen by longtime breeding team manager, Carl Bennett. The company has licensed rose growers on five continents, plus Austin-owned nurseries in the U.K., the U.S. and Japan. English Roses are available to gardeners in 30 countries through mail-order, online and garden center sales. There is also a separate English Rose luxury cut rose collection grown for the world floral trade.
Orders shipped in spring when time to plant
While orders are taken year-round, David Austin ships bare root stock only January through mid-May, with deliveries timed to arrive at the correct time for planting in the recipient’s area. The roses are sold on a first-come basis. New introductions typically sell out early.
To order, visit davidaustinroses.com, call 800-328-8893, or write to David Austin Roses Limited, 15059 State Highway 64 West, Tyler, TX 75704. All David Austin roses sold in North America are grown and shipped within North America.
For more information:
David Austin
www.davidaustinroses.com