‘Would "A Rose by Any Other Name..." Smell as Sweet?'

Believing that "Fragrance is the other half of the beauty of a rose", David Austin has embarked on a remarkable quest to restore scent, health and vitality to traditional old English roses.

Born in 1926 on the farm where he now lives, David was inspired by a book on old roses to begin life as an amateur plant breeder in 1947.  Focussing on crossing old varieties such as Gallica's, Damask's, Mosses etc with modern Floribunda's and Hybrid Teas, he has developed an entirely NEW type of rose, known adoringly today as the "English Rose".

Combining the charm, fragrance and style of the traditional old varieties, with the wide colour range and repeat flowering qualities of modern hybrids, David has made a name for himself successfully breeding well-formed shrub roses that also make excellent garden plants.  His "English Roses" are now renowned for the strength and complexity of their fragrances - including hints of myrrh, musk, tea, and a punchbowl-amalgamation of other fruity fragrances.

"The work of the breeder should always be to enhance nature, not detract from it", he insists -"we should strive to develop the roses' beauty in flower, growth and leaf."  David became determined to breed roses more fulfilling of the needs of gardeners; being outstandingly beautiful, yet easy to prune and care for.  By returning to the graceful, shrubby habit of old varieties, he has blessed his roses with the natural advantage of looking perfectly at home in either a mixed border or traditional cottage garden - whilst also capable of flourishing in a pot on the patio, modern raised bed or terrace.

Amongst his fortunate first batches of seedlings in 1963, David discovered ‘Constance Spry', shortly followed by ‘Chianti' in 1967 and ‘Shropshire Lass' in 1968.  From these "once" flowerers, he developed strong "repeat" flowering varieties of similar old English shape.  By the time ‘Graham Thomas' and ‘Mary Rose' were introduced at Chelsea in 1983, his "English Roses" were well-established, and had taken the UK and gardening world by storm.

Since these formative early years, David has introduced well over 200 new varieties - always following the same exhaustive process of selection.  Outstanding seedlings undergo up to eight years of scrutinising field trials, before a select few are identified as being "exceptional" enough to warrant launching at Chelsea.

 
New and exclusive for this year, ‘Lady of Shalott' is currently available, with glowing petals in coppery shades of warmest apricot, and a delicate tea scent with undertones of spiced apple.  Large-growing with relatively few thorns, ‘Lady of Shalott' makes a wonderful border shrub, especially when set against deep red "Smoke Bush" (Cotinus) foliage and frothing "Lady's Mantle" (Alchemilla).

A NATIONAL TREASURE...

David Austin's roses have won him some 14 Chelsea Flower Show gold medals and many awards over the years, including the RHS's Victoria Medal of Honour and the Queen Mother's International Rose Award from the Royal National Rose Society.  In 2007, on hearing that he had been appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's birthday honours list, for services to horticulture, David said "Every day I marvel at my good fortune to have been able to make a life out of breeding roses...  It is always a source of great satisfaction to see the pleasure my roses give to gardeners and rose lovers worldwide."

IF YOU'VE NEVER GROWN "David Austin English Roses" BEFORE...

You will soon discover that they can be planted at any time of year when pot grown, are easy to establish and are very forgiving if you are new to pruning.  While at the same time captivating and extremely adaptable, they will repay plenty of water and good feeding with the energy to provide many flushes of blooms - providing remarkable fragrance and colour for several months of the year.

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE GARDEN GATE...

What better way to make the most of the warm, sunny evenings, than with family and friends, outside in your garden?

Both charcoal and gas barbeques have their enthusiasts, but discovering the right model for you is key to BBQ bliss.

• With an instant flame and no ash to clear up, GAS models are always a popular choice, ideal for snap cooking decisions and unexpected guests.

• Deluxe GAS models can have multiple burners and warming plates - perfect for cooking and holding lots of different foods at the same time.

• The higher temperatures of CHARCOAL help seal-in the juices, though you may have to wait some time before the coals are hot enough to cook.