Gardening Guides
Gorgeous New English Roses From David Austin
The rose breeder’s irresistible 2017 and 2016 varieties have graceful flower forms and unusual fragrances
Known the world over for developing some of our most alluring garden roses, David Austin continues to delight with new English rose varieties for the home garden. Let’s take a look at Austin’s new introductions for spring 2017, and some standout varieties for color and fragrance introduced in 2016.
Blooming from midspring to first frost, ‘Desdemona’ has an alluring fragrance of almond blossom mixed with citrus and myrrh.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 5 to 10; find your zone)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide; can grow larger in warm climates
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 5 to 10; find your zone)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide; can grow larger in warm climates
2. ‘The Ancient Mariner’: The perfect pink rose. ‘The Ancient Mariner’ is taller than ‘Desdemona’, with an upright form that is well-suited for the back of the garden bed or as a vertical accent along a wall. Pair with sun-loving perennials in white, lavender, pale yellow and deep purple to complement the pink blooms.
Pale pink outer petals surround rich pink centers to create a halolike effect against the green leaves.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide; can grow larger in warm climates
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide; can grow larger in warm climates
New for 2016
3. ‘The Poet’s Wife’: A highly anticipated yellow rose. It has been over 10 years since a yellow bloomer was added to the David Austin English rose list, but this one was well worth the wait. ‘The Poet’s Wife’ has exceptionally rich yellow color and strong fragrance. The plant has excellent disease resistance and a rounded growth habit — perfect for garden borders and containers.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 10)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide; can grow larger in warm climates
3. ‘The Poet’s Wife’: A highly anticipated yellow rose. It has been over 10 years since a yellow bloomer was added to the David Austin English rose list, but this one was well worth the wait. ‘The Poet’s Wife’ has exceptionally rich yellow color and strong fragrance. The plant has excellent disease resistance and a rounded growth habit — perfect for garden borders and containers.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 10)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide; can grow larger in warm climates
4. ‘The Lady of the Lake’: Best rose for adorning a trellis. A wonderful rose to cascade over a garden wall or to cover an arbor, ‘The Lady of the Lake’ is a vigorous rambler with sprays of soft peach blooms. The citrus-scented semidouble flowers are only about 2 inches across but grow profusely, covering the plant with blooms through summer. The plant tolerates shade, making it a useful rose to cover trellises set under tree canopies.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 10)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: Climbing habit from 10 to 15 feet tall
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 10)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: Climbing habit from 10 to 15 feet tall
5. ‘Olivia Rose Austin’: The longest-blooming rose. Named for David Austin’s granddaughter, ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ is a classically beautiful rose with one of the longest bloom times of all. Buds open a full three weeks ahead of other English roses, and flowers continue through frost.
The plant stays compact at about 3 feet tall and wide, and it has glossy, dark green foliage with remarkable disease resistance. Plant on both sides of a gate for a charming, fragrant entry to the garden.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 feet tall and wide; can grow larger in warm climates
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 feet tall and wide; can grow larger in warm climates
Rose hybridizers David C.H. Austin, left, and Carl Bennett stand in the trial fields in Albrighton, England.
English rose breeder Austin has brought more new rose hybrids to the market than any other breeder in the 20th century. David Austin English roses offer the best of both worlds: the romantic blooms and fragrance of old-world roses with the disease resistance and vigor of modern hybrids.
Most David Austin roses take eight to 10 years of careful cultivation and selection before making it to the official David Austin English Rose list. Each year, only two or three new introductions make the cut.
English rose breeder Austin has brought more new rose hybrids to the market than any other breeder in the 20th century. David Austin English roses offer the best of both worlds: the romantic blooms and fragrance of old-world roses with the disease resistance and vigor of modern hybrids.
Most David Austin roses take eight to 10 years of careful cultivation and selection before making it to the official David Austin English Rose list. Each year, only two or three new introductions make the cut.
How to Plant From Bare Root
1. Soak roots in water overnight. Rehydrate bare-root roses by placing the roots in a bucket of water overnight or for four to six hours before planting.
2. Select your planting site. Choose a location in your garden with rich, well-draining soil in a sheltered location away from strong winds. Check the plant tag for sun exposure — most roses require full sun, but some will tolerate shade.
3. Dig a planting hole. Prep the soil by using a shovel to turn over the soil and to break up any clods. Dig a planting hole about 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep, breaking up soil at the base of the hole with a shovel or a garden fork. Add organic amendments, if desired, or a few shovelfuls of compost.
4. Position rose and backfill hole. Hold the rose over the center of the hole so that the graft union (bumpy area between the roots and the stem) is at the soil level, or 2 to 3 inches below in cold-winter climates. Spread out the roots and backfill with soil, gently packing down the soil.
5. Water well. Soak the soil well after planting, and keep the area moist but not soggy for the first few weeks after planting.
When to plant: Early spring (when daytime temperatures are below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or 21.1 degrees Celsius) is the best time to plant from bare root in most climates.
More
What Kind of Roses Should You Grow?
Learn the Secret to Bigger and Better Roses
1. Soak roots in water overnight. Rehydrate bare-root roses by placing the roots in a bucket of water overnight or for four to six hours before planting.
2. Select your planting site. Choose a location in your garden with rich, well-draining soil in a sheltered location away from strong winds. Check the plant tag for sun exposure — most roses require full sun, but some will tolerate shade.
3. Dig a planting hole. Prep the soil by using a shovel to turn over the soil and to break up any clods. Dig a planting hole about 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep, breaking up soil at the base of the hole with a shovel or a garden fork. Add organic amendments, if desired, or a few shovelfuls of compost.
4. Position rose and backfill hole. Hold the rose over the center of the hole so that the graft union (bumpy area between the roots and the stem) is at the soil level, or 2 to 3 inches below in cold-winter climates. Spread out the roots and backfill with soil, gently packing down the soil.
5. Water well. Soak the soil well after planting, and keep the area moist but not soggy for the first few weeks after planting.
When to plant: Early spring (when daytime temperatures are below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or 21.1 degrees Celsius) is the best time to plant from bare root in most climates.
More
What Kind of Roses Should You Grow?
Learn the Secret to Bigger and Better Roses
Note: Varieties are listed by year of introduction to North America; many were available one or two years earlier in the United Kingdom.
New for 2017
1. ‘Desdemona’: The most delicate and romantic rose. Named for Shakespeare’s romantic heroine in Othello, ‘Desdemona’ has exceptionally beautiful flowers in the palest blush. Despite the delicate appearance of the blossoms, the plant is robust and can thrive in a range of climates, from hot and dry to humid.