English roses by David Austin

David Austin: A farmer's son with a passion for antique rose varieties

Born on a farm in Albrighton, England, located in the West Midlands, David Austin was already fascinated by roses as a teenager in the 1940s. When he received the book Old Garden Roses by A.E. Bunyard from his sister for his 21st birthday, he decided to turn his interest into action. Modern hybrid perpetual tea roses were becoming increasingly popular at that time, while Austin was not charmed by their characteristics. In his opinion, modern roses lacked fragrance. David preferred the scent and colors (mainly white, blush, pink, and soft red) of antique rose varieties and English roses and came up with the idea of creating an entirely new type: a rose with the beauty and fragrance of old roses combined with the advantages and strong characteristics of modern roses. He perfected that idea over the following decades into hundreds of beautiful rose varieties that combine the scent and charm of old roses with the resilience and long flowering period of modern roses. Thus began it all for the English rose grower, leading to the creation of the English rose.

The Early Period of David Austin's Roses

From the idea of ​​crossing old roses with modern roses, David Austin started with gallica roses (Rosa Belle Isis) and modern floribunda roses (Rosa Dainty Maid). Gallica roses are descended from Rosa gallica and floribuna means richly flowering. Among the seedlings were strong short-flowering shrub roses with large pink flowers and a strong sweet scent. Austin showed the new cultivar to his friend and legendary horticulturist, Graham Thomas, who then showed the English rose to the famed Hillings Nursery. They were impressed by the beauty, scent and strong properties of the rose and decided to grow the English rose. An English rose often also has a wonderful scent. These wonderfully scented flowers sometimes have very double flowers and sometimes bushy growth. People also know the English rose for its vigorous growth.

Austin's big break

When Austin presented the light pink, beautiful double English rose Constance Spry in 1963, this marked his breakthrough. At a time when landscapers and gardeners were ignoring antique roses, the presentation of this myrrh-scented English rose received so much attention that it started a new trend. Austin's innovative rose varieties were embraced by the community and quickly determined the new image in English gardens. The English rose has a rich history.

How do you choose an English rose from David Austin?

In the decades that followed, Austin continued to perfect his 'new old roses'. There are now approximately 200 registered roses and his roses are grown under license by growers all over the world. Some varieties are so special that it takes ten years to perfect them and as many as 120,000 are grown before the rose is released for sale by Austin. An English rose is suitable for every garden!

Rose lovers from all over the world visit his rose garden in Albrighton every year, which, under the creative direction of his wife Pat, provides a beautiful display of his roses in combination with other plants and images. Austin has received several awards in his life, including the Victoria Medal of Honor in 2003. All our English roses are delivered directly from the rose nursery.

The Names of English Climbing Roses by David Austin.

David Austin's English Roses stand out because of their beautiful names such as Constance Spry, a Shropshire Lad, Rhapsody in Blue or L.D. Braithwaite. Austin liked to name the roses after important people who had remained faithful to the beauty of old roses.

Constance Spry is an example of this, the English landscape architect gave garden enthusiasts her love for roses in the post-war years. As a lover of literature, Austin also liked to name his roses after writers who inspired him.

Sometimes he named an English rose after important Shakespearean characters, others after the surrounding British landscape, castles, royalty and notables. So the beauty goes further than the English rose.

Planting, pruning and caring for English climbing roses

If you want to plant an English rose in front of your house and you don't have a front garden, removing a few paving stones is an easy solution. Some cities encourage the construction of facade gardens. Remember that the rose grows deep, so make sure you have a sufficiently deep hole with good soil.

Let the climbing rose grow vigorously for the first two years and give it (organic) fertilizer in the spring before flowering. Cut off spent flowers and create a nice structure with several large main branches when pruning. Cut the offshoots in winter about four inches away from the main branch. This way you ensure that the English rose blooms for a long time with a wonderfully strong scent.

Buy English roses / Buy David Austin roses

Belle Epoque has specialized in the most beautiful climbing roses for more than forty years. English roses from David Austin, but also many other European renowned brands such as the French Meilland and German Kordes. From us you can buy the most beautiful English rose for your garden. We have large-flowered roses with fragrant flowers, soft pink flowers, cup-shaped flowers and old historic roses.

Order David Austin roses online from the nursery

Order your English roses or David Austin roses from Belle Epoque. We ship to all European countries but often to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany. Buy English roses now directly from the nursery.