David Austin, during his early adulthood in a farm in County Shropshire, England, came across a book on antique roses by George Bunyard which inspired him to combine the old garden rose with the modern floribundas and hybrid teas to create the beautiful and yet resilient English Garden Rose in the 1960s. Since then more than 200 types of this variety have been created and newer roses are being created even now.
The English Garden Rose, also known as David Austin Rose, is created by collecting the pollen from one variety and pollinating another variety. It is tested for several years before the initial 200 examples are whittled down to 5 perfect examples of a new type. Although this variety has not been officially acknowledged as a new species, it is referred to as such by gardeners all over the world.
It is famous for it's moderate to low maintenance and easy adaptability to various climate and soil conditions. If you are looking for a rose that is not only extraordinarily beautiful but also exceptionally resilient, you need search no more as the English Garden Rose is made just for you.
Crown Princess Margareta is named after a grand-daughter of Queen Victoria, who was a talented landscape gardener known for her Swedish Summer Palace of Sofiero in Helsingbong. This beautiful apricot-orange colored rose is grown as a medium shrub or short climber. It is a repeat bloomer and exudes an intense fruity scent. It is well suited for back of borders and can handle rigorous conditions. It is 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide.
Teasing Georgia grows rampantly and can be trained as a climber. It is a repeat bloomer and displays an abundant array of blooms. It is very hardy and has a medium to strong tea rose fragrance. This rose won the Henry Elland Medal in the RNRS trials held in 2000 for the best scented variety. The blooms are bright yellow with the outer petals turning paler yellow. It grows to a height of six to eight feet.
Abraham Darby is a small climber with moderate resistance to diseases although it is susceptible and sometimes even prone to rust. Created in 1985, it has grown in popularity because of it's peach colored six inch wide blooms. In warm climates, the blooms are usually lighter apricot pink while in colder climates, it is a rich peachy pink. It starts blooming rather late in spring but goes on to repeatedly bloom until late fall. It grows well to a maximum height of ten feet in Zones 5-9.
Tamara is more suited for gardens in a warm climate zone. It does not grow at all in Zone 5. It is famous for it's lush red tinted peach colored buds that turn into honey and pink blooms with an intoxicating myrrh fragrance. It starts flowering late in spring and goes on well into fall. The semi-glossy foliage offers a delightful background to these attractive blooms. It is best suited for Zones 6-10.
You cannot go wrong with the English Garden Rose so go ahead and decorate your borders and hedges with these elegant beauties and watch your garden take on an old world charm.
Anthony Glover is a rose gardening enthusiast and one of his favourite plants is the English garden rose. With his friend James Kelly he has set up a website dedicated to rose planting and other helpful tips for the rose gardener.
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