Our 13 Favorite David Austin® Roses for Home Gardens
When it comes to breeding roses, no one does it like David Austin. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss to look at some of the most beautiful products of Mr. Austin's long and illustrious career.
Contents
From the time he was a teenager, David Austin was fascinated with roses. His youth on a farm instilled a knowledge and passion for plants and an understanding of breeding. When, for his 21st birthday, he received a volume on old garden roses, his love affair with roses officially began.
From his youth until his death at 92, David created a whole new world of flowers. His breeding has resulted in a great number of awards, including 28 winners of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. His personal recognitions included an Order of the British Empire, a Victoria Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society, and an Award of Garden Excellence from the World Federation of Rose Societies.
I could go on and on about the man’s assorted awards, accolades, and accomplishments. But I think his work speaks for itself. Let’s look at some of his incredible creations. We can surely appreciate these products of a decades-long career filled with love and knowledge of the most popular flowers on Earth.
‘Munstead Wood’
common name ‘Munstead Wood’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Munstead Wood’ (‘AUSbernard’) | |
sun requirements Full sun | |
height 3’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
Named for the garden of the famous British botanist Gertrude Jekyll, ‘Munstead Wood’ is a dark and dynamic beauty. This much-loved plant has received plenty of recognition with excellent disease resistance and repeat blooming. A 2012 winner of the Award of Garden Merit, this mid-sized shrub is an incredible example of Austin’s artistry.
‘Munstead Wood’ has substantial, deep magenta blooms in an old garden style. David introduced this variety later in life, releasing it for the first time in 2007. It has a strong, old garden fragrance with notes of blackberries and damson plums. The stems are strong, making these excellent cut flowers.
‘Abraham Darby’
common name ‘Abraham Darby’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Abraham Darby’ (‘Auscot’) | |
sun requirements Full sun | |
height 5’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
‘Abraham Darby’ is one of those roses that seems to have an internal glow. Very fragrant and very large, these apricot blooms have a golden base that peeks through, creating a stunning effect. As they age, the apricot deepens to coral, making this a dynamic shrub rose.
It’s no surprise that this plant has taken home more than one award. ‘Abraham Darby’ has been widely recognized at multiple rose shows as the loveliest of shrub roses. It’s a large cultivar with large (5″) flowers that are a mass of tightly packed petals. You could get lost in the enchanting ruffles and swirls of an ‘Abraham Darby’ bloom.
‘Golden Celebration’
common name ‘Golden Celebration’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Golden Celebration’ (‘Ausgold’) | |
sun requirements Full sun | |
height 4 ½’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
Speaking of golden glows, ‘Golden Celebration’ is sunshine in a rose. Its awards include the RHS Award of Garden Merit, in addition to quite a few recognitions for most fragrant and best shrub. You’ll scarcely believe the blooming power of this cultivar, which begins in late spring and stretches on in flushes until the first frost.
Long, arching branches make ‘Golden Celebration’ a nice small climber and a great cut flower. It’s disease-resistant and has some of the largest and most fragrant flowers in the garden. The shrub grows in an attractive, rounded form with branches weighed down slightly by the massive blooms.
‘Grace’
common name ‘Grace’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Grace’ (‘Auskeppy’PBR) | |
sun requirements Partial shade | |
height 4’ | |
hardiness zones 5-10 |
‘Grace’ is named to describe what Austin felt was the genus’s defining characteristic. This medium-sized shrub has proportional flowers in pure, soft apricot with a touch of warmth in the center. The petals reflex to reveal golden stamens that further enrich the soft peachy tones.
‘Grace’ holds an Award for Garden Merit. It’s ideal for partially shaded areas of the garden. The beautiful blooms have a strong tea scent. This cultivar makes a wonderful container plant.
‘Desdemona’
common name ‘Desdemona’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Desdemona’ (‘Auskindling’PBR) | |
sun requirements Full sun | |
height 4’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
Imagine the palest, most perfect shade of blush. This is the color of ‘Desdemona’s’ Flowers. The goblet-shaped blooms form clusters on this medium-sized shrub. They also have a wonderfully strong citrus and almond blossom fragrance. Keep this plant close to a walkway or outdoor living space to enjoy its scent.
I can’t say enough about the perfection of these blooms. They have few rivals when it comes to wedding flowers. Named for Shakespeare’s tragic heroine in Othello, this is a neat, tidy shrub that works well in the ground or in a container. The incurved petals add a touch of demure charm.
‘Wedgwood’
common name ‘Wedgwood’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Wedgwood’ (‘Ausjosiah’PBR) | |
sun requirements Full sun | |
height 10’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
Named for the 250th anniversary of the famous pottery company, ‘Wedgwood’ is breathtaking. Pretty as a picture, this vigorous climber has shockingly large blooms. The flowers are cup-shaped, densely petaled, and a confection of perfect pink, and the outer petals have a gentle translucence.
As a climbing rose, it’s not the tallest cultivar, but it is a striking one. The foliage is deep green and glossy, contrasting beautifully with the exquisite and highly fragrant flowers. The fragrance is strong and has fruity undertones. It’s a repeat bloomer, beginning in late spring and flowering until fall.
‘Wildeve’
common name ‘Wildeve’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Wildeve’ (‘Ausbonny’) | |
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade | |
height 4’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
This beautiful repeat bloomer will take your breath away. Blooming freely from late spring until the first frost, ‘Wildeve’ is an Award of Garden Merit recipient. It’s a mid-sized shrub with large flowers in the perfect shade of ballet-slipper pink.
‘Wildeve’ is flexible about exposure and will work well in partially shaded areas. The densely petaled blooms are delicate in color and have a light, fruity fragrance. Planting it in groups makes a gorgeous hedge, and the strong stems also make it great for the border of the cutting garden.
‘Princess Anne’
common name ‘Princess Anne’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Princess Anne’ (‘Auskitchen’) | |
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade | |
height 4’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
Any rose is honored to share a name with a beloved princess, and this one does excellent justice to its namesake. The large, bold flowers grow in clusters in a mass of orchid-pink petals with golden stamens that just barely peek through. They also have a moderate tea fragrance.
Not only is this an Award of Garden Merit winner, but it was also recognized in the UK Grower of the Year Awards as the Best New Plant Variety of 2011. This medium-sized shrub is recognized for its extraordinary health and is an incredibly floriferous variety.
‘Lady Emma Hamilton’
common name ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ (‘Ausbrother’) | |
sun requirements Full sun | |
height 4’ | |
hardiness zones 7-11 |
This enchanting lady knows how to take up space and make an impact in the landscape. An upright grower, this shrub is also quite broad and bushy, making it a wonderful specimen. ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ is an Award of Garden Merit winner and has also won awards for its fragrance.
‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ has medium-sized, chalice-shaped blooms with a strong, fruity fragrance. Citrus, pear, and grape notes come through on these beautiful blooms. The flowers open from tight, deep orange buds, opening to reveal shades of coral fading to golden apricot in the center. Deep green foliage is bronze when it first appears.
‘Strawberry Hill’
common name ‘Strawberry Hill’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Strawberry Hill’ (‘Ausrimini’) | |
sun requirements Full sun | |
height 10’ | |
hardiness zones 4-11 |
I adore a good climbing rose, and ‘Strawberry Hill’ is one of the loveliest around. Named for Horace Walpole’s Gothic revival home in Twickenham, if you want a climber with impact, this is a perfect cultivar. At about ten feet at maturity, train this rambler over an arch that you’ll pass through often.
The large, perfect pink blooms occur in small clusters. It’s a repeat bloomer, with deep, glossy foliage to set off the rosy flowers. It’s an Award of Garden Merit recipient. Perhaps even more noteworthy, it holds the Prix d’Honneur for fragrance, awarded by Nantes in 2007.
‘Kew Gardens’
common name ‘Kew Gardens’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Kew Gardens’ (‘Ausfence’) | |
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade | |
height 4’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
It’s easy to get distracted by the large, intricate blooms of most David Austin® roses. After all, these represent his passion for creating beautiful hybrids with the old garden form with a repeat blooming habit. With that in mind, I am partial to this sweet shrub bred and named for the 250th anniversary of the famed Kew Royal Botanic Garden.
The individual blooms are simple, single-petal, clean, and white with a moderate fragrance. In spite of each blossom’s simplicity, this is a spectacular cultivar. The sheer mass of blooms nearly obscures the entire plant. A mass planting makes an incredible hedge. It’s also an Award of Garden Merit winner.
‘Jude the Obscure’
common name ‘Jude the Obscure’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Jude the Obscure’ (‘Ausjo’PBR) | |
sun requirements Full sun | |
height 4’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
‘Jude the Obscure’ is one of the loveliest roses I’ve encountered. Its large, fluffy blooms are the most wonderful color. It’s considered a yellow rose, but depending on the light, there are tones of peach and apricot in there as well. These pink undertones also create depth and interest in the large, cup-shaped blooms with incurved petals.
I’m a sucker for that incurved petal habit. There is something a bit mysterious and shy about it. ‘Jude the Obscure’ has won several awards, mostly for fragrance. The scent is remarkably strong, with notes of white wine and tropical fruit.
‘Sweet Juliet’
common name ‘Sweet Juliet’ | |
botanical name Rosa ‘Sweet Juliet’ (‘Ausleap’) | |
sun requirements Full sun | |
height 4’ | |
hardiness zones 5-11 |
‘Sweet Juliet’ has to make the list. Dubbed the most expensive rose in cultivation, it debuted at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2006, fetching a price tag of $5mil! Named for Shakespeare’s tragic teenage heroine, this is one of the most popular roses in floristry, commonly reserved for weddings. It’s hefty price tag sees it mainly grown professionally.
The blooms are what you would expect from such a famous flower. Perfectly formed and just the right size, they are an enchanting shade of apricot, though they take on a yellow glow as they age. ‘Sweet Juliet’ has an intoxicating, heady tea rose fragrance. It’s difficult to find this one to add to your garden. If you’re feeling like a splurge sometime, order a bouquet of these beauties; they are worth the extravagance.
Key Takeaways
Having a David Austin® rose in the garden is a rite of passage for collectors. His prolific career has bestowed us with an amazing collection of some of the most exquisite flowers in the world. I hope you’ve enjoyed these stunning specimens as much as I have!