David Austins' English Roses.

English roses or David Austin roses, named after the U.K. founder and hybridizer, have become very popular in North America. Millions of bushes are sold each year and the trend doesn't seem to be ending any time soon.

English roses have a Victorian style, fluffy bloom, crammed with petals and strong on fragrance but they have had their cultivation problems as they developed over the years. David Austin was trying to cross the Old Roses with the modern ones to get a combination of hardiness and fragrance with the full bloom look of the Old roses.

His first success was with "Constance Spry", a climber that only bloomed once. Another problem was that the early attempts tended to reproduce the thin, twiggy stems but have the large overblown blooms on the end. Most of his roses are pastel colors although the more recent ones have moved into orange and attempts at deep red.

Although we call these "English Roses" they are in fact classed as Modern Shrub Roses because of their growth and hardiness. They come from different backgrounds so it is wise to check what the background was. An Alba background would be hardier than a China rose background for example. They all need rich, fertile soil, with added foliar feeding and mulching for larger blooms. Keeping the moisture in the soil is a necessity with shrub roses. Superior blooms mean lots of watering!

There are some pitfalls to avoid with David Austins. They don't like an exposed site both for wind and sun. The colors tend to fade in strong afternoon sunlight. Some get lovely roses high up and not so good low down and many of them go spotty in the rain: they prefer a dry climate. They also prefer to be pruned a little earlier than your Hybrid Teas: do the English Roses first, they start early.

Best David Austin Choices.

When selecting David Austin roses try for those developed after 1980, when he had perfected the process, and start with the best:
Abraham Darby.
Apricot/Peach blooms on tall bushes that always look attractive.
Heritage
Pale rose pink blooms that last well. An almost thornless variety that performs well in all seasons.
Graham Thomas
Rich yellow blooms on long stems. Peaks in the spring but repeats through the summer.
Dove
Small bush with pale pink blooms. Nearest thing to a Tea rose but with a Camelia like bloom.
These spot badly in the rain so are good for dry areas
Claire Rose, St. Cecilia, Sharifa Asthma and Troilus.
And some other favorites.
Dapple Dawn, Leander, William Shakespeare, L.D.Braithwaite and Mary Rose.

English Roses are starting to find their way into wedding bouquets and church arrangements because of their flowery, camelia like blooms which are reminiscent of the old victorian roses of yester-year. Not all of these roses measure up but I am told the best is "Swan" because of its long, 3 foot stems and buds of creamy yellow. Unfortunately it doesn't handle the rain well but if you are living in a dry, arid climate, look out for this stunning rose.

www.rose-works.com helping you get the most from your roses.

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