In March I shared that I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my David Austin Roses. After doing extensive research, I handpicked a few varieties to plant in our own small garden…and now that they’re planted and blooming, I wanted to share an update!
Hands down these roses have all surpassed expectation, and I’m just thrilled with the plethora of blooms these plants have produced in such a short period of time. I’ve talked a great deal lately about how my garden has become a place of solace, and has introduced me to a peace and spirituality that I haven’t quite known before. While I’m continually learning what works for us in our space…my main goal, in this garden of ours, is to plant items with purpose. Whether that be items that welcome in pollinators..like bees and butterflies. Items that provide a food source…herbs, lettuces, vegetables. Or items that bring joy, whether from their beauty or their fragrance. For me, these roses, bring a whole new level of joy and beauty to our outdoor space. Their blooms are gorgeous outside or in and the thing I probably love most, is the aromatherapy they provide by way of their sweet fragrances.
If you haven’t scrolled through David Austin Roses website, I invite you to do so asap! There’s not a rose I’m not completely in awe of and truth be told narrowing down the choices can be a bit overwhelming! But their website does a great job at categorizing by color, light needs, size and fragrance, making the choice a bit easier (although still too many amazing good options!) And while it may seem a bit crazy to go ahead and plan for Spring 2020, I can assure you that now is the time to go ahead and order your roses (I recommend bare root if possible ~ they’re a more mature plant and while they are shipped with no foliage on them, I assure you they grow quickly and beautifully!). And again, now’s the time to order as their popular varieties always sell out quickly! I’ve gone ahead and ordered this rose for 2020, as it was completely sold out when I went to order them last fall! A stunning variety that I’ve long admired in wedding magazines and throughout Pinterest. And while I wasn’t able to get my hands on her for this year, I was more than thrilled with the ones did ended up ordering. Below are the varieties we currently have planted in our garden.
Royal Jubilee
This rose has been the workhorse in our garden. Producing bloom after bloom of these gorgeous chalice shaped flowers. They appear to be more like a peony than what most consider a rose, and frankly it was their peony-like shape that made me fall in love with them. They have a gorgeous fragrance and have continually provided beautiful bouquets throughout our home!
Alnwick Rose
This rose also doesn’t disappoint! Beautiful pink / salmon blooms continue to produce on this beautiful bush! And truth be told, I love this one more than expected! The fragrance is my favorite of the varieties we have and I love the way each bloom subtly softens in color as the days go on!
Comte de Champage
This stunner of a yellow rose is a beautiful addition to the garden. While I wouldn’t suggest it as a first pick, it has the most thorns I’ve ever seen, plus it doesn’t seem to bloom as abundantly as our other varieties, however it does make an exceptional complimentary bloom to bouquets and is a perfect compliment to other yellow roses growing in your garden. The blooms start out as a beautiful buttery yellow…
And as days go on, transitions to a beautiful pale peach/ white. Below you can see the progression from left to right, days 1 - 4/5.
So friends…tell me, what do you currently have or plan to have growing in your own garden?