David Austin set out in 1959 to reclaim the charm of old roses: their shrubby growth, strong fragrance, old rose form, and disease resistance. It was not until about 1984 when he introduced Graham Thomas, Heritage, Abraham Darby, and a handful of other good roses that the general public began seeing things his way. Since then there has been a groundswell of interest in roses with precisely the qualities Austin prizes in his roses.
I have grown Graham Thomas and cannot imagine growing roses without it in my garden. I grow Eglantyne which is as disease free as Austin claims but somehow seems too stiffly upright for my taste. Sophy's rose is the only rose in my own garden to reliably bloom once in spring and then again in fall. That would be great except I'm not certain I like the color. It's a crimson that blues very quickly. Mary Webb produces lovely pale primrose roses on a disease free plant, but it is the very opposite of rampant. With five hours of sunlight a day it produces a single lovely primrose flower each year. Tamora is a little slow going also, but very lovely when a bush produces its annual blossom. Abe Darby, once established , can get really big, but it is shy with its blossoms. My favorite smell of all the roses in the world is that of Ambridge Rose, which can be tricky to establish, but quite durable once established. If I ever garden in good soil, it will be the first rose I plant. Graham Thomas and Golden Celebration are plagued to varying degrees by disease.
Connected to database: rosefile_roses
| Cultivar | Class | Color | Fragrance | Breeder | Hardiness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abraham Darby | English Rose | Pink/Orange Blend | Strong | Austin | Zone 4 |
Ambridge Rose | English Rose | Shell Pink | Strong | Austin | Zone 5 |
Belle Story | English Rose | Shell Pink | Moderate | Austin | Zone 4 |
Benjamin Britten | English Rose | Vermilion | Strong | Austin | |
Bibi Maizoon | English Rose | Candy Pink | Strong | Austin | Zone 4 |
Blythe Spirit | English Rose | Yellow | Austin | Zone 4 | |
Bow Bells | English Rose | Candy Pink | Strong | Austin | Zone 5 |
Bredon | English Rose | Buff | Moderate | Austin | Zone 4 |
Brother Cadfael | English Rose | Candy Pink | Strong | Austin | Zone 4 |
Canterbury | English Rose | Candy Pink | Slight | Austin | Zone 5 |
Carding Mill | English Rose | Shell Pink | Strong | Austin | Zone 5 |
Charles Austin | English Rose | Apricot | Moderate | Austin | Zone 4 |
Charles Darwin | English Rose | Yellow | Austin | Zone 5 | |
Charles Rennie Mackintosh | English Rose | Lilac | Strong | Austin | Zone 4 |
Charlotte | English Rose | Primrose | Strong | Austin | Zone 5 |
Chaucer | English Rose | Pale Pink | Powerful | Austin | Zone 4 |
Claire Rose | English Rose | Pale Pink | Moderate | Austin | Zone 4 |
Constance Spry | English Rose | Candy Pink | Strong | Austin | Zone 5 |
Cressida | English Rose | Buff | Strong | Austin | Zone 5 |
Dapple Dawn | Modern Shrub | White/Pink Blend | None | Austin | Zone 5 |
Dove | English Roses | White | Strong | Austin | |
Eglantyne | English Rose | Pale Pink | Moderate | Austin | Zone 5 |
Ellen | English Rose | Apricot | Strong | Austin | Zone 5 |
Emanuel | English Rose | Shell Pink | Strong | Austin | |
Emily | English Rose | Pale Pink | Powerful | Austin | Zone 5 |
English Garden | English Rose | Buff | Strong | Austin | Zone 5 |
Evelyn | English Rose | Pale Apricot | Powerful | Austin | Zone 5 |
Fair Bianca | English Rose | White | Strong | Austin | Zone 5 |
Fisherman?s Friend | English Rose | Crimson | Moderate | Austin | Zone 4 |
Gertrude Jekyll | English Rose | Pink | Powerful | Austin | Zone 5 |