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New David Austin rose releases

There are two new David Austin Roses to be released in spring of 2017.
david austin
David Austin in a roses show garden in Albrighton, England, with Bertie a Stafford bull terrier. Photo submitted

There are two new David Austin Roses to be released in spring of 2017. Both of these roses are products of a 20-year breeding program that is achieving amazing levels of beauty, fragrance, free flowering, disease resistance and, most importantly, charm. With these two additions there is a total of 114 Austin-bred English Rose varieties now available to North American gardeners.

This year, David C. H. Austin has turned 90 years of age. Austin is best known for introducing English roses which combine the flower forms and scents of old roses with the repeat flowering, health and colour range of modern day roses. This breeding program has introduced 234 English rose varieties in total. The Austin nursery, show garden and plant centre draws visitors from around the globe.

Desdemona is a pure white rose that is a powerful charmer. The growth habit is upright but rounded with multiple sprays of white roses. This rose is beautiful enough to stand alone as a feature plant but is also a great addition to the border to heighten the impact of other shrubs and plants. The use of white in the garden will make other colours pop as well as reinforcing the depth of field and effectively separating colours that might otherwise clash. Desdemona is considered to be Austin's best white rose with a deliciously-perfumed English rose scent that will continue to repeat its bloom throughout the season. It does well in both hot/humid or hot/dry conditions.

The Ancient Mariner has large, upward-facing flowers that naturally sit high on the bush. It has a truly decadent strong myrrh fragrance that makes the entire surrounding area scented. The cupped blooms are densely packed with petals. Their color is a rich glowing pink that’s paler pink at the outer edge to create a halo effect that Austin finds particularly lovely. After bloom, the spent petals fall cleanly away.

If this article has interested you, then you can order anytime and your order will be shipped in spring at the correct time to plant as a bare rooted plant. Both these new additions are rated to a hardiness zone of 4 – 5, which makes them a fairly good risk for our climatic zone. The roses are sold on a first-come basis. New introductions typically sell out early.

To order, visit www.davidaustinroses.com/us/, call 800-328-8893, or write to David Austin Roses Limited, 15059 State Highway 64 West, Tyler, TX 75704. All David Austin roses sold in North America are specially selected for North American growing conditions and climate zones. All are grown and shipped within North America.

There is also a new book available. The 2017 David Austin Handbook of Roses is an elegant, encyclopedic catalog that could double as a coffee table book is free to United States and Canadian gardeners from www.davidaustinroses.com/us/. The handbook and related website feature David Austin Roses’ complete 2017 North American collection of bare root roses, including all 114 English Roses available on this side of the Atlantic.

Hanbidge is a horticulturist with the Saskatoon School of Horticulture and can be reached at 306-931-GROW(4769); by email at growyourfuture@gmail.com or check out our website at www.saskhort.com