English roses add a nostalgic charm to the garden. We introduce you to 15 of the most beautiful classic varieties of English roses.
The English roses with their unusual names belong to the premier class of Roses (pink). In 1961 the English rose breeder David Austin succeeded in growing the first English rose, which combined the properties of old roses and modern rose varieties. Since then, new beautiful varieties from Austin have been presented every year. Dealing with these old rose varieties can quickly become a real hobby if you can trace the family trees of the individual varieties back to their beginnings. Therefore, we have summarized the most important information about the roses by David Austin for you in this article.
We explain below how English roses differ from other rose classes. We will also introduce you to the most beautiful varieties of English roses and tell you where you can buy the most beautiful ones.
English roses: origin & characteristics
English roses are crosses of various old roses, modern tea hybrids and floribunda roses. The British David C. H. Austin grew the famous English roses from the 1960s. He wanted the properties of beautiful, fragrant old roses with those of modern tea hybrids and Floribunda roses, which are known for their ability to be reassembled (second bloom in late summer) and their wide range of colors, unite. He was inspired by a book by the British gardener George Bunyard about old roses and by the rose grower James Baker, who was a friend of his father's. He achieved his first major breeding success with the variety ‘Constance Spry’ in 1961. Unfortunately, however, the ability to reassemble was not passed on and so it only blossomed once. Austin only achieved worldwide fame with the varieties 20 years later ‘Graham Thomas’ and "Mary Rose".
The bowl-shaped or rosette-shaped flowers of the English roses are very similar to those of the old roses. They are made up of numerous small petals and give off a fine fragrance. English roses are also characterized by a natural shrub-like growth with beautiful, bushy foliage. Low varieties are wonderfully suitable as bed roses, but climbing roses can also reach heights of up to 450 centimeters. By the way, because of its characteristics, Austin counted the variety ‘Greetings to Aachen’ of the German breeder Philipp Geduldig also to the English roses.
The most beautiful varieties of English roses
There are a total of over 30,000 different types of roses worldwide. Sometimes it is not that easy to keep track of things. As an inspiration, we would like to present a small selection of the most beautiful varieties of English roses below.
-
‘Abraham Darby’
Double, bowl-shaped flowers in apricot to yellow-orange; more often blooming; fruity fragrance with a bitter base note; shrubby growth with overhanging shoots; reaches heights of growth of up to 200 cm; medium leaf health; easy to care for and hardy
-
‘A Shropshire Lad’
Double, bowl-shaped flowers in peach pink; more often blooming; aromatic-fruity tea rose fragrance; upright, bushy, climbing habit; very vigorous; grows up to 250 cm high; almost stingless; good leaf health; hardy; suitable for rose arches and pergolas
-
‘Benjamin Britten’
Named after the English composer; double flowers in salmon pink to red; more often blooming; strong, fruity fragrance; dense, strong bushy growth; becomes about 120 to 150 cm high; good leaf health; rainproof and heat-tolerant; hardly any maintenance measures necessary
-
"Charles Rennie Mackintosh"
Double, lilac-pink flowers that later turn lilac; more often blooming; pleasant smell; bushy growth; becomes about 100 to 150 cm high; good leaf health; suitable for partial shade; hardy; also ideal for planting in pots
-
‘Constance Spry’
Double, cup-shaped flowers in pink with a light border; single flowering; strong scent of myrrh; strong, upright, bushy growth (up to 280 cm high); poor leaf health; hardy; suitable as a hedge plant
-
‘Emanuel’
Also known as ‘Crocus Rose’; rosette-shaped, apricot-colored flowers with a creamy white border; more often blooming; slight scent of tea roses; bushy, compact growth; reaches heights of growth of up to 140 cm; excellent leaf health
-
'Grace'
Medium-sized, double apricot flowers; more often blooming; intense fragrance; upright, bushy growth; becomes high to about 80 to 100 cm; high leaf health; rainproof flowers; easy-care; Winter protection recommended
-
‘Graham Thomas’
Double, bowl-shaped flowers in a strong yellow; more often blooming; intense scent of tea roses; strong, upright, bushy growth; reaches heights of up to 200 cm; medium leaf health; tolerates heat and is hardy
-
‘Heritage’
Double, light pink flowers; more often blooming; intense fragrance with nuances of lemon and honey; well branched, upright, bushy growth; reaches heights of growth of up to 150 cm; medium leaf health; easy-care; rainproof flowers; hardy
-
‘Jubilee Celebration’
Shrub rose with double, salmon-pink flowers; more often blooming; fruity fragrance with a delicate undertone of raspberry and lemon; well branched, upright growth; reaches heights of growth of up to 150 cm; good leaf health; Winter protection advisable
-
"Mary Rose"
Double, medium-sized pink flowers from May to September; Scent of old roses, almonds and honey; shrubby growth; reaches heights of up to 150 cm; heat and rainproof; easy-care variety
-
"Molineux"
Medium-sized, dense, deep yellow flowers; more often blooming; intense fragrance; upright, bushy, even growth; becomes about 60 to 80 cm high; robust variety with good health; suitable for individual and group positions
-
‘Sharifa Asma’
English rose with an oriental flair; double, pale pink flowers with a light, whitish edge; more often blooming; fruity scent of grapes and mulberries; low, upright growth; becomes about 80 to 100 cm high; good leaf health; easy to care for and hardy
-
'Teasing Georgia'
Named after the wife of the German presenter Ulrich Meyer; double, dark yellow flowers with a light edge; more often blooming; pleasant scent of tea roses; strong, broad, bushy growth; becomes 100 to 150 cm high; easy to care for and robust -
‘The Pilgrim’
Dense, double yellow flowers in the center, white on the outside; more often blooming; light fragrance with a hint of myrrh; compact, bushy growth; can reach a height of up to 350 cm with a trellis; medium leaf health; hardy; also suitable for buckets
Buy English roses: Recommended sources of supply
In the garden center or hardware store, only the best-known varieties of English roses are usually offered. However, if you are looking for rarer specimens, it is definitely worth visiting a tree nursery or rose nursery when the roses are in bloom. There you can be enchanted not only by the sight of many different varieties, but also by the professional advice - for example on the requirements for the location and the care of the respective varieties - benefit. In the following we would like to introduce you to some recommended sources of supply.
David Austin Roses: David C. H. Austin founded the Austin rose nursery in 1969, which is considered the starting point for the breeding of English roses. Every year since then, a catalog has been published by Austin with the latest English roses and old roses. Rose lovers can also visit the world famous garden center and rose gardens in Great Britain in person. However, if a trip is too cumbersome for you, you will find the address of the online shop with the largest range of English roses here: https://eu.davidaustinroses.com
Rose Park Dräger: A trip to the rose village of Steinfurth is definitely worth it. Manuela Dräger and her husband took over this traditional company from the Gönewein family in 2003. At the new location in Bad Nauheim, Hesse, there has been a sales point and a beautiful show garden since 2015. In the online shop you will also find a selection of 88 different roses by David Austin: https://www.rosenpark-draeger.de/
Vielhaber Tree Nursery: In addition to a wide range of fruit trees and berry bushes, the Vielhaber nursery from the Austrian Salzkammergut offers a small but fine selection of roses by David Austin. The plants on offer can also be sent across Europe. Here is the link to the website: https://www.baumschule-vielhaber.at/
If you've got a taste for it and want to plant even more roses in your garden, you will find an overview article with the most beautiful ones here Varieties of bed roses, climbing roses & Co.
tip: Roses need enough nutrients for a beautiful bloom. That's why we have our Plantura Organic rose fertilizer Developed with a three-month long-term effect, which contains all the nutrients necessary for roses.
