Rose BushesA Grower's Guide to Roses
Rose Types

David Austin & English Roses

English roses, bred by David Austin, marry the full-petaled form and rich fragrance of old roses with the repeat bloom and color range of modern ones.

The best of old and new

Beginning in the 1960s, English breeder David Austin set out to combine the beauty and scent of antique roses with the practical virtues of modern ones. The result — the English rose — offers the deeply cupped, many-petaled, intensely fragrant blooms of old garden roses on plants that flower repeatedly through the season.

Fragrance is central to the group, and Austin roses are often described by scent categories such as old rose, myrrh, fruity, and tea. Habits range from tidy shrubs to short climbers.

Quick tip: Many English roses bloom best when allowed to build a rounded framework. Prune more lightly than you would a hybrid tea — reduce by about a third rather than cutting hard.

Growing English roses

Give them full sun, fertile soil, and steady moisture. Feed in early spring and again after the first flush, and deadhead to keep the repeat bloom coming. Choose the more disease-resistant modern introductions for the easiest results.

Popular david austin & english roses

The 48 roses below are among the most widely grown and dependable in this group. Each profile covers color, fragrance, size, hardiness, and how to grow it well.