Planting David Austin Roses at My Farm

April 8, 2017

One thing I love is the intoxicating scent of a garden rose - especially an English rose.

Gardeners everywhere know rose hybridizer, David Austin, for his stunning English roses, which combine the forms and fragrances of old roses with the color range and repeat blooms of modern specimens. This year, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, and I, decided to order some new bushes and climbers - bare root plants - to add to my expansive flower cutting garden. They arrived this week - all in perfect condition. Ryan and Wilmer planted them yesterday.

Enjoy these photos.

: Our orders from David Austin Roses arrived in a sturdy, well-packaged box decorated with lovely roses specially designed for the company. http://www.davidaustinroses.com

: The roses came bare root meaning just that – loose with nothing around their roots.

: When working with bare roots it’s important to soak the whole plant – roots and shoots – in a bucket of water for several hours or even overnight. Never let the roots dry out.

: The next day, Ryan and Wilmer were all set to plant.

: The roses were laid on the ground as Ryan figured out which one would go where.

: Ryan placed each rose somewhere in the flower cutting garden based on full-grown size, growing habit, fragrance strength, and color.

: Wilmer begins to dig in a location right next to the gate. The rose for this spot is a climber, so it will climb up the fence as it develops.

: Wilmer digs the hole a little deeper than the length of the roots.

: Wilmer positions the root so that the bud union is about three-inches below ground.

: When planting roses, always use a good quality all-purpose or rose-specific plant food.

: Wilmer sprinkles the food all around the roots and in the soil.

: Wilmer then back-fills the hole and gently tamps the soil down around the plant.

: This one in particular is named “Jude the Obscure” – I couldn’t pass it up.

: I can’t wait to see ‘Jude the Obscure’ in full bloom.

: Here is what the flowers will look like on ‘Jude the Obscure’. The color is a pleasing buff yellow on the inside of the petals and a paler yellow on the outside. The bush is beautiful, strong and healthy, growing up to eight to 10 feet as a climber. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: Ryan also placed roses next to the tower trellises and arbors, so they could grow up the sides as seasons pass.

: Among the other roses we ordered – ‘Abraham Darby’ – its very large cup-shaped flowers are apricot and yellow at first, becoming tinted with pink over time. (Photo courtesy of Dvid Austin Roses)

: The flowers of ‘Benjamin Britten’ have unusual coloring for an English Rose – strong salmon-pink that changes with age to a strong shade of pure pink. Its fragrance is fruity, with wine and pear drops. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: ‘Brother Cadfael’ has some of the largest blooms of all the English Roses. Their color is a good medium pink. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: The large apricot flowers of ‘Crown Princess Margareta’ have approximately 120 petals each, arranged in a neatly-formed rosette. The fruity Tea Rose fragrance is strong and lovely. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: One of the most fragrant English Roses, ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ has large rosette-shaped flowers that are a rich pink. This is one of the first roses to start flowering in early summer and an excellent repeat bloomer. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: English Rose ‘Graham Thomas’ has lovely yellow, cup-shaped blooms with a strong, fresh Tea rose fragrance. It forms a bushy shrub sized five feet high by four feet wide. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: David Austin’s ‘James Galway’ has perfectly-formed flowers that are warm pink. Each flower has approximately 130 petals and its fragrance is a medium-strength scent. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: ‘Lady of Shalott’ has apricot-hued blooms filled with loosely arranged petals. Its warm fragrance has hints of spiced apple and cloves. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: David Austin’s ‘Mortimer Sackler’ is a ]versatile, exceptionally healthy rose with pink flowers and nearly thornless dark stems. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: David Austin’s ‘Snow Goose’ is very healthy. It is also relatively thornless, which make it particularly useful as a climber or tall shrub. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: ‘Queen of Sweden’ has wide shallow-cupped flowers that open in apricot-pink, later becoming pure soft pink. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: English Rose ‘St. Swithun’ comes in light pink with double full blooms. It smells beautiful. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: English Rose ‘Teasing Georgia’ has yellow flowers, each of which has approximately 110 petals. The outer petals fall back, fading to a pale yellow. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: ‘The Albrighton Rambler’ blooms all season long. Its small pink flowers are perfectly formed. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ is one of the most fragrant of all English Roses. Its distinctive strong myrrh scent has a delicious citrus hint. Its plump buds have attractive flashes of red. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: The ‘Malvern Hills’ rambler is a glorious, repeat-bloomer that produces large clusters of small, double, soft yellow flowers. Its fragrance is a sweet musky Noisette scent. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ – named for the grand-daughter of rose hybridizer David C. H. Austin, the soft pink rose is considered one of the best roses the Austin team has introduced (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)