Planting More David Austin Roses

May 15, 2017

I love all your wonderful comments about my beautiful gardens - thank you for sharing them with me.

Last week, we received another delivery of David Austin Roses - bare root plants - to add to my expansive flower cutting garden. Every gardener and rose expert is familiar with the rose hybridizer, David Austin, who started as a hobby breeder when he was a teen and went on to breed a collection of roses renowned around the world. His specimens have exquisite blooms and the most alluring fragrances. This year, I was very interested in planting many more climbers to fill the fence line of the garden - they will look so spectacular when they bloom.

Enjoy these photos.

: This garden makes me so proud – it is filling in so beautifully this season.

: It’s always exciting to receive a box from David Austin Roses. All the specimens are delivered in the sturdy, well-packaged signature box decorated with roses specially designed for the company. http://www.davidaustinroses.com

: Right away, Ryan placed the bare-root cuttings into two large trug buckets filled with water. When working with bare roots it’s important to soak the whole plant – roots and shoots – for several hours or even overnight. Never let the roots dry out.

: The roses were placed on the ground as Ryan figured out which one would go where in my flower garden. It’s crucial to place them where they would not only look best, but where they would fit based on their mature growth habit and size.

: Ryan loves this spear head spade from Gardener’s Supply Company. Its sharp, spearhead-shaped blade slices through soil quickly and efficiently, making the chore of digging holes for these roses much easier. http://www.gardeners.com/

: I already have many other rose climbers planted along the fence line, but the narrow, pointed head of this spade lets you dig in beds without disturbing nearby plants.

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

: These roots are quite long, but will still fit in the hole nicely.

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

: Ryan sprinkles a generous amount of good quality all-purpose or rose-specific plant food in the hole.

: Ryan then places the cutting into the hole and back-fills – lastly, he gently tamps the soil down around the plant.

: I think this bush will be very happy here.

: Included in this batch of roses ordered – ‘Abraham Darby’ – one of the most splendid of all David Austin Roses. The bush is well-rounded with vigorous, healthy growth and hardiness. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: English Rose ‘Graham Thomas’ has lovely yellow, cup-shaped blooms with a strong, fresh Tea rose fragrance and a cool violet character. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: David Austin’s ‘Heritage’ is a strong, healthy English Rose with excellent repeat flowering. The stems are nearly thornless, and the fragrance is beautiful with overtones of fruit, honey and carnation. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: ‘Lady of Shalott’ has apricot-hued blooms. This extremely healthy rose quickly forms a large, bushy shrub with slightly arching stems, and approximately 60-petals per flower. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: ‘Golden Celebration’ is a new cultivar to my recent David Austen collection. This is one of the most fragrant English Roses. It’s known for magnificent blooms perfumed by a strong, fruity scent with hints of citrus or lychee. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: David Austin’s ‘Snow Goose’ is a repeat-flowering rambler rose that blooms abundantly, is very healthy and is reliable and relatively thornless. It grows eight to10 ft high, bearing large sprays of the small to medium sized flowers. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: English Rose ‘St. Swithun’ comes in a gorgeous light pink with double and full blooms. It’s one of the all-time great climbers. (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)

: This English Rose ‘The Generous Gardener’ is known for its delicate beauty and award-winning fragrance mixing old rose, musk and myrrh. (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)

: And, David Austin’s ‘Malvern Hills’ is a glorious, repeat-blooming rambler rose that produces large clusters of small, double, soft yellow flowers. (Photo courtesy of David Austin Roses)

: Ryan continues to fill in any gaps along the fence line – I wanted all the walls to be filled with climbing roses.

: In this area, another plant is overshadowing a newly planted rose climber. Comfrey, Symphytum officinale, is a member of the borage family, a strong-growing perennial with somewhat long, hairy leaves and pretty blue bell flowers.

: Ryan places a plant support from Gardener’s Supply next to the plant. These handy staked supports prop floppy plants to neaten borders, and let in light to any smaller plants nearby.