From the Kitchen Table to Gardens Around the World
The story of David C. H. Austin’s bare root roses begins not in grand gardens or greenhouses, but in the heart of a family home - at the kitchen table of Bowling Green House in Shropshire. It was here that a young man, captivated by the beauty of Old Roses, began to imagine something new: roses that would combine the grace and fragrance of the past with the reliable flowering of modern varieties.
The Beginnings
Even in those early days, David Austin’s fascination ran deep. He admired the Old Roses for their scent, form, and quiet dignity, yet he believed they could do more. Guided by curiosity and patience, he began breeding roses on a small scale, each cross a thoughtful step toward his vision.
The work was slow and meticulous. Roots were washed and trimmed by hand, the air rich with the scent of earth and roses. Family members joined in, helping to wrap and pack each bare root rose for delivery. The kitchen glowed with lamplight; the room hummed with conversation and quiet satisfaction. What left that table were not just plants, but living expressions of care and craftsmanship.
The Perfect Match: Bare Root Roses
Bare root roses suited David Austin perfectly. Modest in appearance yet full of promise, they settled easily into the soil and rewarded patience with years of flowering. Each one carried a sense of tradition - a link between the hands that prepared it and the gardens it would one day grace.
From these beginnings came the English Roses, uniting the enduring charm of Old Roses with the repeat flowering and resilience of modern breeding. They were the embodiment of David C.H. Austin’s vision: romantic, generous, and deeply rooted in both history and hope.
A Living Legacy
Today, David Austin’s roses thrive in gardens across the world, yet the spirit of those early kitchen-table days remains unchanged. Each bare root rose still arrives as his first ones did - carefully prepared, full of quiet potential, and ready to grow into something beautiful.
Planting a bare root rose is more than a gesture of gardening; it is an act of connection. It joins gardener to grower, past to present, and one generation of rose lovers to the next.
Every bloom, every fragrance, every season of flowering carries forward that legacy - a testament to patience, craftsmanship, and a lifelong devotion to the rose.
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David C.H Austin’s love of Scottish roses and the rose that sparked his visionFor David C.H. Austin, roses were his passion and life's work, each one telling a story of beauty, resilience, and romance. While he is celebrated for creating the English Rose, renowned for its timeless beauty and exceptional fragrance, his extraordinary legacy began with a quiet, serendipitous discovery: ‘Stanwell Perpetual’.
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A Garden Seen Through the Kitchen WindowFrom the kitchen window of Bowling Green House, the view is quiet but alive. Beyond the old glass panes, a narrow canal runs still beneath the branches of the weeping ash, its surface shifting with light and the soft wake of ducks. Native reeds and waterlilies fringe the banks, creating a scene that feels more discovered than designed. David C. H. Austin had it dug after admiring something similar in a friend’s garden. Here, it became the garden’s steady centre, a reflective ribbon running through the planting, anchoring moments of calm.
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Twelve Years in the Making: Breeding an English RoseA new English rose, over a decade in the making, is ready to make its debut in the Great Pavilion at the Chelsea Flower Show. After years of careful cultivation, it will finally share its beauty with the world in full bloom, for the very first time.
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A Return to Simplicity: The Beauty of Planting Bare Root RosesPlanting a bare root rose is a gesture of quiet confidence, a small act of faith in the turning of the seasons. It asks the gardener to trust in time, in patience, and in the rose’s own ancient rhythm. Long before plastic pots and glossy labels, this was how roses were grown and shared. Lifted carefully from the fields in autumn, their roots bare and bundled, they travelled lightly, ready to settle into new gardens and new soil.
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World Mental Health Day: How Gardening Nurtures the MindAs World Mental Health Day reminds us, the way we care for our minds can be as natural and nourishing as tending a garden. Among plants, soil, and sky, we find a space that allows both body and spirit to rest and renew. Few experiences embody this better than the simple act of planting a rose. It asks for patience, attentiveness, and trust in the rhythm of life, and it rewards us with beauty that feels deeply earned.
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The Beautiful Beginning: Why Autumn is the Start of the Gardening YearAutumn drifts into the garden with a soft, golden light. The air is cooler, leaves are turning, and the days feel slower. It’s tempting to think the gardening year is over, but for rose lovers, this is the moment to start preparing for the months ahead.
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What to Plant with English Roses for Autumn ColourBy the end of September, the rose garden is changing. The exuberance of summer is fading, and the rhythm of the season is slowing. Many English Roses are setting hips now, their once-constant flowers giving way to clusters of glowing fruits. Yet the borders need not feel diminished. With the right companions, roses can be framed and supported so that the garden still sings with colour, texture and grace well into autumn.
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An English Rose Garden Fit for a Period DramaImagine a garden where the air is filled with the gentle perfume of roses and every corner seems to invite a pause, a quiet moment of reflection. English shrub roses, with their soft, cupped blooms and delicate fragrances, have long been linked with the elegance and charm of period dramas. These gardens are more than a collection of plants. Each rose adds to the story, creating a sense of romance and timeless beauty.
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When Music Meets the Garden: Roses Inspired by the PromsEach summer the Proms bring music, tradition and joy to the Royal Albert Hall. From the first shimmering notes to the final chorus, audiences are carried into a world where sound becomes memory. At David Austin®, we mark this festival in our own way, with roses that are themselves named after music and musicians who have moved us. These varieties hold within them the same qualities of rhythm, harmony and timeless beauty.
