For a successful garden, getting planting distances right is important. Plant shrub roses too closely together and the border becomes overcrowded. Plant too far apart and you will see areas of bare earth between each rose. When planting you want to take into account the grown size of the rose, this means to begin with, while your roses establish themselves, you may see gaps between them.

Training a climbing or rambling rose allows you to direct the growth of your roses for even coverage. However you decide to grow and train your climber or rambler, it will need tying-in to secure it to the support structure. Training climbers or ramblers up structures, such as arches or fences, brings blooms up to eye level, creating a splendid floral feature.

It’s time to prepare your roses for the year ahead and give them a prune. Ideally, complete this task while the roses are still dormant, usually between January and February. If your roses have leafed and you still have not pruned it is still better to prune, but this may push back the flowering period until later in the season. 

The main purpose of pruning is to create a shapely, attractive plant, with good coverage and structure, you can do this by simply removing parts of the plant during the non-flowering season. Pruning encourages fresh new growth and plentiful blooms for the following season.

Mulching is the addition of a protective layer around the base of your roses. This process helps your roses to retain moisture, suppresses weeds and provides valuable nutrients for your roses as they grow.

Bare root roses are best planted between October and April, during bare root season. This gives them time to establish ready to bloom come summer. The only time we recommend that you don't plant is when the ground is frozen, waterlogged or in drought conditions.

A milestone anniversary is an achievement to be celebrated. It requires commitment, patience, perseverance and more – and this couldn’t be truer for our roses.   Ours is a labour of love, evidenced by the multiple David Austin varieties that are reaching impressive milestones this year. We pride ourselves on our 12-year breeding program and reaching these milestones is proof of our dedication to cultivating roses that will stand the test of time.   Here’s who we’re celebrating in 2024… Here's to 10 years This fruity-scented trio have each enjoyed a decade of summer blooming and are still going strong.  The Lady of the Lake ^® (Ausherbert) continues to flourish in all its pale pink, citrus-scented glory. A rambling rose named after the ruler of Avalon in the Arthurian legend with semi-double flowers and long, flexible stems ideal for training over a pergola or weaving into the canopy of an established tree.  SHOP NOW Meanwhile, Olivia Rose Austin^®’s (Ausmixture) wondrous pink buds celebrate a decade of flourishing from early spring all the way through to autumn. Named after David Austin Senior’s granddaughter, her beautiful cupped rosettes sit elegantly against dark green foliage – ideal in a border to flank a patio or lawn with her medium fruity fragrance.  SHOP NOW Last but not least, The Poet’s Wife^®(Auswhirl) has brought ten years of sunshine-coloured, lemon-scented loveliness to the David Austin family. This medium shrub rose has a wonderfully rich fragrance that grows stronger and sweeter with age, with rich yellow flowers that make the most cheerful cuttings to bring a little of the garden inside the home. SHOP NOW Here's to 15 years Two of our (rather different) shrub roses are celebrating an impressive fifteen years in the David Austin fold – with more to come.  Our hydrangea-like Kew Gardens^® (Ausfence) rose is reaching its fifteenth year of continual clusters of delicate white flowers throughout its blooming season. A favourite for the bees and incredibly versatile, it can feel as at home in a pot as it can amongst a wild patch of garden.  SHOP NOW Another favoured by the bees, and celebrating the same milestone, is the Lady of Shallot^® (Ausnyson). A vibrantly-coloured English shrub rose with a warm, tea-like fragrance. Its chalice-shaped blooms feature salmon pink petals on the outside and a loosely arranged rich, orange centre which makes for the most eye-catching border or hedge. SHOP NOW Here's to 20 years In wedded traditions, a twenty-year anniversary is marked by a gift made from China to celebrate beauty and delicacy—and here lie two roses that are abundant in both.  Marking two decades with David Austin, these impressive roses continue to stand the test of time. Harlow Carr’s (Aushouse) bright pink flowers are known for blooming on a wonderfully rounded shrub that’s rich in the scent of Old Rose – both nostalgic and uplifting, ideal for positioning close to a seated area or by an entrance into the home.  SHOP NOW Also reaching it’s 20th birthday is the ethereal Queen of Sweden^®(Austiger) with its elegant light pink half-enclosed cup flowers make for a rather pleasing upright arrangement. Ideal for framing a lawn as they are for pruning into a posy to gift to a loved one. SHOP NOW

Roses are invaluable in a mixed border; I love using them in every garden I create. Roses bring height, form, structure, and, most importantly, they bring romance and magic. The sheer beauty and presence of their blooms is so striking that their charm stays in the memory long after their blooms have faded and gone. 

We’ve implemented an Integrated Pest Management system across all six of our themed gardens and our nursery- home to the breeding of our world-renowned roses. 

A thousand visitors got to explore the private sanctuary on the family farm where the company is based in Albrighton, Shropshire, on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th of June.

We were delighted to be included in the show gardens at this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live. The event celebrates the joys of summer gardening with a line-up of Gardeners’ World TV presenters and leading experts, alongside inspiring show gardens, a vibrant floral marquee, and a wide array of plants, shopping, and entertainment.