David Austin - New US Releases for 2008
Tea and citrus - what could be more appropriate for summer? Pictured here is Tea Clipper, four feet high, three feet wide, with rosette-shaped blooms in various shades of apricot. The fragrance is said to resemble a mixture of tea, myrrh, and fruit. And, an added bonus is that the shrub is almost completely thornless. I definitely want one of these in my own garden, but I think I'll plant it in New England instead of DC, where I'm leery of roses in the heat and humidity.
Darcey Bussell, pictured at right, is named after the famous British ballerina who just recently retired. It has flowers only 
about three and a half inches across, but the true red color certainly makes up for the smaller size.
The deep crimson takes on a slightly mauve cast when the petals are ready to drop. At three feet wide and about two feet across, it's a great candidate for the front of the border where it would stand out beautifully against an evergreen backdrop. It's got a short and bushy habit, and is said to have a pleasant, fruity scent.
If you're an old rock 'n roll fan, you'll simply have to have Strawberry Hill. The petals on this four by four foot shrub open to a rich strawberry color, then gradually fade to a pale pink. It flowers freely, and is said to make a good informal shrub, blending easily with other colors and mixing well in a perennial bed. The scent is classic myrrh with just a hint of lemon.
The final two in this series are both shrub roses about four feet high and three feet wide.
Lady of Megginch is a very deep pink, and the blossoms are tinged with deep orange when they first open. The bloom then fades to a rosy color. It has an upright, bushy habit, and an old-fashioned rosy fragrance reminiscent of raspberries. According to Austin, it looks great in a border with softer pink colors and also goes very well with apricot.
A good partner might be Lichfield Angel, which opens apricot and 
eventually fades to a rich cream and then to an almost white. However, this shrub goes well with almost any color and could be used nearly anywhere in a border planting. The scent on these blooms is a light clove fragrance, which sounds like it would be perfectly placed near a well-used summer patio.
And, finally, for the Shakespeare fans, there's 'Gentle Hermione,' the wife of Leontes in The Winter's Tale. It's a shrub rose, said to have excellent disease resistance, with clear pink blooms and a classic Old Rose scent. And according to Austin, the petals are particularly resistant to rain. About 4 x 3 feet.
These roses are expected to be available in the US market in late June or early July. So look for them. For more information, visit the David Austin website. www.davidaustinroses.com. The webiste is filled with easy-to-access information on planting, pruning, fertilization, etc, and it has particularly useful lists of roses for specific situations.
(Images courtesy David Austin Roses Limited)
(click on images for larger view)
