Six on Saturday 22nd of December 2018

thomashort

5 years ago

Well this is my first proper blog for a while and tbh I have missed being part of the #sixinsaturday team so excellently built up by its founder The Propagator. Its the last Saturday before Christmas and I was thinking about doing a special one just maybe about Christmas within the garden or Christmas plants, then I heard the sad news about the passing of David Austin Snr at the grand age of 92, I felt this would be a fitting tribute to him.

For those who know me and follow me, know I have a massive love of roses. Though my lifetime, there have been 4 great rose people, David Austin was certainly one of those. though his rose breeding and selection and beautiful catalogue, he brought roses back to the masses and took them around the world, with his English roses that had been crossed between old roses and the more modern roses, to countries as far away as Japan and the USA. This is a testament to his skills as a businessman as well as a grower. Talking about being a grower, He was certainly one of the most influential one of all time, if not since the time of another great rose family, the Viberts

So lets celebrate his live with some of the stunning roses he bred, so here is my six on saturday

Rosa Constance Spry was one the first of the Austin hybrids. this one flowering climber has a delightful scent

Rosa Graham Thomas was really the rose that set the Austin name amongst the best in the world, selected by Graham Thomas, it was the most clear yellow colour that had ever been bred. can be grown as a shrub or a small climber

Kew Gardens is a newer hybrid and I love the simple white flowers, reminds me so much the wild dog rose, it repeats so well all summer long

Winchester Cathedral again was a fairly old Austin rose.

Wild Eric is a favourite of mine, it has a fair bit of rosa rugosa within the breeding that makes it ideal for the less formal part of the garden. The open blooms are prefect for the pollinators to enjoy these flowers too

Falstaff to me is one of the best Austin roses, it was also the only time I visited the nursery and spent time behind the scenes, looking at the huge set up they have there. I came away so impressed with the whole nursery, the 25000 roses they bred every year just to get 3-4 named varieties, the size of the rose fields and the professional set up they have. Most of all, it was the only time I met David Austin Snr.

I hope you enjoyed my own little tribute to the great rosarian, nurseryman and businessman, David Austin Snr. Of course he was more than that and not only will he be missed within horticulture but also to his family.

Thank you for all that you have done for us rose lovers David, and now may you rest in peace,

For more six on Saturday, please see the great man himself The Propagator and see more links of other great people!

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