Retail Spotlight
GCU talks to Susan Rushton, Head of Marketing at award winning nursery David Austin Roses
1. David Austin Roses is a family run business. Can you tell us when and how the business started?
In the Sixties the hybrid teas were at their height of popularity and rose growers at that time were reluctant to sell David Austin’s newfangled English Roses as they didn’t think gardeners would want them. David Austin believed differently, but his only option was to create a nursery himself and try to prove them wrong. As a result, David Austin Roses was founded in 1969.
2. When was the first David Austin rose released? It’s 50 years this year since the first David Austin rose, ‘Constance Spry’, was released. It has beautiful clear pink blooms and a strong myrrh scent, but sadly it does not repeat flower. Despite that, it is still grown widely today, particularly as a climbing rose. We have a great picture of it growing as a hedge at the Pixar Studios in America.
3. How many David Austin roses have been released to date? We’ve now released more than 200 varieties, including fragrant shrubs, climbers and ramblers and our growing collection of luxury cut roses.
4. You have enjoyed remarkable success at the Chelsea Flower Show. To what do you owe this success?
We exhibit at flower shows in many different countries, but Chelsea is always the cornerstone of our yearly calendar of events and we are very proud of our 16 gold medals. Over the years, it’s become part of the ethos and history of the company – right down to quirky little rituals such as the crab cakes the team members traditionally order at the end of a long day on the stand. I would put our success down to a blend of experience, preparation, hard work, teamwork and close attention to detail. Of course it helps very much that English Roses are such bountiful and charismatic plants.
5. Tell us about your new collection of English roses. Our new collection includes ‘William and Catherine’ – a beautiful white rose to celebrate the Royal Wedding, the classic rose pink rose ‘Queen Anne’, the lighter pink ‘Lady Salisbury’, which has a very long flowering season and ‘Wollerton Old Hall’, which has a powerful myrrh scent. Last but not least, our new semi-double rose ‘Fighting Temeraire’ has giant flowers in striking sunset colours. Our consistent aim is to offer a varied and versatile collection of roses, so we can offer a rose for almost any position in the garden.
6. The rose ‘Graham Thomas’ entered the Rose Hall of Fame in 2009, the highest accolade in the rose world. Tell us a little about the rose and what makes it special.
‘Graham Thomas’ took the Chelsea Flower Show by storm when it was released in 1983. It had the form and fragrance of an Old Rose, combined with the best characteristics of modern roses, including the important ability to repeat flower in flushes during the summer. The cup shaped flowers are an unusually rich, pure shade of yellow, which is not found in the Old Roses and
is rare, even among modern roses. There is a fresh tea fragrance with a cool violet character. This versatile rose can be grown as a bushy shrub of 4 x 4ft (1.2 x 1.2m) or can be trained as a spectacular climbing rose, reaching 8ft (2.5m), when it would be ideal for a wall, rose pillar, obelisk or fence. It enjoys full sun but will also perform surprisingly well in partial shade, provided it is not planted directly underneath the canopy of trees. Today it is one of the most widely grown and best loved of all roses.
7. When did you start the breeding programme for your luxury cut roses?
About 18 years ago – it takes a lot of time and patience to create luxury roses.
8. The Plant Centre in Albrighton is claimed to be a little different from the rest. Why is this, what makes it different?
We have a two acre rose garden on-site where gardeners can see and smell the roses in flower before they buy. We offer one of the widest selections of containerised and bare root roses to be found anywhere in the country. We try to add on little extras to make the experience special such as a delicious traditional cream tea and a garden gift shop. It all makes for a quintessentially English day out.
I think we have proved that customers like choice. We are delighted that The Garden Centre Group has created such a significant David Austin Rose Centre at Syon Park Garden Centre where it can now offer a very broad selection of our roses. The team was inspired by a visit to Albrighton to adapt our format for one of its flagship garden centres at its own historic venue, Syon Park. The company has been working closely with the experts here to create a very special collection of roses.
9. 2011 has started well for the garden centre and nursery industry, with good weather and several bank holidays encouraging the public to spend time and money in their gardens. What is your general opinion on the future of the garden industry and in particular what do you see for the rest of 2011?
We’ve all had a great start to the year and I think the gardening industry in 2011 will continue to benefit from the gardener’s needs for affordable luxuries that will lift their spirits. An American industry trend guru, Bruce Butterfield, recently pointed out that the British see their plants and gardens almost as part of the family – that might be taking it a bit too far, but he was making the point that gardening is part of our heritage. The more time people spend at home, the nicer they will want their gardens to be.
10. Can customers order online? Yes, at
www.davidaustinroses.com.
11. How do we contact you? For more information, please contact
susan@davidaustinroses.co.uk. 16 GCU AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011
www.timberdisplays.co.uk The English Rose, Bountiful and Charismatic
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