David Austin trip

Well, Our little outing yesterday went off without much of a hitch. Not as much moaning as I was expecting either! We ended u taking the scenic route and getting partially lost because my phone decided we were too far out in the boondocks for the map feature on it to work but we ended up finding the place in the end. It is NOT an easy lace to find! Thank God for brown signs!!The rose gardens are AMAZING!! And FREE!!! They could easily charge people for the pleasure of wandering around in them and make a nice profit off of it. There are thousands of roses...... every sort they sell I'm sure. There are also perennials and statues mixed in among the gardens and different rooms off of the main bit. The WORK that must go into maintaining it must be insane!! The do have an irrigation system for watering but the amount of weeding and deadheading they must have to do is staggering. The roses are all labeled as well so if you see one you like you can get the name of it. There are seating areas dotted around the whole place so you can sit for a bit and take it all in. ( unless, like me, the wasps decide you smell good and you run screaming down the path ) The staff all seem to be quite knowledgeable as well. Even the cashiers could answer a question we had when we were leaving. I ended up buying 2 beauties that weren't even on the list I had made before we went. I got Lady of Shalott, which is a yellow,orange,peach blend with a lovely fragrance and Jubilee Celebration, which is pink and lilac mix and kept drawing my eye every time I saw it and also smells lovely. Now I need to sort out what I'm going to do with them. The catalog just does not do them justice and I'm glad we went there and saw them in the flesh and had a sniff before I chose any. There are a couple of others I liked as well and could now order them knowing I won't be disappointed. I HIGHLY recommend a trip there if you are thinking of getting anything and are close enough to make it worthwhile or are on holiday in the area. Or even if you just want a nice day out!

 

sounds a nice place.....i might pop there this week...treat my self lol..

 

Did you have your camera with you on your wonderful trip to DA Catxtail?

The perfume must have been everlasting

Lovely memorie

 

I put my photos in my album David Austin trip. I brought the perfume home with me lol. Couldn't resist.......

 

Glad you had a good trip, Catztail.

 

Thanks Clare! It was DEFINITELY worth the drive!

 

I cannot believe that I never knew this was near me. I will definately be paying a visit on Saturday, you won me over when you mentioned 'Free.' they look stunning, and I was particularly taken by their stand at the NEC at gardeners world live. I have had my eye on Chocolate orange, and twist for quite some time.....also i'm after another rhapsody in blue (my favourite!). Do David Austin just do their own varieties of roses? I just wondered whether I'm likely to find the above there.

 

Hello CosmosGuy

As far as I know David Austin concentrates mainly on his own 'English' roses. His catalogue also carries some old roses, modern shrub roses and hybrid teas but they aren't really his speciality. There are lots of suppliers which stock the kind of plants you want. These are all online and do mail order:-

Harkness Roses

Cants

Fryers Roses

Apuldram Roses

Style Roses

 

Thanks ClaraLou. I will definitely have a look at those links

To be honest I was kind of hoping that the roses I mentioned were there....but now I'm thinking what the heck? I'm just gonna go with a little pad, and write down my favourites out of the climbers and patio roses, then whittle them down when I get to the shop!!

Any excuse for more plants eh!! Looks like I'll also be purchasing more pots too !!

 

That's the spirit, CosmosGuy!

Funny how things go in cycles in gardening, as with everything else. My parents, at least when young, would have hated the nostalgic looking plants which David Austin grows so successfully. His roses would have reminded them, perhaps, of tedious elderly relatives who had overgrown gardens stuffed with the things. They wanted modern, brash and colourful; they grew 'Orangeade', a floribunda with flowers so bright that you needed sunglasses to look at it. Now, all those strong colours are back. I'm all for change. Things get boring if they stay the same for too long.

 

They do do it -

http://www.davidaustinroses.com/english/showrose.asp?showr=4228

but I think only as a rooted cutting, so you would have to go back later in the year. However, as you is going on Saturday I'm sure they will put you right!

 

Sounds like you had a lovely trip...was wondering how you got on even with your OH in tow..I'm sure they secretly enjoy this gardening stuff really....Enjoy your new roses...

 

HAHAHA! He ALWAYS moans but then enjoys what we do....... I wish he'd wait till AFTER and then maybe he wouldn't moan!! Geeze!

 

Cosmos, Make sure you take a PAPER map to find your way round. And look for the brown signs. You will enjoy it!!!