In 1961, Shropshire lad David Austin grew the first rose, ‘Constance Spree’, and ever since then they have been striving to grow an even more beautiful flower every year on their family farm in Albrighton.
The results are truly astounding, with every flower looking like a work of art. It’s incredible to stroll through the gardens with 700 different varieties in bloom, filling the air with their fragrance – and it’s hard to believe it’s free to visit.
I’ve come over from Birmingham for a day to explore and bring back some myself to plant in a pot outside my front door. The David Austin Roses are sophisticated yet everything seems really accessible and I really need that as I’m not a gardener.
read more: I wanted to visit Birmingham’s “severely underrated” attraction and stick my head in a flytrap
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There’s a big board on the wall that’s basically “Roses for Beginners” – where to place new plants in the garden, what each plant is best for (scent, repeat blooming flowers, etc.), what they’ll look like when they grow, and I want them all: climbers, shrubs, climbing plants, little bushes for pots.
Arriving on a lovely warm weekend, I parked in the overflow car park, praying that it wouldn’t be too crowded. Luckily, every inch of this old farm is built up, so it often feels like there are few people around.
As I took a sip of an incredibly fragrant Gabriel Oak rose, a peacock chirped next to me, spreading its wings to signal its menace. Another bird chirped in response in the distance.
But it’s not all roses. There are other companion plants, clearly labeled with which color roses go best with which. Near the restaurant (more on that in another post), I fell in love with some beautiful black irises.
I almost made the mistake of just choosing what I wanted and paying for it right then and there, but was advised to explore the rose garden first, where I could get a good idea of what went where, how the plants looked in the flowerbeds that crept along the high brick walls and meandered over the pergolas.
The gardens are incredible – really, really stunning – and I’m sure they’ll only get better as we head into summer.
There are six themed rose gardens in total, each as fascinating as the next. Wait, no, each is just as spectacular as the next, but the Renaissance Garden is a step above them all.
There, a stream runs down to a row of benches where you can stop and smell the roses. English roses in this area bloom from May until the first winter frost, and in my dream life I’d be sitting here every day of that time.
The layout of the gardens – you have to walk under arches, around high walls decorated with vibrant vines and through hedges – makes it feel like you could get lost. Families visiting with children were delighted and the sounds of laughter, chirping birds and peacocks were the background music for the day.
The crowds here are all different, from elderly people in wheelchairs to well-behaved dogs to tiny babies reaching for big pink flowers. I realize there are tourists, too, when I see a group with a camera discussing the flowers in a language I don’t understand. But you get the point: surely none of us have ever seen such a beautiful rose garden.
I’m glad I wandered through the gardens before shopping – there’s a patio garden filled with terracotta planters and thriving specimen roses, giving me new inspiration for the space outside my front door. I was also drawn to the lovely items in the gift shop.
It would be an insult to call David Austin Roses just a garden centre. It is a heritage site, a museum, a park, a beautiful film set and a wellness centre. I’ll give it a couple of weeks and go back to see how it all smells in the hot summer sun.