Birthday
HydrangeasA rose garden graces any plot, and even the smallest dacha has room for a couple of glorious shrubs. Gardeners particularly love David Austin’s English roses, which combine nostalgic old-fashioned flowers, strong fragrance and repeat flowering. Here are some popular varieties and how to grow them in Ukraine’s climate.
What are English roses?
English roses are a group of varieties bred since the 1960s by British rose breeder David Austin and his nursery. He crossed old roses (Gallicas, Damasks) with modern hybrid teas and floribundas to get old-style flowers with rich scent that also repeat through the season. Most are spreading shrubs 1–1.5 m tall.
Popular varieties
Queen of Sweden
Introduced in 2004, with cupped flowers of soft apricot-pink that fade to pale pink. An upright shrub of about 1.1 m, excellent for cutting, with a light myrrh fragrance.
Charlotte
Soft yellow, full, cupped flowers with a tea fragrance. In strong sun the petal edges fade to cream. About 1.2 m, flowering in flushes all summer.
Golden Celebration
One of the most striking English roses: large copper-yellow blooms with a strong scent that moves from tea to fruit. Arching stems, 1.2–1.5 m. Lovely beside lavender and sage.
Summer Song
An unusual burnt-orange colour for an English rose, with a rich scent of tea and chrysanthemum leaves. About 1.2 m; likes an open, sunny position.
Ambridge Rose
A compact shrub up to 90 cm with rosettes from apricot to pale pink and a myrrh scent. It is less common today but still found in some nurseries.
Crown Princess Margareta
A strong, tall shrub of 1.5–2 m that can be trained as a short climber. Large apricot-orange rosettes with a fruity fragrance — one of the toughest varieties.
William Shakespeare 2000
Velvety crimson flowers that turn purple with age and a strong old-rose fragrance. About 1.2 m.
Growing English roses in Ukraine
- Position — at least 5–6 hours of sun a day, sheltered from cold wind.
- Planting — in spring or early autumn, in fertile, well-drained soil, with the graft union 5–7 cm below the surface.
- Care — deep watering once a week, mulch, feeding in spring and early summer, and deadheading for repeat flowers.
- Winter — most varieties survive Ukrainian winters if the base is mounded with soil or compost; add light protection in colder regions.
To fit a rose garden into your plot, see DIY garden decorating ideas.
FAQ
How do English roses differ from hybrid teas?
They have old-style flowers (cups and rosettes), strong scent and a bushy habit, while hybrid teas have the classic high-centred bud on a long stem.
Which variety is the easiest?
Of those listed, Crown Princess Margareta and Golden Celebration are particularly tough.
Can English roses be grown in containers?
Yes, compact varieties grow in large pots of 40 litres or more, but the container needs insulating in winter.
Spray roses in bouquets are available in spray rose delivery in Kyiv.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
