Posted on June 17, 2022 by Pumpkin Beth
One of the things I look forward to most at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show is the opportunity to meet the new rose introductions face to face and discover their fragrances. I was sorry to miss visiting the Chelsea this year. David Austin Roses launched two brand-new roses at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022. I’m so excited to tell you all about these wonderful new plants and show you pictures of these roses growing in my own garden. I simply cannot wait to tell you about these fabulous new roses! Rosa ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ is named in honour of the Morecambe and Wise song, Bring Me Sunshine. In David Austin’s catalogue pictures, Rosa ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ appears as a gorgeous and intriguing, warm, bronzed-orange flowered rose, with blooms that fade to lighter apricot tones as they age. In contrast, my ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ rose produces delightful soft yellow blooms, without any hint of orange or bronze. I feel that my Rosa ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ rose more closely resembles Rosa ‘Charles Darwin’, a rose that David Austin Roses introduced in 2003. However, I have checked in with David Austin Roses who have assured me that my roses is definitely ‘Bring Me Sunshine’. The rose that’s pictured on David Austin Roses’ website was brought on early and photographed in flower, in February, which caused the colour of the flowers to intensify. David Austin Roses will be updating the images on their website to reflect how the rose appears when grown naturally outdoors in a garden setting. As you can see in this post, Rosa ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ flowers are a delightful, fresh and sunny, pastel yellow colour that’s easy to combine with a wide range of colours. ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ is an English Shrub Rose. After successfully passing ten years of rose trials by David Austin Roses, this repeat flowering rose was selected as a potential candidate to be propagated and grown on for sale by David Austin Roses. Out of six thousand roses bred by David Austin Roses, ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ was the rose to be chosen to grow on for re-sale. In the UK, Rosa ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ will bloom in cycles from May until the heaviest frosts, when falling temperatures eventually halt the production of new blooms. Rosa ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ grows up to around 1.25m (4ft) tall; forming a shrub that extends to around 1.1m (3.5ft) wide. Naturally, this will vary according to each individual plant’s growing conditions: the plant’s site, aspect, weather, and the soil the rose is growing in. This English Shrub Rose produces large-sized flowers that are fully double and beautifully rounded and bowl-shaped, rather like peonies. I have so enjoyed getting to know ‘Bring Me Sunshine’s perfume. This rose has a distinctly fruity fragrance with notes of peach, guava, and mango. I’d describe my plant’s flowers as having a pretty powerful scent, which is something I was delighted to discover. I noted that my ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ rose’s flowers deliver a perfume that at certain times of the day has similarities with the divine scent of Rosa ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ flowers. I am so happy to discover a new rose that produces a delicious and powerful fragrance!Rosa ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ (Ausernie)
Size
Rosa ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ Scent
Situation
Position Rosa ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ in a sunny or partially shaded spot in a sheltered location. This rose will be happy to grow in an East, West, South, or North facing site, as long as the plant is away from windy or open, exposed locations. Roses thrive in the sunshine; ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ suits its name and will flourish in a bright and sunny, or lightly shaded spot.
Compost
I find that roses are usually happiest growing planted directly in the soil in our garden beds and borders, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have a garden. If you have a substantial sized planter, containers are an alternative way to grow roses. Both my ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ rose and my ‘Elizabeth’ rose are growing in containers filled with a peat-free mixture of:
- One part Dalefoot Composts Double Strength Compost
- One part Melcourt SylvaGrow Multi-Purpose Compost
- One part Real Soil Company’s SuperSoil
Please note that you do not need to use a peat-based compost to grow roses. I’ve never seen a rose growing in a peat-bog – roses would never naturally grow in peat! Please protect our peatlands and use peat-free growing mediums.
If you’re unsure whether a nursery’s roses are grown in peat-free compost, order bare root plants that are field grown and lifted while the plants are dormant in the wintertime. I am a true advocate for buying bare root plants, as I find these plants are usually superior to container grown plants.
Planters
If you’re planing on growing your ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ rose in a planter, select a large sized container that measures around 45cm (18inch) by 45cm (18inch). Roses have long tap roots; these plants won’t be happy growing in too shallow a planter or small pots. Make sure the planter has a hole at the bottom to let water escape out of the base, as your plant won’t want to sit in wet, waterlogged soil. Use small blocks of wood or bricks to raise the container off the ground and act as ‘pot feet’.
I am told that David Austin’s Rosarians were impressed with the disease resistance that ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ roses are blessed with. Although happiest in full sunshine; this rose will also grow well in partial shade.
Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ (Ausmajesty)
David Austin Roses named Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ was launched at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show 2022 – the same year as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
I am so excited by this rose; Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ seems so keen to flower. Eager to please, my rose delivers sweetly scented flowers in earnest – this is just one characteristic that I adore about this plant.
Size
Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ grows up to around 1.4m (4.5ft) tall; forming a shrub that extends to around 1.4m (4.5ft) wide. Naturally, the eventual size and form of each rose will vary somewhat according to each individual plant’s growing conditions, the soil the rose is growing in, the site, weather, and aspect.
Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ flowers are medium-sized. The pointed flower buds develop into bowl-shaped flowers; as they mature, when the flowers open up and flatten, becoming traditional rosette-shaped blooms.
Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ Scent
Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ produces a sweet and powerful fragrance which intensifies and carries on the breeze on warm, sunny summer days and evenings. The perfume is akin to an old rose perfume but with added sweetness and subtle hints of elderflower and lemon. Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ has an exceptionally sweet perfume.
I noticed a distinct similarity between the perfume of this ‘Elizabeth’ rose and the scent of Rosa ‘Strawberry Hill’. I really enjoy the perfume that Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ flowers produce, but I must say that this rose’s scent is slightly soapy – these rose blooms produce the scent of the most unbelievable and wonderful rose-scented soap, with added hints of lemon – it’s lovely!
‘Elizabeth’ is a repeat flowering rose that starts blooming in May or June and continues producing flowers in cycles until the cold winter weather halts flower production for another year.
To enjoy the best display from your ‘Elizabeth’ rose, dead-head the flowers as they fade. Prompt dead-heading will encourage your plant to continue blooming and deliver more flowers – dead-heading is really worth doing and only takes a moment.
Carefully snip out faded flowers from within ‘Elizabeth’ flower clusters, taking care not to accidentally remove a brand-new bud! When all the flowers on a flowering stem have faded, cut back to just above the second leaf joint below the faded blooms.
Situation
Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ seems to be the more resilient of David Austin’s two new rose introductions. I’m told that this rose can be grown successfully in open and exposed, windy gardens. These plants will be happy growing on a West, East, North, or South-facing site, providing they enjoy unadulterated sunshine or at the very least, partial shade. Don’t be mean in choosing your position and select a sunny site, if you can.
Compost
Rosa ‘Elizabeth’ is suited to growing in any moist but well-drained soil. Roses thrive in clay soils and love rich clay loamy soil. Whether you have a clay soil or a silty, sandy soil, add regular mulches of homemade garden compost, as this will improve your soil. The best time to apply a mulch is after watering your plant or following heavy rainfall.
My ‘Elizabeth’ rose is growing in a planter filled with a mixture of :
- One part Dalefoot Composts Double Strength Compost
- One part Melcourt SylvaGrow Multi-Purpose Compost
- One part Real Soil Company’s SuperSoil
For tips on planting containers, please click here.
Planters
If you’re planing on growing your ‘Elizabeth’ rose in a planter, select a large-sized container that measures 45cm (18inch) by 45cm (18inch). Roses have a main tap root that extends down into the ground and needs room to grow; please don’t try to cram this plant into too small a pot. Roses are thirsty, hungry plants that won’t be happy growing in a container that’s too shallow or narrow. Make sure the planter has a hole at the base to let excess water escape and run out of the bottom of the pot. Use ‘pot feet’ or small blocks of wood or bricks to raise the container off the ground.
Most Economical Way to Buy Plants
The most economical way to buy roses is to order bare root roses that have been field grown and then lifted in the late autumn and winter months, whilst the plants are dormant. Bare root roses can be ordered in advance, online and via mail order.
It’s an exciting feeling for me to be so enamoured with both of David Austin’s new roses for autumn 2022/2023; it’s great to discover two new roses that both have lovely fragrances.
More Roses
To see all of my articles about David Austin Roses, please click here.
To read about ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ – the Rose of the Year 2022, please click here.
To see more rose articles, please click here.
To see my Rose Plant Pages, please click here.
A Calendar of Rose Garden Events
To see my Calendar of UK Rose Garden Events, please click here.
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