Wilting of an English rose: top varieties vanish as disease grows in changing climate
The Guardian|November 12, 2022
Think of the quintessential English garden, and a rose will invariably spring to mind -
Wilting of an English rose: top varieties vanish as disease grows in changing climate

Helena Horton Environment reporter

but some of the most beloved varieties are being retired by growers owing to pests and disease driven by the climate crisis.

The undisputed king of rose-growing here in the past six decades has been David Austin, who died in 2018 but whose company is still going, its blooms filling gardens across the country. Now, David Austin Roses has had to stop supplying some of its best loved species because it is no longer practical to grow them.

The pink blooms and fruity tea fragrance of A Shropshire Lad have been winning it awards from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) since it went on sale in 1996. With its almost thornless stems and perfectly symmetrical petals, it soon became the climbing rose of choice from David Austin's collection for those who wanted

flowers with a pearly pink colour. But in recent weeks, it has been removed from sale. "We cannot stand still and observe as we see diseases and pests evolve as conditions and climates change, threatening the health and success of some of our most popular varieties," said Tim Smith, operations director at David Austin.

This story is from the November 12, 2022 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the November 12, 2022 edition of The Guardian.

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