Discover our Rose Varieties featured in the Rainbow of Roses
There is no better way to experience the sheer spectrum of colour that can be found amongst English Roses than when you are sat on the central bench in the 'Rainbow of Roses'.
Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2021
a floral symbol of hope and positivity in recognition of the many lives lost and the heroic efforts of the NHS & Keyworkers during the pandemic.
David Austin Roses' unique and uplifting ‘Rainbow of Roses’, allows visitors to Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, held in the UK, to immerse themselves in a spectrum of colour and blooms. Designed to be socially distanced, the wooden benches provide an opportunity for visitors to sit and reflect on the past year. We believe that roses bring positivity and the Corten steel planter, inspired by the rainbows the public displayed in windows during the pandemic in support of the NHS, will eventually be donated to an NHS hospital as a permanent floral installation.
Nature is joyful, restorative, cruel and uncontrollable but most of all beautiful.
New FOR 2021, Nye Bevan
At the heart of the rainbow you will find the new 'Nye Bevan (Auspital) rose, released earlier this year and named in honour of the founder of the NHS, Aneurin Bevan. £2.50 from the sale of each Nye Bevan rose will be donated to health charities including NHS Charities Together.
Over £50,000 raised for health charities in 2021
As part of our positive planting initiative this season David Austin Roses is donating £2.50 from the sales of Nye Bevan (Auspital), The Generous Gardener (Ausdrawn) and Princess Alexandra of Kent (Ausmerchant). So far over £60,000 has been raised for health-based charities including NHS Charities Together, the National Garden Scheme and the Alexandra Rose Charity.
A History of Health, Giving and Roses
The Alexandra Rose Charity first sold silk and real roses back in 1912 to raise money towards healthcare services before the NHS had been founded, providing accessible healthcare at the point of need for all. The National Garden Scheme, which allows us to visit and enjoy so many fabulous private gardens each year was founded in 1927 to raise money for district nurses.
At David Austin Roses we have been donating to health charities since 2016 with donations from the Roald Dahl (Ausowlish) rose raising £100,000 towards Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity which provides specialist nurses and support for seriously ill children. Sales of the James L. Austin English Shrub Roses also raised funds for Parkinson's UK and Cure Parkinson's to help research into Parkinson's disease.
Roses from our rainbow of roses
David Austin roses in other gardens
The cut flower garden represents the essence of garden designer Carien Van Boxtel's working garden during the pandemic. The garden includes a collection of David Austin Roses and takes inspiration from the Dutch flower fields with their repetitive ribbons of colourful blooms.
Designed by Nikki Tibbles of Wild At Heart, the Rose Tea Garden takes inspiration from the Edwardian era, and is a refuge of serenity and a place to enjoy a cup of tea in an atmosphere of tranquility. Shrub roses including Desdemona and Gabriel Oak fill the garden bed and are underplanted with grey foliage of perennials and annual bedding.
