David Austin Roses kicks off this year's Chelsea Flower Show with its David Beckham rose
The Albrighton nursery has more than 700 roses on display.
Shropshire rose grower David Austin Roses has returned to this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with more than 700 blooms and its new rose named after Sir David Beckham.
Designed as a circular space inspired by the beauty of the Cotswolds, the Albrighton rose grower’s stand invites visitors to wander among hundreds of roses in peak bloom.
David J.C. Austin said: “What makes this year’s garden special is its sense of generosity. We’ve planted hundreds of roses in total abundance, overhead climbers and the freedom for visitors to walk within it, rather than simply viewing from the outside. It’s a garden to really take a moment in.”
The display features curving pathways lead through abundant planting, framed by honey-coloured stone walls and softened by climbing roses overhead, with a gentle central fountain anchoring the garden. Unlike traditional show stands, the design encourages visitors to experience the roses at close quarters, through shifting scent, colour and light.
At the heart of the story is this year’s new rose, Sir David Beckham (named: Ausa34b16), an English shrub rose.
The rose was created for Sir David’s 50th birthday after his daughter, Harper, wished to mark the occasion with something lasting and beautiful.
In that spirit, David Austin Roses has dedicated this variety as a “symbol of enduring love”.
Sir David Beckham said: “Gardening brings people together across generations and gives so much pleasure. To be part of something that celebrates that, and the heritage of the English rose, feels very meaningful to me.”
Of the rose, David Austin Roses said it opened “from softly flushed pink buds, the blooms reveal luminous white petals touched with blush and pale yellow, each flower loosely cupped and centred with a starburst of golden stamens. Produced in generous clusters from summer until the first frosts, the pollen-rich flowers, set against dark foliage and red-tinged stems, are highly attractive to bees. Upright yet elegant, the shrub reaches 3-4 feet and is equally suited to borders or containers.”
David J.C. Austin added: “The Sir David Beckham rose represents everything we value in modern rose breeding – beauty, fragrance, charm and strength – while also marking a contemporary moment within a long horticultural tradition. We hope it will introduce a whole new raft of people to the joy of growing roses.”
The introduction of the new rose also supports The King’s Foundation, for which David Beckham serves as ambassador. A donation of £2.50 from every sale will be given to the charity, which works to build sustainable communities and provide practical education programmes inspired by the vision of Charles III, for whom the King’s Rose of 2025 was named.
David Austin Roses will also supply roses (Sir David Beckham (Ausa34b16), Alan Titchmarsh (Ausjive) and The King’s Rose (Ausa27a16) to The RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden at this year’s show.
David Austin Roses will be located at stand GPF075 at Chelsea Flower Show from Monday 18 to Saturday, May 23.
The Sir David Beckham (Ausa34b16) rose will be officially launched at the show and available to purchase from May 18 via www.davidaustinroses.co.uk, at the David Austin Roses Plant Centre in Shropshire and through selected stockists, with prices starting from £27.50 for a bare root rose.