OTHER VARIETIES OF

The rose Darcey is a member of the ‘David Austin Wedding Roses’ collection. In the year 2000 David Austin began breeding for cut roses with the shapes and fragrances of old Garden roses but with the vase life of a commercial cut varieties.

The colour of this intriguing rose is transformed as the bloom ages. David Austin Wedding Rose Darcey™ is bright magenta in the bud, opening to rich raspberry red colour, then finally developing velvety purple tones as the bloom ages.

The flowers of the David Austin Wedding Rose Darcey™ are in the form of incurved cups at first, opening out to perfect rosettes with many perfectly arranged petals. When fully open, a beautiful cluster of golden stamens can be seen in the heart of the rose.

The attractive matt green foliage is very characteristic of old roses.

There is a very light fruity tea scent to be discovered in the David Austin Wedding Rose Darcey.

Darcey dries beautifully if the flowers are hung upside down to air in a dark, dry place before the blooms have fully opened. Leave for about two or three weeks until they are completely dried. The dried roses will be a sensational dark purple colour.

Darcey has a long vase life of at least seven days.

Specifications of David Austin Wedding Rose Darcey™:

• Shape : Rosette
• Color : Raspberry red
• Petal Count : 125
• Diameter : 10-12 cm
• Fragrance : very light fruity tea
• Vase Life : 9-10 days
• Breeder : David Austin
• Plant Name : Auschariot
• Best use after: 6-7 days

DID YOU KNOW

David Austin was born in 1926 on the farm where he lived all his life. He is the son of a farmer and began farming before going into business as a nurseryman in the early 1960s. From an early age, he has been interested in gardening.

In the 1940s, a copy of George Bunyard’s book on old roses gave him the idea of crossing old roses with modern roses. The old roses – that is the Gallicas, Damasks, albas, etc. – had all but died out at that time. His objective being to create new roses in the style of old roses, thus combining the unique charm and fragrance of old roses with the wide color range and repeat-flowering qualities of modern roses. He was also particularly interested in producing well-formed shrubs that would make good garden plants.

In the year 2000 David began breeding for cut roses. He was looking for roses with the shapes and fragrances of old Garden roses but with the vase life of commercial cut varieties. Tambuzi, Rosaprima, and Alexandra farms amongst others are growing these varieties for the cut flower markets of the world and they are testing dozens of new varieties for introductions in the coming years.

David Austin died in December 2018. He will be remembered as one of the greatest rosarians and rose breeders of all time who is responsible for creating the world’s first horticultural brand. With over 240 varieties to his name, David Austin was still absolutely passionate about developing new varieties of English Roses until the very end. He died already knowing what the future may hold, having planned and undertaken the next crosses, which will hopefully create a new rose that will be introduced in nine years’ time.