Somewhere between here and there–

Autumn in the Midwest

November now-Late fall, crunchy leaves, shades of muted yellows and browns, trees standing stark against this November gray.

In the midst of a dreary rain on a late fall afternoon, one must dream forward to an invincible spring, one where everywhere the gardens awaken. Only a glint of sun now and even that is fading. November days fall fast across skies sketched an infinite gray.

But come spring? At first glimpse of hope sustained, yellow and purple crocus awaken from their deep slumber. Yellow, white, and peach-colored daffodils, red tulips, and purple and pink hyacinth soon follow. Flowering trees in shades of pink begin opening in springtime’s plentiful sunshine.

And roses? A veritable palette of ever-blooming pinks, reds, yellows burst into bloom come June. Their fragrance wafts and lingers. Some tea hybrids bloom well into early fall-September, October. The climbing roses inspire sketching, for from their tender tendrils come prolific pink and red blooms. Drift roses, our ground roses, open in lovely shades of red, yellow, peach, and white. Oh for spring. Oh for June roses.

Blooming roses, for the next few wintry months, grace the catalogues. All roses delight, even the ones in online catalogues. Especially these roses. Literary Roses. David Austin Roses. Here’s one of my favorites:

from the November Journals of Most Beloved

(Ausvibrant) English Shrub Rose Bred By David Austin

Color: Deep pink Flowering: Repeat Flowering Fragrance: Strong, Tea/Old Rose Size: Large Shrub 4 1/2ft 4ft Bloom Size: Large

Large, deeply cupped flowers, blending deep pink, magenta and red – the outer petals tending towards light purple, with an almost silvery quality. There is a delicious Tea and Old Rose scent, with hints of cedar wood. It makes an attractive, bushy shrub.

Young Lycidas, David Austin Roses

A Note from Most Beloved

I could-and do-linger over the beautiful photographs of the David Austin roses online. A Literary Collection of English Roses? Couldn’t be more perfect. How delightful to peruse the David Austin catalogue, savor the literary names, and see the photos of roses that accompany such formidable writers! Completely my cup of tea. Absolutely purrfect for this dismal drip, drip, drip weather. Off to read, perchance to nap. And dream, of course, of roses.

Ever truly yours,

Most Beloved

Tess of the d’Urbervilles®(Ausmove) English Climbing Rose, Bred By David Austin

Color: Crimson-red Flowering: Repeat Flowering Fragrance: Medium, Old Rose Size: Short Climber 8ft Bloom Size: Large

A striking climber bearing large, deeply cupped, bright crimson-red blooms, with a pleasing Old Rose fragrance. It is a relatively compact climber clothed in large, dark green leaves.

Tess of the d’Urbervilles®(Ausmove) English Climbing Rose, Bred By David Austin

English [Shrub] Roses have natural, shrubby growth which makes them ideal for both rose borders and combining with other plants in mixed borders.

Princess Anne, David Austin Roses

Color: Rich pink

Flowering: Repeat Flowering

Fragrance: Medium, Tea

Size: Large Shrub 4ft 4 1/2ft

Bloom Size: Large

Princess Anne Rose, David Austin

Best For Flowering

The young flowers are deep pink, almost red, fading to pure rich pink. The rather narrow petals are unusually substantial, with a hint of yellow on their undersides. Held in large, fragrant clusters, they are produced with remarkable freedom. A particularly healthy variety; it forms a bushy, upright shrub with thick, succulent, highly polished foliage.

Princess Anne/Shrub Rose, David Austin

Snippets from the Literary Collection of English Roses from the David Austin blog:

A Note from Most Beloved

I highly recommend reading and paging through the David Austin blog in its entirety.

English Rose Varieties Inspired by Literary Classics

On Creating Roses

Creating a rose is not dissimilar to writing a literary classic; both take patience, dedication and an innate understanding of the subject. A keen writer and poet, David Austin Snr. was a lover of literature spending many an hour among his beautiful roses with a good book. It is therefore not surprising that many of those beloved characters, tales and poems feature in our rose collection.

David Austin Roses, Literary Collection of Roses

Our English rose varieties inspired by Literary classics Creating a rose is not dissimilar to writing a literary classic; both take patience, dedication and an innate understanding of the subject. A keen writer and poet, David Austin Snr. was a lover of literature spending many an hour among his beautiful roses with a good book. It is therefore not surprising that many of those beloved characters, tales and poems feature in our rose collection.

David Austin Blog, Literary Collection of English Rose

Emily Brontë (Ausearnshaw) English Shrub Rose Bred By David Austin

English Rose Varieties Inspired by Literary Classics

Description of Emily Brontë English Shrub Rose

An exceptionally beautiful rose; the distinctive blooms are very neat and rather flat. Each bloom is a lovely soft pink, with a subtle apricot hue, the smaller central petals deepening to rich apricot and surrounding a button eye, which unfurls to reveal deep-set stamens. The strong Tea fragrance becomes more Old Rose, with delicious hints of lemon and grapefruit. It forms a bushy shrub with strong, healthy, upright growth.

Emily Brontë English Shrub Rose, David Austin Roses

I have not broken your heart – you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.

Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Origin of Its Literary Name

The Brontë Society asked us to name this rose to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of the novelist, Emily Brontë.Her much-loved novel, Wuthering Heights, was published in 1847, a year before her untimely death at the age of 30.It is a dark tale of passion and revenge, centered around the relationship between Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff.

David Austin Roses Emily Brontë English Shrub Rose

Characteristics of Emily Brontë

Color: Soft Pink Apricot Fading To Cream

Flowering: Repeat Flowering

Fragrance: Strong, Tea/Old Rose Bloom

Size: Large Family: English Shrub

Rose Size: Medium Shrub 4ft 3 1/2ft

Breeder: David Austin

Year of Introduction: 2018

Suitable for zones: Zones 5-11

Petal Count: 106 petals

David Austin Roses, Literary Classics, Emily Brontë(Ausearnshaw) English Shrub Rose