English Rose Darcey Bussell
The English Rose Darcey Bussell bred by David Austin
Profiling plants which we grow in our garden, results, that on occasions my posts may not reflect the current month.
Not the case with the English Rose Darcey Bussell, picture above was taken in November and the two below in July.
Performance in our Garden
First of all, for any of my visitors from Aberdeen, its important to be aware that the David Austin Roses do not thrive in the North East of Scotland.
Jim Mccoll the presenter of the gardening show Beechgrove gardens, informed me of this many years ago. Well, you know what its like, I had to find out for myself. I didn’t half persevere , and over a five year period Jim proved to be correct, The Roses performance were mediocre in their first year, deteriorating rapidly thereafter.
Here in our Cheshire garden, this Rose was purchased as a pot grown plant, and planted in May of this year in a west facing border of the back garden. A few buds were starting to form, and by early July blooms were fully open. General quality of the shrub has been excellent, sturdy, bushy, with a height of about 90cm/3ft blooms have been pretty much continuous.
Plant description
The deep crimson blooms of Darcey Bussel (named after the world famous ballerina) are fully double and have the old fashioned appearance which we have come to expect from David Austin Roses.
As the blooms age, they have a distinct hint of mauve just before dying off. David Austin describes the fragrance as being fruity.
Although these English Roses have the appearance of the old fashioned varieties, they differ in their ability to bloom freely throughout the season, none more so than this one I highlight today. The compact bushy form, makes it ideal for the mixed border, has to be one of the best red Roses we have had in the garden, in fact I think (I’ll give it TEN)
Pruning advice from David Austin
*** Darcey Bussell ***
Did you ever watch television gardening programmes before colour arrived
These nutty thoughts pop into my head willy nilly! I guess it starts when I first saw television in 1952/53 when I was seven/eight years old. Father had just died and an uncle and aunt who lived in Edinburgh took us away for a while, probably to help mother in her grieving and to get her head around how she was going to cope with bringing up three kids after the loss of her husband.
Well anyway, television, in spite of the awful time in our lives, I was blown away, the first programme my brother and I saw was (The Grove Family) probably the first British tv soap. It didn’t matter that it was black and white, I would watch anything, even cricket.
It was 1954 when television arrived in Aberdeen, I don’t think it arrived in time for the Queens Coronation in 53 but I may be wrong.
The first time I saw a gardening related programme on television was in 1954 when Percy Thrower had a slot on an afternoon show where he was seen potting up plants and so on in a greenhouse. Percy Thrower went on to host gardening club in 1955, and for two decades or more anyone showing an interest in gardening would receive a comment like, oh my, a right Percy Thrower aren’t you.
Television reached our household in 1955 when I was 10 years old. The screen size available was generally 12 inch,14 inch or if you were well off a 17 inch. We had an (Ultra 15 inch) which I think was a one off as I never heard of anyone else with a screen this size.
I wonder if any of you other oldies remember the celebrity’s on the tv screen in those early days. What about the comedians, the first I can recall was Max Wall, just about killed me laughing at the age of nine with his black tights and crazy antics. (Bill Maynard), many will remember him as Greengrass in the popular series (where the heart is) but long before that, in 1955 he started off as a very young comedian, cheeky chappy style with his trademark of wearing very sloppy sweaters.
The earliest American comedy series which I can recall in those days was (I married Joan) with Jim Backus and Joan Davis, she played a real scatterbrain in the style of Gracie Allen, Burns and Allen, that was another great comedy show.
Dave King UK tv presenter and entertainer was never off the box in the 1950s, also Charlie Chester, Jimmy Edwards,Tony Hancock and Harry Worth. Better not get me going on popular music or radio before I was nine years old.
Where was I, oh yes, the highly optimistic decision to give us television gardening before the advent of colour. As well as the Rose Darcey Bussel we planted a few other Roses, lets have a look at how it was in Percy Trowers days.
Well, maybe not.
Another Rose still blooming in November is the climber Aloha
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(Wildeve) David Austin shrub Rose nice blooms, floppy habit
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Climbing Rose Golden Showers **** English Rose Benjamin Britten
Climbing Rose New Dawn red
Ghislaine de Feligonde in June (Multi-flora climber)
Couldnt resist adding the Passion Flower (Passiflora Caerulea) blooming in late October
-12-50-63
In some ways I think it was better back then, or does my memory play tricks with me.
David Austin roses are very special, so dainty. I enjoyed remembering early TV too. We got TV just in time for the Queen’s coronation in 1952. I remember standing in the street watching TV in shop windows. Later we got our own and my parents and I loved I Love Lucy. I don’t know if that time was better than now or just different. There was bullying then just not cyberbullying and less awareness.
Couldn’t agree with you more Alistair, we have certainly had the best and most interesting years.
Hi Rick
I think we were lucky to have been born when we were. Missed all the really bad stuff and been able to have enjoyed the good.
Hi Alistair, I would love to grow more roses but the lack of sun and dampness in my garden means that I do not have much success and inevitably suffer from black-spot even with so called resistant varieties. I loved your comments about TV my first true memory was of my parents getting a set to watch the Coronation, and having, what seemed to be most of the neighborhood, crammed in the front room with the curtains closed and no lights on all peering at the tiny screen. I was looking at some old AGS magazines the other day from the 1980’s and wondered how we used to be enthused by them when we had no idea of the true colour and in group shots could very often only make out different plants by their structure.
Wakey,wakey, I remember them all Pam even music while you work.
I always had trouble with roses in containers Helene. I think the watering is the biggest problem, especially getting waterlogged with inadequate drainage and as you say drying out at times also.
Got rid of your Passion flower, i’m off to see why, the growth our one has made in such a short time makes me suspect there lies the problem.
Oh, Darcey Bussell is on my wish-list, she has been there for a while! But the only way for me to add more roses is by growing them in containers and I don’t have such good experience with container roses. They grow fine for a few years and then they get all sorts of problems. Not sure if it’s a soil problem or if they need much more feeding than I give them or if it’s the inevitable stress of drying out now and then – or all of the above. The roses growing in the ground are far happier, but I run out of space on the sunny side. I planted Wildeve on my shady side, just as an experiment, as it is said to tolerate (some) shade – probably not as much as mine gets though. It flowers, but after 2 years I can’t call it profusely. I’d love to include Darcey Bussell to my collection, maybe I can get rid of something. Oh, and I got rid of my passionflower, did you see my post 2 weeks ago? http://graphicality-uk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/november-in-london.html Best thing I did, don’t regret it at all!
As for B/W TV, I was too young to take an interest in gardening programs back then, I do remember watching my grandparents TV as a child but I don’t think we questioned the fact that there were no colours – it was supposed to be like that. I was 13 when we got our first TV at home, in 1977 and everyone else around us seemed to have had TV for ages already. However, our TV was a 28” colour TV and no one I knew had a colour TV so that was a bit special, kind of worth waiting for I guess!
During the war it was called Forces Favourites, and my mum always called it that name, so it stuck with me. Jean Metcalf was the announcer back then, too. Here are some more for you: Educating Archie, The Goon Show, Mrs. Dale’s Diary, Ray’s a Laugh, The Archers, Billy Cotton Band Show. xx
Well, I was five in 1950. Dont get me going on radio programmes Pam, I have a photographic memory. I remember the Sunday programme so well and the introduction music sticks in my head like glue. The Programme in the 50s was actually called two way family favourites introduced by Jean Metcalf and Cliff Michelmore. While I have you, what about.
Life with the Lyons
Journey into space
Meet the Hugetts (loved her voice)
Dick Barton
Riders of the range now i’m boring everyone, again
Love your Darcey Bussell. Growing David Austins is a real challenge here in PA — much like Aberdeen, I think. Glad you have better luck in your new location. This is a fun post about early TV, Alistair. And it got all of us revealing our ages. We had our first TV (9 inches)in England in 1950 when I was nine years old. That’s when my folks discovered I needed glasses, so my first memories are a bit blurry. It was a novelty, but I remember radio programs much more clearly. I loved ‘Forces Favourites’ on Sunday. I can smell roast beef and Yorkshire pudding cooking as I think about it. Way before your time, probably. P. x
Surely this is a site well worth seeing.
Colour tv didn’t arrive in the UK until 1969/70 The colour quality was good but I recall that they used a different method or system than was used in the USA. It was supposed to be better, but mind you they kept us waiting.
I enjoyed your story on the advent of TV the most. A bit before my time, but I do remember the B&W TV my parents had, but we always watched the color TV. Like you said, imagine a garden show without color. The funny thing was, as wonderful as it was to have color, the colors were horrid. I don’t know if I was aware then, but now with HD TVs everywhere, it is so apparent how technology changed and so quickly. Roses are nice to see and receive, but so much work here to keep them healthy.
Food tv, wish I had thought of that as a comparison.
Wow, blooming in November! Quite pretty! I love Austin roses, though I don’t currently grow any. Between the thorns and the fussiness, I tend not to grow too many roses, beautiful as they are. I remember watching on our black-and-white tv when I was young, though I didn’t watch any gardening programs! That is very optimistic, when one can’t see the colors. Then again, food tv is so popular, when one can’t smell or taste all the food!
Sunil
We would have had loads of them in our Aberdeen garden if they had been happier with the conditions. Dont get me wrong many Roses grow well in Aberdeen in fact it was once known as the city of Roses.
Debs
letting me smell a good meal without tasting it. I was searching my empty head for a quote like that.
Your Darcey Bussell rose deserves a 10! I love the color. Your talking about black and white tv reminds me of black and white garden photos. Some gardeners talk about how helpful theses types of photos are in analyzing the garden. Perhaps, but to me it is like letting me smell a good meal without tasting it. Give me color, please!
Hi Alistair, I love David Austin roses and as roses go, would pretty much only consider those to plant in the garden. You can keep the hybrid teas and floribundas, they just don’t do it for me. The English roses are the ones I like best and I already have a few. Darcy Bussell (along with several others) are on my shopping list so I’m very glad to read such a glowing review of them here.
Donna
I had just been wondering if you had got caught up in the serious snow storm.
Cant quite garden all year round, but the climate is moderate.
What a lovely color that Darcy is, Alistair. It must be so gratifying to be able to garden all year and to have roses blooming so nicely. Here because of weather and critters who like to forage on roses, I grow mostly Knockouts and they along with Fairy roses bloomed right up to the big freeze and snow. Only 8 inches last weekend and a dusting here or there but 3 hours west is where they got 7 feet.
Being just a bit younger, I remember B and W TV in the early 60s but I can’t say I ever saw a gardening show in B and W.
Hi Angie
Its a compact bushy plant, good chance of squeezing it in. We had Rhapsody in blue in Aberdeen, I liked it.
At 69 I am probably one of the oldest swing,** I mean bloggers around and not much chance of others going back so far.
I love the Darcey Bussell rose and admire it each time I walk past it in a GC Alistair, now you are teasing me too – you naughty man! I am only this year ‘getting into’ roses and am regretting my decision to choose Rhapsody in Blue over Darcy. I’m sure if I put my mind to it I could squeeze her in.
That aside, I had no idea that DA Roses wouldn’t do well up in Aberdeen. You must be pleased you can now grow them down in Chesire. All my roses are DA, I hope they are happy here in Edinburgh. All your roses are lovely and I’ve quite a few flowering myself this November.
I am a bit younger than you and for obvious reasons don’t remember the TV shows you are talking about but do clearly remember a time when TV shows were not in colour.