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    Desdemona®

    (Auskindling) English Shrub Rose Bred By David Austin
          • £3.95
          • £5.95
          • £5.95

          This is the best white rose we have ever bred in my opinion. It has a lovely scent, repeat flowers very well and is extremely healthy. It sometimes is a little slow to establish though so don’t worry too much if it takes a little getting going.

          Milly Cole
          Customer Service Team Manager
          Description
          Peachy pink buds open to beautiful, white, chalice-shaped blooms, with a pinkish hue. The incurved petals create an arresting interplay of light and shadow. The strong Old Rose fragrance has hints of almond blossom, cucumber and lemon zest. It forms a most attractive neat, rounded, bushy shrub. Named after the tragic heroine of Shakespeare’s Othello.. David Austin, 2015.
          Characteristics
          • Colour: White
            Colour may vary depending on growing conditions. Colour fade is a characteristic of some varieties.
          • Flowering: Repeat Flowering
            Repeat flowering roses flower in flushes from late spring through to early winter. Once flowering roses only produce a single flush of blooms lasting 3 to 4 weeks in mid-summer.
          • Fragrance: Strong,Old Rose
          • Bloom Size: Medium
            Bloom size varies over the life cycle of each bloom. Measurements refer to the average diameter of a bloom at its prime. Large bloom: 3.5-5" Medium bloom: 2-3.5" Small bloom: 1-2"
          • Family: English Shrub Rose
          • Size: Medium Shrub
            All measurements are approximate 'height x width' and refer to a 3 year old established rose, pruned once annually, measured during the first flush of flowers in June.
          • Height: 3 1/2ft (110cm)
          • Width: 3 1/2ft (110cm)
          • Breeder: David Austin
          • Year of Introduction: 2015
          Location
          • Roses Ideal for CuttingCutting
          • Mixed Border
          • Roses Ideal for Pots & ContainersPots & Containers
          • Rose Border
          • Roses Ideal for Rose HedgesRose Hedges
          Growing conditions
          • East, South, West Facing
          • Full Sunlight
          • Roses Suitable for All Soil TypesAll soil types
          Behind the name
          Desdemona is the tragic heroine of William Shakespeare’s Othello.
          Desdemona® inspiration

          From growing in our fields to growing in your garden, we love seeing your beautiful images of our roses in your world.

            Customer Reviews

            Based on 10 reviews
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            J
            Joan Scanlon
            A rose by any other name...

            Desdemona is one of my all time favourite roses, and my enthusiasm for it has spread to several of my neighbours so it is a delight to walk down my street in summer when it is in flower, and I often see complete strangers leaning over the garden wall to get a waft of the glorious scent when it is in flower - and it flowers for a long season. It is one of the healthiest roses I have ever grown, and it is a perfect size: it has a strong presence but remains fairly well behaved and does not jostle other plants in the same bed. There is something exquisite about the blush pink buds opening to white as they mature, and I love the subtlety and nostalgia of the old rose scent, not too sweet, not too sharp, and with a heady depth of fragrance that takes me right back to childhood and my mothers garden. I plant it everywhere - see one I planted five years ago under a pavilion in a garden in Kensington.

            C
            Carol Loughran
            Perfect

            This rose is a star ! We have only had Desdemona for 1 season and even then the roses appeared in abundance. Kept a lovely shape , lovely fragrance and healthy. We have her in a lovely big pot and are so happy with the length of flowering and quality of the rose .

            H
            Hev56
            Desdemona bareroot bush rose.

            A beautiful rose, k love the changing colours of the petals from pink to richest cream. Easy to grow, mine are in containers on fairly sunny patio.
            The smell is all that you would want from a rose, strongly fragranced and long lasting. Sunlight on the petals makes them illuminated. No disease problem and prolific

            F
            Flowerfairy
            Desdemona barefoot bush rose

            Utterly enchanting rose. Easy to grow, I have mine in containers on a fairly sunny patio. The blooms are large and change from light pink to rich cream and in sunlight are almost transparent. The scent is amazing, very strong and long lasting. No disease problems even after a disappointing summer 2024. My most treasured roses.

            D
            D. BROOKE

            Always top quality . Very happy with all the roses i have purchased

            How to plant a shrub rose
            Frequently asked questions

            Need more help? for individual help or advice, we encourage you to contact our friendly, knowledgeable team on 01902 376300.

            Bare root roses are dormant plants and can be planted November and April.

            Potted roses are available all year round and can be planted at any time of the year.

            Aside from extreme weather, roses can be planted at any time during the year. The extreme weather conditions that we advise against planting in are when the ground is frozen, water-logged or during a drought.

            We take every care to breed, grow and deliver the best roses. If a rose fails to grow or arrives damaged, we will replace it free of charge. The 5 year guarantee applies to roses purchased
            directly from David Austin. If you would like to request a replacement or refund of a rose within the 5 year guarantee period, please complete our Returns form.

            Call us on 01902 376300

            Email us here

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