AUSVELVET – crimson-red English rose – Austin
Velvety crimson-purple blooms give The Prince a richly romantic presence, forming full rosettes with a luxurious old-rose perfume that carries across the garden. Its bushy, medium-height habit suits compact spaces, creating a refined focal point in front gardens and cottage-style borders. Planted as an own-root shrub, it matures steadily for a long-lived, reliable display, coping well even where soil is heavy so long as drainage is improved. Abundant repeat flowering ensures a continuous show from summer onwards, while its shape adapts readily to light pruning or more formal training. Ideal in small groups or as a single specimen, it also repays cutting with richly scented stems for the house, becoming more impressive as roots, then shoots, then full ornamental value develop over the first seasons.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden feature shrub |
Medium height and bushy growth make it ideal near the house, offering depth of colour without overpowering a modest front garden. Its rich repeat flowering quickly rewards simple care, suiting busy yet style-conscious homeowners. |
| Small cottage-style border |
The velvety crimson-purple blooms echo classic English cottage borders, working beautifully with pale perennials and herbs. As an own-root shrub it settles in and thickens over time, supporting a long-lived, informal planting loved by beginners. |
| Romantic specimen by a path or seating area |
The very strong old-rose fragrance is best enjoyed close up, so planting beside a path, bench or terrace gives daily impact. A single, well-placed shrub offers high ornamental value with only basic feeding and watering for scented-garden enthusiasts. |
| Small groups in mixed borders |
Planted in groups of three to five, the bushy habit knits together into a compact mass, reducing gaps and weedy patches. Own-root resilience supports a stable stand over the years, ideal for low-fuss mixed-planting gardeners. |
| Cutting patch or cutting row |
Large, very double rosette blooms on a sturdy shrub give superb cut flowers with intense colour and perfume. Regular cutting doubles as deadheading, encouraging further flushes and suiting those who like effortless indoor arrangements for families. |
| Against a low fence or rail |
Its moderately dense foliage and repeat-flowering habit create a soft, romantic screen along a front boundary without needing complex training. With decent soil preparation it copes well even where clay holds moisture, reassuring cautious planters. |
| Large containers on patios (40–50+ litres) |
In a generously sized pot with good drainage, it forms a compact, richly coloured shrub ideal for patios and small urban gardens. Easy access for watering and pruning suits those short on time but keen on reliable results, including city residents. |
| Informal, lightly structured hedge |
Planted at hedge spacing, the bushy habit and repeat flowering produce a loose, romantic division between garden areas. Flexible pruning allows either a clipped or softly rounded outline, giving options for evolving designs and practical-minded owners. |
Styling ideas
- COTTAGE TRIO – Combine The Prince with pale pink roses and Gypsophila repens for a soft, cloud-like base that highlights its velvety depth – ideal for lovers of classic cottage borders.
- EVENING PERFUME – Place near a bench, path or doorway where the strong scent gathers on still evenings – perfect for those who enjoy sitting out after work.
- RICH BORDER – Weave through a narrow border with lavender and low grasses to contrast its dark rosettes with airy, light textures – suited to busy homeowners wanting high effect, low effort.
- BOURGEOIS BOUQUETS – Grow a small group in a cutting corner to harvest deeply coloured, perfumed stems for the house – appealing to creative gardeners who like arranging their own flowers.
- URBAN STATEMENT – Plant singly in a 50-litre container with trailing thyme around the base to soften the rim and emphasise its bushy form – ideal for balcony and terrace gardeners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
English shrub rose from the English Rose Collection, registered as AUSvelvet and marketed as The Prince (Ausvelvet), a romantic crimson-red English rose of exhibition shrub type. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by David C. H. Austin (UK, 1990) from ‘Lilian Austin’ × ‘The Squire’; introduced after 1992 by David Austin Roses in the United Kingdom for garden and ornamental use. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recognised in several American rose shows around 1999–2000 as a Modern Shrub Rose, including Augusta, Watauga Valley, Greater Rochester and Pacific Southwest District exhibitions. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy shrub 80–130 cm tall and 70–120 cm wide, with moderately dense, matt dark green foliage and dense prickles; forms a compact, rounded outline in typical garden conditions. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very double rosette blooms with over 40 petals, usually borne singly on stems; remontant with a generous second flush, providing substantial ornamental value over the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep crimson-red buds and newly opened flowers deepen towards royal purple; rich burgundy-magenta at full bloom, gradually shifting to purple-lilac tones with only slight lightening in strong sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, classic old-rose perfume, often noticeable from a distance; primarily an ornamental variety, as the very double blooms largely conceal stamens and offer limited value to pollinators. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally low due to very double flowers; when present, produces small, spherical orange-red hips 6–10 mm in diameter that add discreet late-season interest. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Medium disease resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust; hardy to about −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 4, USDA 5b) with regular watering during dry periods. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil; recommended spacing 65 cm for mass, 55 cm for hedge, 100 cm for specimens. Medium maintenance, including feeding, watering and occasional pest and disease control. |
AUSvelvet – The Prince – offers velvety repeat-flowering colour, powerful old-rose fragrance and a compact, adaptable shrub on its own roots for lasting structure, making it a thoughtful choice for characterful British family gardens.
