Rose The Reeve

‘The Reeve’ is a dusky, romantic English Shrub Rose whose deep pink, globular blooms with a powerful Old Rose fragrance. With nodding clusters, gracefully arching stems, and richly colored foliage, it offers timeless charm - especially when planted in groups, borders, or trailing over low walls. A connoisseur’s rose with exceptional scent and vintage beauty.

FLOWERING

This rose variety ‘The Reeve’ has a recurrent flowering habit. Blooms in flushes with short breaks from summer until frosts, especially when deadheaded. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

‘The Reeve’ opens from pointed deep crimson buds that gradually unfurl into globular, deeply cupped blooms of intense rosy pink, often so tightly incurved that the petals nearly touch at the center. As they mature, the blooms relax into a more open, shallowly cupped form, exposing a glimpse of golden stamens that lend a glowing warmth to the flower's centre. Some flowers may exhibit subtle silver-pink reverses or streaks, adding visual depth to the already rich palette.

The flowers are medium-sized, measure around 8 cm (3.1 inches) in diameter and are borne in nodding clusters of 3 - 7, positioned at the end of slender, arching stems. The scalloped petals, sometimes with a Centifolia-like texture, create an "old Dutch" look reminiscent of floral paintings by Dutch painters.

‘The Reeve’ has a strong musky fragrance, very similar to old rose varieties like ‘Comte de Chambord’ or old Gallicas, once praised as one of the finest among early English Roses. It makes an excellent choice for romantic cut flower arrangements, where its deeply cupped form and scent can be fully appreciated.

PLANT

Rose variety ‘The Reeve’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. This rose forms a medium to tall shrub with gracefully arching, slender canes and a somewhat sprawling, open habit. While the plant may initially appear a little untidy or irregular in structure, it settles into a romantic, informal silhouette, especially when allowed to intertwine in groups or trail over low walls, which helps balance the loose growth with structural support. The mature and well-established plants have a height of about 125 - 150 cm (4.1 to 4.9 feet) and a width of about 100 - 125 cm (3.3 - 4.1 ft).

The foliage emerges bronzy-red, maturing to a dark, glossy green. and is typically made up of smaller leaflets. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is typically 7, including the terminal leaflet. The edges of the leaflets are serrated, the type of serration is single and medium-sized. The canes are well-armed with small red prickles, adding a rustic texture to the overall appearance. New growth adds subtle coppery tones, enhancing the depth of color in mixed borders.

This is a rose best appreciated in groups of three or more, where its graceful stems and dense flowering habit can weave into a romantic mass, softening borders or draping naturally over walls, terraces, or low hedging. Ideal for informal gardens, cottage schemes, or vintage-inspired planting plans, ‘The Reeve’ can also serve as a mood-setting feature near seating areas, where its fragrance can be enjoyed at close range. Due to its strong fragrance and nodding form, it also makes a nostalgic addition to cutting gardens, though stems should be harvested early for best vase performance.

While charming in bloom, ‘The Reeve’ can be susceptible to mildew and black spot, particularly in humid or poorly ventilated conditions. Good air circulation, generous feeding, and regular watering will encourage healthier growth and flowering.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named after Reeve, a character from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The Reeve was a manor steward: observant, meticulous, and conservative, an apt name for a rose that demands structure and thoughtful placement to truly shine.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausreeve’ / 'The Reeve’ originated by David Austin by crossing the seed parent English shrub rose ‘Lilian Austin’ with the pollen parent English shrub rose ‘Chaucer’.

USDA 5