Rose The Yeoman

‘The Yeoman’ charms with exquisite, richly fragrant blooms of salmon-apricot and blush pink, echoing the romance of old garden roses in a compact form. Though requiring attentive care, this early English Rose rewards dedication with head-turning beauty and an unforgettable myrrh-sweet scent.

FLOWERING

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

The flowers of ‘The Yeoman’ are a distinctive feature of this cultivar - medium to large, quartered, and flat at the top, measuring around 8 cm (3.1 inches) in diameter. Blooms emerge from rounded buds that blend pink and yellow-apricot, gradually unfolding into blooms that seem touched by dawn: peach-pink petals edged with deeper pink tips and golden-yellow reverses. As the blooms age, the yellow base tones recede, leaving a blushed apricot-pink impression reminiscent of antique paintings.

This is a rose whose fragrance is not merely pleasant but exceptional - a strong, sweet myrrh scent, fruity and resinous, evocative of the classic English Rose ideal. The fragrance lingers powerfully on warm air and has captivated many despite the plant’s cultural demands. Notably, it inherits its exceptional fragrance and bloom style from ‘Constance Spry’, while attempting to moderate the size and improve repeat flowering.

Flowers are borne singly or in small clusters and, when properly maintained, appear repeatedly throughout the growing season. Deadheading spent blooms promptly improves reflowering and reduces dieback. Despite the plant’s health concerns, the intensity of colour and perfume makes it popular among enthusiasts and collectors who prize old-style roses.

PLANT

Rose variety ‘The Yeoman’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. This rose grows into a low, compact shrub, making it especially suitable for the front of borders, edging, or container displays. In moderate climates it reaches about 75 cm (2.5 ft) in height and 60 cm (2 ft) in spread, though in warmer climates it may grow slightly taller, up to 90 cm. While visually pleasing when mature, it is known to be a slow starter, and its growth can initially appear weak, sparse, and twiggy.

The foliage is forest green, sometimes with a bronze tint in new growth, and is generally round and soft in texture. 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 large. However, it is highly susceptible to fungal diseases - notably mildew, blackspot, and rust - and often experiences dieback, especially without consistent care. For best performance, it should be planted in full sun, preferably in a dry, warm climate. Preventive fungicide sprays, regular feeding, and a deep mulch of rich compost are strongly recommended. Like many of David Austin’s early introductions, ‘The Yeoman’ thrives best with a high-input gardening style.

Owing to its lower stature and subtle tones, ‘The Yeoman’ is best planted in groups of three or five, where it forms a dense, fragrant cushion of colour. It pairs beautifully with companion plants in lavender, blue, and silver hues.

‘The Yeoman’ is ideal for front-of-border placements, containers, or cottage-style groupings, especially where fragrance is prized. Despite its modest size and finicky constitution, its romantic colour palette and intense perfume make it a valuable component in cutting gardens, herbaceous plantings, or even heirloom collections when grown in a cluster.

Rose variety ‘The Yeoman’ is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 6 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named after Chaucer's Yeoman, a loyal and sturdy servant of the Knight in The Canterbury Tales. However, unlike its namesake - a model of self-sufficiency and hardiness - this rose is delicate, and, as some critics have quipped, not the sturdiest of yeomen.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausyeo’ / 'The Yeoman’ is one of the earliest English Roses, representing Austin’s experimental blending of old rose forms with modern remontancy. It is originated by David Austin by crossing the seed parent Floribund arose ’Ivory Fashion’ with the pollen parent an unnamed and unpatented rose seedling which by itself is a result of cross pollination of the English shrub rose ‘Constance Spry’ with the pollen parent Hybrid Tea rose ‘Monique’.

Therefore the parentage of this rose can be expressed with the following formula:

’Ivory Fashion’ x ( ‘Constance Spry’ x a href="#">‘Monique’)

USDA 6