I finally did it. After months of studying English cottage garden videos and researching the most suitable variety sold at my local garden centre, I pulled the trigger. My very first David Austin rose is officially part of my city life, and I couldn’t be happier.

The variety is called Roald Dahl, and is named after the beloved author of course. I hope this rose will be everything I wanted for my balcony: resilience, nearly thornless, and famous for its peach aesthetic. Naturally, I’ve already named this plant James, after the protagonist from my favourite Roald Dahl book.

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Why did I choose Roald Dahl?

As I will be growing this rose on my balcony, I knew I needed it to be suitable for a large planter, so I avoided rambling and climbing roses and focused on shrub varieties.

My balcony can also get quite hot in the summer sun. The Roald Dahl rose breed is known for being incredibly robust and disease-resistant. I am hopeful this is a great rose to start.

Of course, I needed to consider what was available in my area. I could’ve ordered the plant online from the British David Austin website, but why not see what my local garden nursery had available. The selection may have been slightly more limited; however, there were still plenty options to fit my needs at the garden centre in my area.

But let’s be honest, I really chose this flower because of those blooms. They start as beautiful orange-red buds and open into perfect, cupped rosettes of soft apricot. David Austin describes the scent as a “fruity tea fragrance,” and I am already imagining my morning coffee surrounded by that scent.

My hunt for a perfect planter

Now that the rose is here, the pressure is on to get a suitable pot. You can’t just put a David Austin in a standard plastic bucket and hope for the best. These roses have deep root systems and need room to breathe to stay healthy in a container.

I’m currently scouting for the perfect urn or large planter. According to the experts at David Austin, a rose like this needs a home that is at least 18 x 18 inches (45 x 45 cm).

Here is what I’m looking for:

• Depth is key: Roses have deep “taproots,” so I’m looking for something tall.
• Material Matters: Since it’s a balcony, I need to balance weight and insulation. A heavy stone urn looks classic, but a frost-proof resin or lightweight ceramic might be kinder to my balcony floor.
• Drainage, drainage, drainage: Roses hate “wet feet.” Whatever I pick must have substantial drainage holes and a tray.
• The look: I’d like to seek out a weathered, “secret garden” terracotta-style urn to complement those apricot petals.

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What’s Next?

Once I source the perfect pot, the real work begins: a mix of potting soil, the addition of mycorrhizal fungi (if I can find that too) to help the roots settle. Then I’ll place it in a sunny corner of the balcony that gets at least 6 hours of light. As it is dropping to minus 3 degrees celsius tonight, I temporarily tucked my rose inside.

I’m so excited to watch James transform into a peach-coloured masterpiece. Stay tuned for (hopefully) a photo of the very first bloom!