Started many years ago by David Austin's vision of breeding Old Garden Rose vigor with repeat blooming and color features of hybrid tea roses, this company knows a rose.

Each category will be ranked 1 (poor) through 5 (excellent) and the catalog, website and overall company will be ranked separately. This article will review David Austin English Roses, Inc.

• David Austin English Roses Catalog Review - Examining the Printed Catalog

Number and Plant Pictures: Rating 5. The 'Handbook of Roses' as the David Austin catalog is called is 100 pages of gorgeous photography and stunning roses. Over 200 roses are featured in the handbook and while most are David Austin English Roses there are also Old Garden Roses, and select modern shrub roses, rambler roses and hybrid tea selections included.

Plant Descriptions and Cultivation Information: Rating 5. Gardeners will appreciate hearing how each English Rose acquired it's name, flower form, fragrance, growth habit information and the other details included in the description as well.

Gardening Tips: Rating 5. A true rose handbook, this catalog includes common design elements, tips for pruning, hardiness and heat information and more rose gardening tips throughout.

Prices and Discounts: Rating 4. These roses are healthy and carefully bred specialty roses, not discount mass-produced plants so the prices are higher than gardeners would find at a local nursery. Discounts are available for American Rose Society members. An online web discount is also available for the David Austin 'Featured Rose'.

Plant or Garden Packages: Rating 4. No pre-designed garden packages are available, however gardeners can try a sampling of favorite, highly fragrant or climbing roses for a good, discounted price. A free garden design service for rose customers can help first-time rose gardeners put together a romantic dream garden suited to their climate and location.

Organizational Structure: Rating 5. Simply organized and easy to follow, David Austin Handbook of Roses 2008 is broken up into different rose categories, including the main English Roses, climbers, old roses, modern shrubs, tree roses, etc.

• David Austin Roses Website Review – A Look at English Roses Online

Number of Plants and Pictures: Rating 4. All the roses are easy to find according to several different categories and the photos are beautifully shown. A gardener might wish for multiple photos of each rose however – perhaps close ups of the flower form and full, growth habit shots which are not always given.

Plant Descriptions and Cultivation Information: Rating 5. Again David Austin Roses are clearly labeled and described with tips and suggestions for using the English Roses in the garden.

Organizational Structure: Rating 5. Easy to navigate, the David Austin Roses Website has multiple ways to view the plant information.

Informational Articles and Other Features: A free garden design service for David Austin Rose customers, rose selection guide, rose pruning guidelines and other educations features are all available via the website.

• David Austin Roses Company Review - Details about the Company

Years in Business: David Austin Roses Inc. was established in 1969 in England and has recently opened a second garden in Tyler, Texas to help handle the growing number of orders.

Number of Plants Total: 229 roses are listed on the David Austin English Rose website although many more are constantly in cultivation through their breeding program and available for public viewing at the trial gardens.

Dave’s Garden Ranking: 92/100 with no negative ratings in the past 12 months.

Number and Prices of Catalogs: The Handbook of Roses catalog is published once a year and free in the UK and US.

How many exclusive to the company? Most of the roses offered for sale are English roses introduced through David Austin Roses, Inc.

Any special features or focuses for the company? David Austin Roses, Inc specifically deals in English Roses which are introduced through his rose breeding program. Very few other roses are available such as hybrid teas, shrub roses and old garden roses.

How many new plants are introduced each year? Of the thousand of rose seedlings that are started each year only 5-8 new varieties are finally released for sale to home gardeners. David Austin Roses, Inc. has strict standards for what makes a garden-ready English rose.

As a result of this careful breeding and selection, gardeners everywhere are able to enjoy Old Garden Rose charm and beauty with the heavy repeat flowering and color of a hybrid tea.

See more about David Austin English Roses on Suite101:

• Charming English Roses (blog post)