Rosa ‘The Alnwick Rose’ is an English Shrub Rose that was bred by David Austin.  ‘The Alnwick Rose’ was first introduced in 2001, at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show.

This rose was named for Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland.  Around the time that this rose was launched, a television series was broadcast that followed the Duchess of Northumberland, as she commissioned and orchestrated the beginnings of a rather grand, new garden at Alnwick Castle.  The new Alnwick Castle gardens now feature a large and impressive water feature, a walled garden, a Poison Garden, filled with poisonous plants, and a rose garden, planted with a large number of these roses, which were named in honour of Alnwick Castle.

‘Alnwick Castle’ roses produce warm pink coloured, bowl shaped, cupped blooms.  This is a repeat flowering, fragrant rose; the flowers produce a delicious perfume, which conveys a distinctive raspberry character.  Plants will grow up to around 1.2m (4ft) tall and the same distance wide, forming rounded shrubs, with upright growth.

Plant Rosa ‘Alnwick Castle’ in a bright and sunny position.  A good soil will produce better plants, but whatever your soil, you can help your plant along by thoroughly weeding the area where your rose will be planted.  Rosa ‘Alnwick Castle’ can be planted in the ground or in a container.

If you decide to grow this rose in a pot, use a good quality, peat free compost, mixed with loam.  Soak your rose’s roots in a bucket of water for 12-24 hours.  Apply mycorrhizal fungi to your plant’s roots, prior to planting.  Then water your plant well and provide a mulch of a top quality, peat free compost, or some lovely home-made compost.