Episode 95: David Austin Roses with Michael Marriott

This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen Devito and Alice Marcus Krieg are joined via the telephone by Michael Marriott, the rosarian at David Austin Roses. David Austin is now 86 years old, and is still an enthusiastic plant breeder! Tune into this episode to learn about the myth of the English Rose, and how roses have developed to over time and through numerous cross-breeding experiments. Learn about the differences between old and modern rose species, and why some rose hybrids seem to lack “charm”. Hear why Michael left his job growing rubber to become a rosarian! Hear how rose fragrances affect our brains. What roses sell best in the United States? Find out on this episode of We Dig Plants! This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

“The great problem in the States is the differences in climates… is huge and varieties will cope very well in one climate and do absolutely dreadful in another climate.” [21:40]

“A rose that is not fragrant misses the point, really.” [15:45]

— Michael Marriott on We Dig Plants

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