ALBRIGHTON, England — The man who transformed his father’s vision of the perfect English rose into a worldwide horticultural empire has died at his home in Shropshire, leaving behind a legacy rooted in fragrance, family and quiet dedication.
David J.C. Austin, chairman of David Austin Roses, passed away March 16 at age 67 after a brief battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and incurable brain condition. His family confirmed he died surrounded by loved ones at his home in Albrighton, the same rural community where the company has grown roses for decades.
From Niche Nursery to Global Name
Austin joined the family business in 1990, stepping into an operation already gaining recognition under his father, David C.H. Austin. The elder Austin, a farmer’s son, had spent years tackling what he saw as a fundamental flaw in modern roses: in breeding flowers that bloomed all summer, breeders had sacrificed scent, fullness and romance.
His solution — the “English Rose” — crossbred old garden varieties with contemporary hybrids. Against industry expectations, the public embraced them.
When the younger Austin took over as chairman, he inherited a niche nursery. Over three decades, he expanded it into one of horticulture’s most recognized names, with roses now grown under license and sold across continents. The company’s blooms have appeared in flower shows, florist windows and, most notably, in the nostalgic bridal bouquets that became a signature product.
Those who worked alongside him described a leader who never lost sight of the product itself.
A Gardener First, Businessman Second
Colleagues and family remember Austin as intensely private — more at home in a greenhouse than under public scrutiny. He preferred walking trial beds to attending boardroom meetings.
His children, Richard, James and Olivia, issued a statement calling their father “first and foremost a gardener.” They said he carried his own father’s vision forward “with humility and an unwavering sense of responsibility, always placing the roses, the business and its people ahead of himself.”
They described him as kind, modest, playful and sharp, noting he faced his illness “with the same quiet courage he brought to everything else.”
Tributes From the Gardening World
The Royal Horticultural Society expressed deep sadness at the news. Broadcaster and gardening writer Monty Don noted that Austin left behind “millions of exquisite roses that would go on living long after him” — a tribute literally rooted in the plants themselves.
Online, hundreds of gardeners posted memories beneath the company’s announcement, many recounting roses that survived house moves, marriages and decades, all traceable to the same Shropshire nursery.
Continuity in the Garden
The company has stated operations will continue under its existing leadership team, working alongside the next generation of the Austin family.
The loss comes less than eight years after David C.H. Austin died in December 2018 at age 92, having spent 75 years pursuing the same ideal: that a rose should be beautiful and fragrant.
With both founders now gone, the company enters a new chapter — though with a third generation already close to the business, the gardens they cultivated are expected to bloom on. As one family friend noted, the roses themselves are unlikely to notice the difference.