Continuing our 25th year Rose Garden rejuvenation work, last week we welcomed a very special visit from David Austin Roses!
Experts from David Austin spent the day marking out where our new roses would be planted, spray-painting the plots and positioning canes ready for planting
Then on Monday 23 March 2026, our gardening team got to work, planting around 400 new David Austin roses.
With a little sunshine and care, we hope they’ll bloom beautifully in time for our 25th Anniversary this summer.
This exciting renewal follows major preparation work in January, when 600mm of old soil was removed and 300 existing rose plants were carefully lifted to make way for the new display.
Read more about January’s clear out here
But that wasn’t the end of the story for our original roses…
The removed roses have found new homes with our staff and volunteers, with the remaining plants donated to Northumberland’s Horticultural Skills Units. These support the council’s work at Hepscott Park, Sleekburn and Minsteracres, of which The Duchess is a strong supporter
The Horticultural Skills Units provide valuable training and work experience in horticulture for adults with learning disabilities across Northumberland, helping to grow both confidence and opportunity. We’re honoured that our roses will become part of their story.
