When you look at this rose, do you associate it with iron bridges?
Probably not.
And that’s understandable.
It is a gorgeous rose that looks like it belongs to a bygone era. It has a stunning fragrance that will fill your garden with a heavenly scent. It is a wonderful rose to grow in your garden.
But you might not be aware that it is named after Abraham Darby, one of the pioneers of the Industrial Revolution, who lived in Shropshire, UK.
The rose is a cross between the climber ‘Aloha’ and the floribunda ‘Yellow Cushion’. It was bred by David Austin, a famous rose breeder based in England, in 1985.
David Austin’s nurseries are located in Shropshire and he often pays tribute to the local people and places when naming his roses.
The ‘Abraham Darby’ rose was named in partnership with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, an organisation that preserves and promotes the industrial heritage of the area. The trust manages ten museums that showcase the various historic sites within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site in Shropshire. This site is widely regarded as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution.
So, now you know.
If you'd like to learn more about Abraham Darby III, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Darby_III
