Overview

Rosa 'Tottering-by-Gently' (Auscartoon) is a deciduous shrub — repeat-flowering english shrub rose in the genus Rosa, part of the Rosaceae family. Rosa 'Tottering-by-Gently' (Auscartoon) grows best in full sun or partial shade; tolerates a lighter position better than most yellow roses, and tolerates most soils and acid and neutral or alkaline pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H6 — hardy in all of the UK (USDA 5a–9b). Confirm against your source of record before publishing, as suppliers quote a wider zone range.. Suggested uses include mixed and shrub borders, cottage gardens, informal rose hedging, wildlife and pollinator planting, large containers, cutting for informal arrangements and autumn and winter interest from hips. It is native to Of garden origin. Bred by David Austin Roses in Shropshire and introduced at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2018. Not a wild species and native nowhere; the genus Rosa is distributed across the northern hemisphere..

About

A departure from the densely petalled Austin roses. The flowers are single — five soft butter-yellow petals around a wide central boss of golden stamens — each around 6cm across and held in large, open, airy sprays that can carry a dozen or more blooms at once. The colour pales attractively as the flowers age, so a mature spray shows several tones at the same time, from fresh yellow at the centre to near-cream at the outer tips. Flowering begins in early summer and repeats in generous flushes until the first hard frosts. The shrub itself is rounded and well branched, with healthy dark green divided foliage and good natural disease resistance. Left undeadheaded from late summer, it sets a heavy crop of large orange-red hips that hold well into winter and feed birds. The open flower form makes the pollen and nectar freely available to bees, hoverflies and butterflies, which is a large part of its appeal. Named to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of Annie Tempest's Tottering-by-Gently cartoon, first published in Country Life in January 1994.

About the genus

A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae, or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. The plants range in size and form, from trailing and erect shrubs to climbers up to 7 metres (23 ft) in height.

Wikipedia contributors, "Rose", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Rose

In the garden

Tottering-by-Gently (Auscartoon) is recorded within the genus Tottering-by-Gently. Published information on its origin, hardiness or cultural needs is not provided here, so confirming source details with the nursery or supplier is essential before planting. Where possible, obtain a labelled plant and any written growing notes from the supplier to avoid uncertainty over provenance or naming. When cultural details are unknown, accept that the first season is an observational period: grow plants initially in containers or a sheltered, easily adjusted site so you can modify position and feeding as you learn how the plant behaves. Use a free-draining medium in pots and water to establish roots, and avoid committing to permanent borders until size and frost reaction are clear. If you plan to transplant, do so in mild conditions and keep a planting record tied to the name Tottering-by-Gently (Auscartoon). Suitability around the garden depends on eventual size and form, so match any planting position to the plant’s mature dimensions once established. Share your observations back to the supplier to improve the collective understanding of Tottering-by-Gently (Auscartoon) for other UK gardeners.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Rosa

Sunlight

Full sun or partial shade; tolerates a lighter position better than most yellow roses

Soil type

Clay, loam, chalk or sand — most garden soils, provided they are reasonably fertile

Soil pH

Acid, neutral or alkaline

Soil moisture

Moist but well-drained

Aspect

South, east or west facing. Avoid a cold, fully north-facing wall.

Exposure

Sheltered or exposed

UK hardiness

H6 — hardy in all of the UK (USDA 5a–9b). Confirm against your source of record before publishing, as suppliers quote a wider zone range.

Plant details

Rosa 'Tottering-by-Gently' (Auscartoon) size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Deciduous shrub — repeat-flowering English shrub rose, medium-sized and rounded in habit. Height and spread approximately 1.25–1.4m.

Suggested uses

Mixed and shrub borders, cottage gardens, informal rose hedging, wildlife and pollinator planting, large containers, cutting for informal arrangements, autumn and winter interest from hips

Native to

Of garden origin. Bred by David Austin Roses in Shropshire and introduced at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2018. Not a wild species and native nowhere; the genus Rosa is distributed across the northern hemisphere.

Fragrance

Light to medium musk, with a fresh note of orange peel. Carried on the air rather than needing to be sought out, and strongest in warm weather on a still evening.

Toxicity

No toxic effects reported for people or pets. The stems carry prickles, so plant away from paths and handle with gloves.

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Rosa 'Tottering-by-Gently' (Auscartoon)

Cultivation

Plant bare-root between late autumn and early spring, or container-grown at any time the ground is workable. Dig a hole wider than it is deep, work in well-rotted manure or garden compost, and set the graft union at or just below soil level. Water thoroughly in the first two summers and during dry spells thereafter. Feed with a specialist rose fertiliser in early spring and again after the first flush, and mulch generously each spring with well-rotted organic matter. Avoid planting into ground where roses have grown before without replacing the soil, to reduce the risk of rose replant disease. Naturally healthy, though blackspot may appear in a wet season — clear and bin fallen leaves rather than composting them. Space at roughly 90cm for a continuous hedge, or 1.2m as a specimen in a mixed border.

Pruning

Prune in late winter or early spring while dormant. Remove dead, damaged and crossing stems, then reduce the remaining framework by roughly a third to a half, cutting to an outward-facing bud to encourage the rounded shape. Older shrubs benefit from having one or two of the oldest stems taken out at the base each year to renew the framework. Deadhead through summer to keep the flushes coming, then stop deadheading from around late August so the hips can develop. A light tidy in autumn on exposed sites reduces wind rock.

Propagation

Propagate by hardwood cuttings taken from ripened current-season growth in autumn, inserted into a sheltered trench of free-draining soil and left in place for a full year. Semi-ripe cuttings in late summer under cover will also root. Do not raise from seed — as a hybrid it will not come true, and the resulting seedlings will not resemble the parent. Note that this cultivar is protected by plant breeders' rights, so propagation for sale or distribution is not permitted; commercial stock comes from David Austin Roses and its licensed growers.

Frequently asked questions

More in the Rosa genus

• 
  Rosa 'Alpine Sunset' (HT)
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  Rosa 'Barbara Richards' (HT)
• 
  Rosa 'Chaplin's Pink Companion' (Cl)
• 
  Rosa 'Dutch Gold' (HT)
• 
  Rosa 'Gavotte' (HT)
• 
  Rosa 'Geranium Red' (F)
• 
  Rosa 'Hovyn de Tronchère' (HT)
• 
  Rosa 'Mabel Morrison' (HP)