Speaking during Chelsea Flower Show week at Montcalm Mayfair at a salon event to celebrate The Rose Book, former David Austin rosarian and book contributor Marriott celebrated the rose during an intimate discussion with Phaidon’s Victoria Clarke.
Marriott, who has been working on new schemes for the National Trust, where rose beds at Sissinghurst, Polesden Lacey, Mottisfont and elsewhere have been getting tired, said his favourite roses include 'Graham Thomas', and he rues that it is no longer being grown because of disease issues (Munstead Wood and Emma Hamilton are in the same boat). Marriott said persicas remain the trend and are being trialled at Wisley.
The coffee table picture book features historic pictures, illustrations and photographs, from everyone from contemporary snapper Martin Parr and Clive Nichols to Caillebotte, Dior and Redoute. Kristine Paulus, Amy de la Haye and Victoria Gager also contributed, as did florist Shane Connolly.
Chelsea 2025 featured a bumper crop of rose launches, including a Princess of Wales and Elton John from Harkness and King Charles, a raspberry ripple stripe from Austins. Roses starred in Jo Thompson's gold-winning garden too. Marriott said, thanks to the wet winter and dry and sunny spring: "I've never seen roses look so good as in 2025" and in the Phaidon book, you will see roses looking at their best too.
Marriott won the Rose Society's Dean Hole medal in 2023, the Rose Society's top award.
2025: John Anthony
2022: Chris Warner
2021: Colin Squire
2020: Angela Pawsey
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