Once considered a ‘dud’ because of his dyslexia, David Austin of David Austin Roses became one of the most accomplished rose growers in the world. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire and Victoria Medal of Honor by the Royal Horticultural Society.
“Dyslexia helps make connections
that other people don’t.”
– David Austin
David got hooked on growing roses after his sister gave him a book on Old Garden Roses. At the beginning of the 20th century, Old Roses were being replaced by Hybrid Tea roses that came in a wide variety of colors and were relatively easy to grow. Unfortunately many of them had little or no fragrance. What David wanted to do was combine the best of both types of roses – frequently blossoming roses that were available in a wide variety of colors, and petals with wonderful fragrances. He was an overwhelming successful, creating more than 200 different varieties of award-winning roses.
