AUSBAKER – yellow climbing rose – Austin
Teasing Georgia is a romantic English climbing rose that turns compact London front gardens, courtyard fences and balconies into scented corridors of colour, even where summers are cool and windswept, with its graceful growth and naturally arching habit. Large, cupped blooms open a rich, golden yellow that softens to buttery cream at the petal edges, giving an ever-changing tapestry of tone against healthy, dark foliage. Bred by David Austin and supplied on its own roots in a manageable 2-litre container, it is designed to establish steadily and give you reassuringly long-lived structure in a small family garden. With simple planting, regular watering from stored rainwater and light seasonal pruning, this classic climber offers an easy, low-fuss route to timeless romance.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Terraced-house front wall or railings |
Ideal where space is tight, as its bushy climbing framework can be tied flat to railings or a narrow wall, creating a vertical curtain of golden blooms while leaving the pavement clear for prams and bikes, suiting the busy urban homeowner. |
| Pergola or arch in a family garden |
Its strong yet manageable growth and very double, classic English blooms make a charming tunnel of colour and fragrance over paths or small seating areas, giving children shade and adults a beautiful focal point, appreciated by the whole family. |
| Mixed border as a tall focal point |
Trained on discreet supports at the back of a border, it adds height, structure and repeat-flowering interest, while the soft yellow harmonises easily with purples, whites and blues in a low-maintenance planting scheme, encouraging the style-conscious gardener. |
| North- or east-facing city garden |
Performs reliably in partial shade, so narrow urban plots that only see morning or late-afternoon sun can still enjoy a long season of display, making it a practical choice for overlooked side gardens and light-limited beginners. |
| Large container on balcony or patio |
In a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage, this own-root climber builds a stable framework and can be trained up a trellis or wires, giving long-term value where digging is impossible and hard surfaces dominate, ideal for rental-flat residents. |
| Long-term structure on fences and screens |
Own-root growth means that, once established, the plant regenerates well from the base, maintaining a full, leafy framework and ornamental value year after year, supporting those who want planting that matures gracefully with the garden. |
| Romantic seating corner or evening terrace |
Strong tea–myrrh fragrance and soft, glowing colour make it perfect beside a bench or terrace, where evening humidity and gentle breezes carry the scent around the space, creating a calming retreat for the scent-loving owner. |
| Coastal or exposed urban plots |
Well suited where breezes and passing showers are frequent, as its flexible, bushy framework can be tied securely to supports, coping well with changeable conditions while still flowering over a long season for time-pressed city gardeners. |
Styling ideas
- Soft-Frontage Screen – Train along black railings with lavender and nepeta at the base to blur the line between pavement and garden – for design-conscious terraced-house owners.
- Golden-Pergola Walk – Cover a slim timber arch with Teasing Georgia, underplant with sage and low ornamental grasses – for families wanting impact in a small plot.
- Cream-and-Lilac Border – Use as a tall accent with catmint and pale phlox to echo its soft yellow and cream tones – for gardeners refining an existing mixed border.
- Balcony-Climber Pot – Plant one rose in a 50-litre container with free-draining, peat-free compost and a narrow obelisk – for flat-dwellers seeking vertical greenery.
- Evening-Scent Nook – Train against warm brick behind a bistro set, paired with white campanula for twilight glow – for those who unwind outdoors after work.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Climbing English Rose cultivar registered as AUSbaker, marketed as Teasing Georgia, English Rose, AUSbaker; ARS exhibition name Teasing Georgia; shrub/park and large-flowered climbing rose classification. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by David C. H. Austin in the United Kingdom in 1987, from a cross of Charles Austin with an unnamed seedling; introduced by David Austin Roses after 2000 and registered in 2000. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit and the Henry Edland Medal fragrance award (2000), alongside other national and international competition honours, confirming its ornamental and scent value. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, medium-height climber reaching about 1.8–2.7 m high with a 0.9–1.4 m spread; moderately thorny, with dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage forming a full, tie-in-friendly framework. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very double rosette blooms with over 40 petals, usually borne singly; remontant, with a notably generous second flush, giving repeated displays of classic English-style flowers through the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Rich golden-yellow flowers with paler lemon outer petals; buds medium yellow with a greenish tint; colour softens to buttery and creamy tones, creating a gentle two-tone effect as blooms age. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, noticeable fragrance combining classic tea rose notes with a distinctive myrrh character; best appreciated near seating areas or entrances where air movement can carry the scent. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasionally forms small, spherical hips about 8–12 mm in diameter, colouring orange-red; hips are not a dominant ornamental feature and are generally secondary to the long flowering period. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, Swedish Zon 4, USDA 5b); disease-prone, especially to black spot and rust, so benefits from good airflow, hygiene and considered protection in damp seasons. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best on walls, fences, arches and pergolas, also as a specimen or cut flower; plant 140–225 cm apart; tolerates partial shade; requires attentive care and regular plant protection for best performance. |
AUSbaker offers richly scented, golden blooms and space-efficient vertical structure on its own roots for long-term resilience, making it a thoughtful choice where you would like a refined, climbing focal point.
