Gardeners World death: David J.C. Austin dies aged 67
David J. C. Austin, chairman of David Austin Roses and a longtime Gardeners' World collaborator, has died aged 67 at his Shropshire home. The gardeners world death of the modest rose grower drew tributes from Monty Don, who praised an "exquisite legacy" of roses that will live on.
Key Takeaways
- David J. C. Austin died aged 67 after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
- Monty Don said Austin left "millions of exquisite roses that will live on for so many."
- Austin joined the Albrighton family business in 1990 and led it for more than three decades.
- David Austin Roses said it will continue under its leadership team and the next Austin generation.
Who was David J. C. Austin and how did he die?
According to the BBC, David J. C. Austin died at his home in Shropshire after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare condition that causes brain damage which worsens rapidly over time. He was 67.
Born in 1958, he joined the Albrighton-based family rose business in 1990. The nursery was founded by his father, David C. H. Austin, whose breeding work established the English Roses. The younger Austin went on to lead the firm for more than 30 years, helping grow it into one of the world's best-known rose brands.
His children, Richard, James and Olivia, said: "First and foremost, dad was a gardener." They described him as kind and modest, with a playful spirit, and said he faced his illness with courage and dignity.
What did Monty Don say about the Gardeners' World link?
Austin had a longstanding collaboration with Gardeners' World, with experts from the Shropshire nursery regularly featuring on the show, in the magazine and at Gardeners' World Live events. That is why this gardeners world death resonated so widely among UK gardeners.
BBC Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don wrote: "I am so sorry to hear this. My regards and condolences to all his family. But what legacy he leaves - millions of exquisite roses that will live on for so many, enriching all our lives."
The Royal Horticultural Society said it was "deeply saddened." Gardeners' World magazine and presenter Zoe Ball also shared public condolences to the Austin family.
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Will David Austin Roses keep growing after this loss?
David Austin Roses said the business would continue under its experienced leadership team, working closely with the next generation of the Austin family. The company said it remained committed to partners and customers around the world.
The children added that their father carried their grandfather's vision with humility, always putting the roses, the family business and its people before himself. For many gardeners, that stewardship is the "exquisite legacy" Monty Don described: fragrant English roses still blooming in gardens far beyond Shropshire.