About David Austin® Bathsheba® Potted Rose Bush

Rosa ‘Auschimbley’ Bathsheba®

Bathsheba® is a rose that feels both graceful and quietly dramatic. As a compact climber, she brings height and softness at once, producing large, deeply cupped blooms in the most beautiful blend of creamy apricot and soft yellow. Her petals catch the light in a way that makes each flower feel almost illuminated, adding warmth and dimension wherever she grows.

Her fragrance is exceptional. It carries a rich myrrh character layered with a gentle honey sweetness, creating a scent that feels warm, comforting, and deeply memorable. This is a rose to plant where you can experience her at eye level, trained along an arbor, trellis, or garden structure where her blooms and fragrance can surround you.

She blooms generously in flushes from late spring through frost, offering a steady presence across the entire growing season. Her foliage is glossy, deep green, and highly disease-resistant, providing a beautiful, healthy backdrop to her luminous blooms.

Bathsheba® thrives in full sun and performs best in rich, moist, well-drained soil with slight acidity. Her naturally manageable climbing habit makes her ideal for smaller spaces where you want the romance of a climbing rose without overwhelming scale.

💐 Plant & Flower Traits

🌹 Rose Type: English Climbing Rose (Shrub)
🧬 Breeder: David Austin Roses (United Kingdom)
🎨 Color: Creamy apricot to soft yellow (warm apricot-orange tones)
🌸 Petal Count: Very full, double blooms
💠 Bloom Form: Large, deeply cupped English rosette
🔁 Flowering: Repeat bloomer from late spring through fall (until frost)
🧴 Fragrance: Strong — myrrh and honey

🏡 Growth & Garden Habits

🌿 Growth Type: Compact climbing shrub rose
☀️ Light Requirements: Full sun
❄️ Hardiness Zones: USDA 5–11
📐 Spacing: 3′
↕️ Height: 6′–10′
↔️ Width: 2′–4′
🌍 Origins: Asia, Europe

🛡️ Health & Suitability

💪 Disease Resistance: Excellent — glossy foliage and strong natural health
🌱 Root Stock: Own Root or Budded

🧤 Maintenance Needs

Bathsheba® is a remarkably healthy and reliable climbing rose, and while she offers excellent disease resistance, she still benefits from consistent care to ensure her full beauty and longevity. I consider her medium maintenance, which reflects the simple, thoughtful care that allows climbing roses to thrive year after year.

In humid climates or areas with frequent rainfall, preventative fungicide treatments can help protect her foliage from common rose conditions such as black spot, powdery mildew, and rust. Full sun, good airflow, and rich, well-drained soil all contribute to her strength and vitality.

It is also helpful to occasionally monitor for common pests such as aphids, thrips, mites, and leafhoppers. When planted in healthy soil and given proper support, Bathsheba® establishes quickly and becomes a strong, resilient presence in the garden.

🌿 Landscape Uses

Bathsheba® brings a rare combination of vertical elegance and softness. Her naturally manageable climbing habit allows her to add height and structure without overwhelming the space, making her incredibly versatile.

She is especially beautiful when trained on:
• Trellises and garden arches
• Walls and vertical garden structures
• Entryways and garden gates
• Foundation plantings where vertical softness is desired
• Large containers with obelisks or supports
• Mixed garden borders where she can rise above surrounding plantings

She creates living architecture, adding dimension, movement, and fragrance to the garden.

🌿 Companion Plants

I especially love pairing Bathsheba® with companions that soften her base while enhancing her romantic, layered presence.

• Catmint — adds gentle movement and cool-toned contrast at her feet
• Lilac — creates a rich, layered, fragrant backdrop
• Coneflower — adds structure and extends seasonal interest

🤍 Why Gracie Loves Bathsheba®

Bathsheba® is one of those climbers that makes the garden feel like a story. Her blooms are deeply cupped and luminous, the kind of apricot-and-cream color that looks like it’s lit from within. And her fragrance — myrrh with honey — is warm, distinctive, and unforgettable.

I love how she transforms vertical spaces without feeling overwhelming. She brings height, softness, and romance all at once, and she does it with beautiful health and repeat bloom. Bathsheba® draws the eye upward and makes the whole garden feel more layered, more complete, and more magical.

As with all living plants, roses naturally vary depending on climate, season, and growing conditions. This variation is part of what makes each garden uniquely your own.