Graham Thomas English Rose
Rosa 'Graham Thomas'
flowerGraham Thomas is among the most famous of the David Austin English roses, bred to combine the full, cupped flower form and rich fragrance of old garden roses with the repeat blooming and broader color range of modern roses. It forms an upright, bushy shrub 5 to 8 ft tall and wide with arching canes, carrying clusters of intensely fragrant, pure rich-yellow double flowers about 3.5 inches across from spring through fall. Voted the favorite rose by a federation of rose societies in 2009 and named for the great British rosarian Graham Stuart Thomas, it can be grown as a large shrub or trained as a short climber.
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Sun
full sun
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Water
Every 5 days
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Bloom
~45 days
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Difficulty
medium
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Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
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Spacing
5-6 ft. apart
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Planting Depth
Set the graft union at the soil line, or 1-2 in. below in zones 5-6
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Soil pH
6.0-6.5
Growing Details
Soil Type
Slightly acidic, well-drained loam
Hardiness Zones
Zones 5 – 9
When to Fertilize
In early spring, then again after the first bloom flush
Fertilizer
Balanced rose fertilizer or slow-release
🌱 Growing Guide
Grow Graham Thomas in full sun for the best flowering and disease resistance, in medium-moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained loam improved with compost; it also takes a little afternoon shade. Water deeply at the base in the morning. Given its size it can be grown as a big rounded shrub or trained up a support as a short climber - tie canes to a structure for the climbing effect. Prune in early spring, removing old wood and shortening the remaining canes by about a third to a half to keep a shapely, well-flowered shrub, and deadhead spent blooms to encourage the repeat. As an English rose it appreciates steady feeding and good leaf-litter hygiene to limit black spot.
🌼 Have a different variety?Cultivars of the same species usually share the same basic care — they differ mainly in flower color, height, and bloom form, not in how you grow them. So this guide still applies even if your exact variety isn't the one shown.
Planting Calendar
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Direct sow
Apr 15
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Projected first bloom
May 30
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- Catmint — A soft blue skirt that covers the shrubby base and draws bees through the long bloom
- English Lavender — Echoes the cottage-garden look and shares the sunny, well-drained soil
- May Night Salvia — Violet spikes that complement the rich-yellow blooms and feed pollinators
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
English roses can spot in humid weather - plant in sun with airflow, water at the base, and clear fallen leaves
Give the shrub room for air to move and avoid late-day overhead watering
Rinse colonies off new growth and encourage ladybugs; avoid heavy nitrogen
Handpick into soapy water in the morning rather than using traps
🌸 Blooms & cutting
The fragrant old-style blooms are lovely but soft, so cut Graham Thomas for the vase just as the cupped flowers begin to open, early in the cool morning, and enjoy the strong tea-rose scent indoors; the full blooms are short-lived but worth it. Deadhead through the season to keep new flowering shoots coming, and shape the shrub at spring pruning. Ease off feeding and deadheading about six weeks before frost.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
An ornamental shrub rose grown for fragrance and cut flowers. Bees visit the open blooms for pollen, but its real gift is the intense old-rose perfume in the garden and the vase.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.