One of the finest Australian rose introductions of recent years, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch is an elegant hybrid tea rose that combines refined beauty with excellent garden performance. Bred by Australian rose breeder Bruce Brundrett and released in 2000, it was named in honour of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, recognising her lifelong contribution to Australian philanthropy and horticulture. The rose also celebrates her renowned garden at Cruden Farm in Langwarrin, Victoria, one of Australia’s most admired private gardens and an enduring source of inspiration for gardeners.
The medium-sized blooms are a beautiful blend of soft gold and creamy yellow, delicately edged and flushed with warm red tones. Flower colour can vary according to soil pH, seasonal temperatures, and the amount of sunlight the plant receives, giving each flush of flowers its own subtle character. The blooms open gracefully from large, pointed buds on long, elegant stems, making them an excellent choice for cutting and floral arrangements.
Fragrance is rich and appealing, complementing the classic hybrid tea form for which this rose is admired. The healthy, deep green foliage provides an attractive backdrop to the flowers, while the compact, well-branched bush grows to around 90 cm in height, making it ideal for garden beds, borders, and dedicated rose plantings.
Flowering repeatedly from spring through summer and well into autumn, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch provides a long season of colour with regular flushes of blooms. Its combination of refined colouring, strong fragrance, and reliable repeat flowering has made it a favourite among Australian gardeners, while its connection to one of the country’s most celebrated gardens gives it a special place in Australian rose history.
Landscaping Uses
Use this as a feature rose near a pathway where the fragrance and flowers can both be enjoyed. It is also a great rose for cut flowers.
Care and Planting your Dame Elisabeth Murdoch rose
Best grown in a position in full sun or at least 6 hours of good sun a day and a well drained soil, water your new plant well the day before planting and you are ready to plant.
- Weed the area well and dig the soil over.
- Dig in some well rotted compost and aged cow manure.
- Prepare a planting hole the same depth that the rose was in the container.
- Gently remove the plant from the container.
- Place in the planting hole and backfill.
- Water in well with a liquid seaweed fertiliser.
- Lightly mulch around the plant.
- Water deeply as the soil dries over the first spring and summer.
We suggest using a general purpose rose food such as Sudden Impact for roses with an application every 8 weeks from early spring through summer. Regular seaweed fertiliser application will also help keep your Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Rose Bush flowering freely.
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Roses are available for sale online from the following participating nurseries
Bare rooted and potted. Old World, David Austin, Bush & Standard Roses. Over 400 varieties available by Mail Order.
www.magicgardenroses.com.au
One of Australia's leading Rose suppliers. Large range of Bare root rose plants available for delivery Australia wide from June to August. For Rose care information and to order online visit our website.
www.treloarroses.com.au
400 Galston Road, Galston NSW 2159
Huge range of potted roses available all year - weeping, standards, climbing, groundcover, bush, David Austin, Smooth Touch, Old World, New Releases. Rose Garden Design Service.
www.greeneroses.com.au