Illustration
Gertrude Jekyll
Rosa 'Ausbord'
Gertrude Jekyll blooms from May through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Gertrude Jekyll
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–10. Expect it to reach about 5 ft tall and 4 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (checked).
What was checked
Fifteen fields were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it, with every unsettled point written down and decided: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, soil, diseases, pests, toxicity, the plant's own names, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Gertrude Jekyll
Plant Gertrude Jekyll in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 7, the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 10, spring means March to May and fall means September or October. Once settled, it blooms from May to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 7, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 7 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Gertrude Jekyll get?
5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult4 ftwideSee Gertrude Jekyll in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Gertrude Jekyll
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Gertrude Jekyll about 4 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Gertrude Jekyll to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Gertrude Jekyll's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, years to mature size, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 8 published sources on August 16, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- RHS(Rosa Gertrude Jekyll ('Ausbord' PBR) (S))height, spread, sun, water, bloom months and color, years to mature size, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity
- Missouri Botanical GardenRosa 'Ausbord'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- NC State ExtensionRosa Gertrude Jekyll 'AUSboard'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, diseases, pests and toxicity
- David Austin Roses(US) - the breeder's own shrub pageheight, spread, hardiness zones, bloom months and color, years to mature size, trait tags and soil
- Heirloom RosesUS own-root nurseryheight, hardiness zones, sun, water and bloom months and color
- Grace Rose Farmthe cultivar's CLIMBING formheight, hardiness zones and diseases
- David Austin Rosessame breeder voice as the US page, quoted for its different regional f...height and spread
- ASPCARose entrytoxicity
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
35 more colors in the English (David Austin) Roses group
Same genus, similar care - pick the one you are growing.
- Abraham Darby
- Boscobel
- Carding Mill
- Charlotte
- Claire Austin
- Darcey Bussell
- Desdemona
- Emily Brontë
- Eustacia Vye
- Gentle Hermione
- Golden Celebration
- Graham Thomas
- Harlow Carr
- Heritage
- James Galway
- James L. Austin
- Jubilee Celebration
- Juliet
- Lady Emma Hamilton
- Lady of Shalott
- Molineux
- Munstead Wood
- Olivia Rose Austin
- Princess Alexandra of Kent
- Queen of Sweden
- Roald Dahl
- Royal Jubilee
- Susan Williams-Ellis
- Tess of the d'Urbervilles
- The Alnwick Rose
- The Lady Gardener
- The Pilgrim
- The Poet's Wife
- Tranquillity
- Vanessa Bell
Compare every variety in the English (David Austin) Roses group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Darby | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 4.5 ft |
| Boscobel | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 3 ft |
| Carding Mill | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Charlotte | Yellow | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Claire Austin | White | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 4 ft |
| Darcey Bussell | Red | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Desdemona | White | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Emily Brontë | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Eustacia Vye | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 4–11 | Full sun | 4 ft × 3 ft |
| Gentle Hermione | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Gertrudethis page | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 4 ft |
| Golden Celebration | Yellow | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4.5 ft × 4 ft |
| Graham Thomas | Yellow | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4.5 ft × 4 ft |
| Harlow Carr | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Heritage | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 4 ft |
| James Galway | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 5 ft × 4 ft |
| James L. Austin | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 2 ft |
| Jubilee Celebration | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 4 ft |
| Juliet | Orange | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Lady Emma Hamilton | Orange | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Lady of Shalott | Orange | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Molineux | Yellow | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Munstead Wood | Red | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Olivia Rose Austin | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Princess Alexandra of Kent | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Queen of Sweden | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Roald Dahl | Orange | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Royal Jubilee | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Susan Williams-Ellis | White | May–Oct | Zones 4–9 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Tess of the d'Urbervilles | Red | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4.5 ft × 4 ft |
| The Alnwick Rose | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 4–11 | Full sun | 4 ft × 3 ft |
| The Lady Gardener | Orange | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 3.5 ft |
| The Pilgrim | Yellow | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| The Poet's Wife | Yellow | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Tranquillity | White | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Vanessa Bell | Yellow | May–Oct | Zones 5–10 | Full sun | 4.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
Good to know about Gertrude Jekyll
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Black spot needs leaves wet for seven or more hours to infect. Water at the base in the morning, give full sun, and space plants so foliage dries fast. per University of Maryland and Iowa State
Does it need fungicide?
Missouri Botanical says humid climates need regular preventive fungicide; extension services say culture first (full sun, spacing, base watering) and spray only when needed. per Missouri Botanical and UC IPM
Rose rosette disease
A fatal, incurable virus spread by a wind-borne mite. There is no cure: remove and destroy infected plants promptly. Wild multiflora rose nearby raises the risk. per UGA
Safe around pets
The ASPCA lists roses as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, so the only real injury risk is the thorns. A plus over many toxic ornamentals. per ASPCA
Poor pollinator forage
Its fully double, quartered blooms feed few pollinators: the extra petals replace the accessible stamens. Pair it with a single-flowered or species rose for bees. per RHS
David Austin English rose
Bred by David Austin: fully double, quartered, deep-to-mid pink blooms about 11 cm (4.5 in) across, with a strong old-rose, damask-type fragrance. per Missouri Botanical
What pairs well with Gertrude Jekyll
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Candytuft
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Snow-in-Summer
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; its white flowers settle the pink.
Siberian Squill
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border.
Grape Hyacinth
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath.
Arborvitae
Shares full sun and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 20 ft, for the layer behind it.
Saucer Magnolia
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; taller at 23 ft, for the layer behind it; echoes the pink.
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