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A Gardener’s World expert has died aged 67 after being diagnosed with a fatal brain illness linked to “mad cow disease”.
David JC Austin died at home in Shropshire after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an incurable neurological disorder.
His flower nursery David Austin Roses appeared regularly on Gardener’s World, presented by Monty Don.
Richard, James and Olivia, Mr Austin’s children, said: “First and foremost, Dad was a gardener. That was at the heart of who he was.
“He was kind and modest, with a playful spirit, a sense of adventure and a real enjoyment of life. He carried our grandfather’s vision with humility and an unwavering sense of responsibility, always putting the roses, the family business and its people before himself.”
Born in 1958, Austin joined the family rose business with his father, a revered gardener also named David, in the 1990s.
Beginning his business in the 1950s, the senior Austin’s vision was to combine the colour range and repeated flowering of then-modern roses with the fragrance and growth of older roses.
The younger Austin developed several unique rose varieties in his decades at the helm of the family business – including one for Sir David Beckham at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.
The white bloom, the colour of Sir David Beckham’s England shirt, originated from an idea by the footballer’s teenage daughter, Harper, to mark his 50th birthday in May 2025 with “something enduring and beautiful”.
David Austin roses featured several times in show gardens at Gardener’s World Live each June. Experts from Austin’s nursery regularly featured on the show and its accompanying magazine.
Mr Don wrote online: “What a legacy he leaves – millions of exquisite roses that will live on for so many, enriching all our lives.”
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, rapidly progressing brain disorder.
Most people with CJD will die within a year of the symptoms starting, according to the NHS, because the immobility caused by the disease makes people vulnerable to infection.
It belongs to the same family of human and animal diseases as “mad cow”, or spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). They are characterised by the appearance of infected brains, in which holes appear that resemble sponges.
David Austin Roses will continue under its leadership team and will work closely with Mr Austin’s family members, the nursery said on Monday.
A spokesman added: “David joined the family business in Albrighton, Shropshire, in 1990, as his father, the late David CH Austin, was gaining wider recognition for his work in breeding English Roses.
“He went on to lead the business for more than three decades, driving its growth and transformation from a specialist nursery into a globally recognised name among rose lovers. Throughout his leadership, the creation of beautiful, fragrant roses was always central to the business he built.
“David Austin Roses continues under its experienced leadership team, working closely with the next generation of the Austin family, and we are as committed as ever to serving our partners and rose lovers around the world.”
The Royal Horticultural Society said it was “deeply saddened” by the news.
The National Trust added: “Many National Trust gardens and our visitors have benefited from the work of the Austin family and David’s continued commitment to roses has brought many people joy over so many years.”
