Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don is leading tributes to legendary rose grower David J.C. Austin, who has died at the age of 67.
Austin, the chair of David Austin Roses, had been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – a rare, incurable, and fatal neurological disorder.
He had enjoyed a long collaboration with the BBC gardening show, and experts from his nursery regularly appeared in segments and at live events promoting the programme.
In an online post, Don said he was “so sorry” to hear news of Austin’s death.
“My regards and condolences to all his family,” he wrote.
"But what legacy he leaves – millions of exquisite roses that will live on for so many, enriching all our lives."
The Gardeners’ World magazine’s official Instagram account also posted about the death, saying: “We’re so very sorry to hear this. Sending our love to you all.”
A post by the Royal Horticultural Society said: “We're deeply saddened by this news. Sending love and condolences to the Austin family.”
BBC presenter Zoe Ball wrote: “Sending love and condolences to the Austin family. Heartbreaking news.”
A family statement said that Austin died at his Shropshire home.
He had joined the family business in 1990, following in the footsteps of his father, the late David C.H. Austin.
He went on to lead David Austin Roses for more than 30 years, transforming it from a specialist English rose nursery into a globally recognised name.
Austin’s children, Richard, James and Olivia, said: “First and foremost, Dad was a gardener. That was at the heart of who he was.
“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.
“He was kind and modest, with a playful spirit, a sense of adventure and a real enjoyment of life. He faced his illness with the same courage and dignity that he brought to life.
“Above all, he was our Dad, and words cannot express how much we will miss him. We couldn’t be more proud of him.”
The family said they wanted to thank everyone who had cared for and supported Austin through his illness.
The company said that it would continue under its leadership team and was working closely with the next generation of the Austin family.
