Dame Judi Dench to launch Shropshire rose at Chelsea Flower Show

David Austin Roses, based at Albrighton, will have the screen legend herself at their stand to officially launch the striking new breed.

David, who will reveal three new breeds at this year's show, said: "We are delighted to name this rose after one of Britain’s most beloved stars of stage and screen."

The rose is described by the grower as being a "particularly reliable and healthy variety".

Mr Austin said: "The blooms are a particularly rich shade of apricot, paling prettily towards the edges, lending a certain radiance.

"Beginning as striking, red-tipped buds they gradually open to reveal large informal rosettes, each with ruffled petals and a button eye.

"There is a lovely, light-medium fragrance, which combines classic tea with a fresh note of cucumber and a hint of kiwi."

Other new breeds set to be revealed by the 22-time Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner include the yellow Vanessa Bell and the pink James L. Austin.

Vanessa Bell is named after the founder member of the Bloomsbury Set and sister of Virginia Woolf, while the James L. Austin is named for David Austin Senior's son.

All three flowers will be on display at the David Austin Stand at the flower show, which runs all next week.

“It has a fragrance resembling a mixture of blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry and cherry, with hints of lemon zest and almond,” David said.

Last year saw the launch of the apricot-coloured Roald Dahl rose, which was released to celebrate the children author's 100th birthday.

The rose is the culmination of eight year’s painstaking breeding work, which began in 2008 with the creation of 500,000 different cross-breeds.

Mr Austin, who is a multiple Gold winner at Chelsea, also got to meet the Queen as she went from stall to stall.