David Austin Roses facing uncertainty over jobs

The award-winning horticultural business in Albrighton has been hit by dire weather over the last year.

The company today warned of redundancies but said job losses would affect a 'relatively small' number of its 185 UK staff.

In total, David Austin Roses employs more than 200 people across the world, including in Japan and America.

David JC Austin has worked alongside the business's founder, his father David CH Austin, on running the company for the last 15 years.

He said: "The whole gardening industry has been affected by the bad weather this season and we are fortunate that due to our overseas operations, it has affected us less seriously than many other companies."

Last month, the company scooped a gold award at the world-renowned Chelsea Flower Show – a prestigious award it has won 14 times.

It landed the award for its stunning garden of around 500 strains of rose which caught the eye of the judges.

The international operations have given the firm cause for cheer in a year of near-relentless rain, which has seen many crops fail for growers across different regions of the business in Britain.

But it is not alone in being hit by the record-breaking rain of last summer and long, cold spring.

Wheat harvests are expected to be 30 per cent down this year, and livestock farmers say the cold spring has left little grass for sheep and cattle.

It was a different story at the firm last year, when growers were banking on a bumper crop, thanks to the typically British mixed summer weather.

The company said that after a disastrous start to 2012 its gardens were seeing a host of brilliant blooms which were expected to improve even further.

Michael Marriott, technical manager and rosearian, or rose expert, said last year's crop had been 'particularly strong'.

They often have to use its irrigation system to ensure the roses had enough water throughout the summer but last year's downpours had meant there had been no need.