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| I've kept a few Austin roses around for several years, but I plan on surprising my wife with half of our hill side covered in DA roses. She LOVES the DA roses. What I plan on doing is grouping each variety in 3's close together for a mass effect. I've already picked; Gertrude Jekyll, Abraham Darby, Crocus Rose and Lady of Shalott. I need help picking my other colors. 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 white and 2 medium or light pinks. I've whittled thing down a little. Have a look and tell me the pro's and con's of the ones I have in each color group. Flower size and overall beauty is what I'm hunting for. I'm not worried about disease, I spray. REDS; Munstead Wood, Falstaff, L.D. Braithwaite, William Shakespeare 2000, Tradescant. WHITE; Clamis Castle, Claire Austin, Susan Williams-Ellis, Winchester Cathedral. YELLOW; The Pilgrim, Happy Child, Teasing Georgia, Charles Darwin, Golden Celebration. SOFT & MEDIUM PINK (2); Brother Cadfael, Eglantyne, Queen of Sweden (a "yes" roses unless someone has something REALLY bad to say about it), St. Swithum, Wildeve, Belle Story, Spirit of Freedom, The Wedgwood Rose. If any of these roses shatter quickly, I need to know. She will be doing bouquets and giving most away. I already have The Prince, Molineux and Scepter' d Isle. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| I don't know whether this would be a consideration, but I had some rose-flavored cookies (made with rose petals) last year at the Huntington, and the baker said she used William Shakespeare 2000 in those yummy cookies. She said WS2000 made excellent rose water. I like eating so this rose has appeal beyond the visual.;) I have both The Pilgrim and Happy Child. The Pilgrim doesn't bloom all that much here, but the blooms it does have are lovely. Happy Child came as a band last year. It is growing nicely and has bloomed multiple times. Flowers are divine! Very intense, pure yellow, and highly-scented. Neither have shown any disease, which is good as I don't spray (however, I don't normally get blackspot since it is so dry here). I also have Gertrude Jekyll and love it. The first one I bought had one open flower on it, and in the ride home in the car, the most intoxicating, delicious scent filled the whole car. GJ gets quite tall here, and is very well-armed, but I like the flowers so much it could be one giant thorn and I wouldn't care. Munstead Wood is one on my wish list. I was thinking of getting it at Pickering, but they sold out before I got an order together. Eglantyne is another one that looks beautiful to me, with plenty of fragrance. Melissa |
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| Here are some rambling thoughts. Of your reds, I think William Shakespeare 2000 is indispensible. But others will have good things to say about the other reds also, I'm sure. No opinion about the white, except that I once recommended Susan Williams-Ellis to someone for its disease-resistance. That person later complained loudly about its unattractiveness. Don't remember why now. I'm of two minds about Happy Child. I tried growing it twice--because of those lovely full yellow blooms. But it never thrived here, and each year dwindled away. Never got over a foot tall, and finally after a couple years of dwindling, got spaded in both cases. I still miss those lovely blooms--but the plant is a real loser. I think the remaining yellows are all good, though I remember a few posters complaining that Charles Darwin fades to an unattractive buff. After weighing the merits of The Pilgrim and Georgia Teaser for some time, I finally picked The Pilgrim to order for next spring--they are both gorgeous, in my opinion, but I was considering them as climbers. Don't know how they would be as shrubs--perhaps rather tall? Many people consider Golden Celebration to be one of Austins loveliest roses. I have nothing bad to say about Queen of Sweden. Just wanted to note that it grows much more vertical--rather rigidly upright--than most Austins. Will that blend in with your others? It is a lovely rose shrub, as are all the pinks you have listed there. After careful deliberation, I ordered St. Swithum for spring--I'm looking forward to it. If I had more room, I might be tempted by The Wedgwood Rose--just because its lovely, new, and different--I like new and different sometimes. Your wife has a wonderful surprise in store for her. Good luck. Kate |
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| For the pinks, I'd recommend Eglantyne and Brother Cadfael. Eglantyne looks fantastic and the fragrance is wonderful. A recipient of a bouquet would love the sweet fragrance and delightful blooms. Brother Cadfael has wonderful large cupped shaped blooms, really lovely. It has a strong, pleasing fragrance. This would also make a lovely cut flower, IMHO. The Wedgewood Rose is new to the garden, planted last spring. The fragrance is nothing special, to my nose. The blooms are lovely, and it repeats well. I love William Shakespeare 2000. I think it's my favorite red Austin for fragrance. Tradescant is great as well, smaller blooms than William Shakespeare 2000 in my garden setting. I used to grow Falstaff but replaced it with William Shakespeare 2000 as I thought the blooms and fragrance were lovelier on William Shakespeare 2000, but they are both fine roses. I grow The Mayflower, Susan W Ellis is a sport of this. The Mayflower blooms are somewhat on the small side, really strong beautiful fragrance. It repeats rapidly. Sometimes the blooms ball in damp weather. The fragrance of Glamis Castle was too much myrrh for my nose, hard to picture it being pleasing in a bouquet, but that's only a humble opinion...
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| My two year old Susan Ellis is TINY...less than a foot tall and very floppy. |
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| My climate is so different from yours (hot, DRY summers) that I can only speak for myself. I have had several Englantynes for many years. They do poorly in the heat, crisping quickly. Blooms don't last as cut flowers, either, and have short stems. The blooms are lovely, though, as well as the scent. Brother Cadfael takes the heat much better, and smells good, too. I have used it in many bouquets, and the blooms last quite well for an Austin. Bro can get enormous, though. Golden Celebration took three years to really produce good flowers, but it still doesn't do well in the heat here, shriveling quickly. I do like it though, and it's a pretty good cut flower. Hopes this is helpful in spite of our climate differences. Diane |
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| Out of the one's you're looking at, I have Glamis Castle, Falstaff, and Charles Darwin. Glamis Castle is in my top five roses! It has very rapid rebloom and is very healthy for me also. I've heard people say that they don't like the scent, but I've never had any problems with it (guess I don't mind myrrh). Charles Darwin is also a rose I really enjoy. It's scent is WONDERFUL, fresh lemons! Its been healthy and vigorous for me also. Although, Mr. Darwin wants to be a climber, and I want him to be a shrub...that's the only problem I have. I'm not sure how your soil is, but in my red clay, he picks up more of a peachy hue. He was a beautiful light yellow in the beginning and changed midway through the first summer I planted him to peach/apricot. Falstaff...I just added this from Pickering last spring. I haven't been too impressed so far, although I set me expectations high after seeing pictures on HMF. All summer only 2 blooms were produced, and he hasn't grown much at all. I planted him in a spot that is arguably shady to keep his color from fading, but maybe I just need to relocate him. You have one lucky wife! I'm sure she'll love whatever you choose for her :) ~Tammy |
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| I have Golden Celebration and love it. It's one of the ones Mom got so it's plenty old, at least 20 years or more, and winters wonderfully. Green to the tips most springs. It gets very tall though. Mine is on a trellis and it tops my eaves at 12 feet each year. The blooms hanging down from above smell heavenly. Another yellow one you might consider is Graham Thomas. It's a truer yellow, like butter cups, and not as golden as GC and it stays smaller. It usually tops out at about 5 feet by fall. Has really good fragrance too. I wish I could tell you they were both really healthy but unfortunately everything in my yard black spots and I don't spray. Both of them spot but of the two Graham is usually healthier. |
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- Posted by caldonbeck UK (My Page) on Fri, Jan 20, 12 at 21:17
| Definitely munstead wood over all of your other reds. Much better plants all round, no stupid growth habit and perfect flowers. It would also be much better suited to your plan to grow in groups of three. It doesn't have a lot of fragrance though, but if that not a big deal go for it. The flowers on teasing georgia are perfect, some of the best you will see I think. Golden celebration is good also, but very different. Go for whichever of those flowers looks the best to you, for me tg every time. Queen of sweden tends towars apricot, rather than pink, can you get the alnwick rose over there? Im really not a fan of susan william ellis, the flowers ar so small, hardly worth it lol. Clair austin is really nice. Be careful putting three abe darbys together, they are huge, that would be a monster!! |
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| A few comments on the ones you mentioned that I've grown. REDS; L.D. Braithwaite (this is a bright red rather than a crimson, lacks fragrance and character in my opinion--I shoveled mine), William Shakespeare 2000 (probably the best of Austin's reds, although I also love Munstead Wood), Tradescant (haven't tried, one of the older ones). YELLOW; SOFT & MEDIUM PINK (2); |
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- Posted by WilliamAdams none (My Page) on Sat, Jan 21, 12 at 0:22
| Last year I showed my garden to several acquaintances that were interested and curious about my garden. 'Mme Hardy', 'Sombreuil', 'Fantin Latour', and some of my Gallicas were mistaken for David Austin Roses. This is very interesting because I would call David Austin Roses modern. The other roses I mentioned are antiques. |
Here is a link that might be useful: valentines flowers
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| I used to grow Happy Child. It was a good rose, with a surprisingly strong fragrance to my nose. It bloomed on a compact (less then 3 feet) tall bush with only average repeat at best. Its blooms were held on short stems. The color was a nice warm medium yellow that was very pretty. After sprouting a couple of Austin arms I gave her to someone who already grew one and loved her and was prepared to whittle away at an occasional long cane. I currently grow Queen of Sweden and like her very much. Straight upright growth is something I like because she takes up little space. Blooms are pale baby pink and she is full of them in spring with another lesser repeat shortly thereafter. In my area she mostly takes the rest of the year off which is just as well as her medium sized blooms shrink to about the size of a 50 cent piece in the heat.....Maryl |
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| Just to echo the disappointment expressed by many with Susan Williams-Ellis. Sickly shrub. Puny flowers. As if that weren't sufficient, mine started reverting from white to pink this past summer. SWE will be meeting Mr. Shovel shortly. Kay |
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| Hi, Best of all REDS is MUNSTEAD WOOD! it as rarely out of blooms, flowers are big and heavily scented with an old rose fragrance. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 2000 is also one of my favourites, due to the size of the flowers and the beautiful arrangement of the petals. Falstaff is also nice. As a WHITE, Claire Ausin is a must, with it's beautiful, perfect blooms. It does repeat quite well. From all the PINKS, I just love ST SWITHUN for the big sized flowers and the myrrh fragrance, also like Queen of Sweden, which is very romantic and delicate, Spirit of Freedom, Wedgwood Rose and Brother Cadfael. As a YELLOW, I recommend Graham Thomas, Teasing Georgia and Golden Celebration, which has a divine citrus scent. Regards, Roxana, from Romania, Europe |
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| I shovel pruned my Glamis Castle because it had vicious thorns and I didn't like the smell. Some of the roses you're thinking of putting in threes are huge, certainly Abraham Darby and Teasing Georgia. I've heard that Gertrude Jekyll can be a very stingy bloomer, although quite fragrant. Smaller roses like Pretty Jessica would look great planted in threes and it's supposed to be an excellent rose (mine is still a baby). |
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| The roses I would plant in threes would be the more upright ones--they need a suggestion of fullness. I would definitely put Molineux and Queen of Sweden in threes if I had the room--which I do for my Molineux, all three of which make one nice full happy bush. Given the awkward sprawl that Shakespeare 2000 is sometimes capable of, I probably would not plant it in threes. And I probably wouldn't plant any wide growing or fountain shaped roses in threes, though that might depend on what rose we are talking about. Just my preferences. Don't know that there is any rule about it. Kate |
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| I just saw an Austin that was on my watch list during the Great Rosarians weekend at the Huntington on January 21. Quite fitting that the garden's namesake, Huntington Rose was in bloom. I fell for it hook, line and sinker.;) Zoomed on over to Pickering and ordered it before they ran out (which they did a day or so later!).
Melissa |
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| Melissa, that is really a lovely rose. I have no room for more roses, but think I'll go look it up--just in case. : ) Kate |
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- Posted by sandandsun 9a FL (My Page) on Sun, Jan 29, 12 at 11:08
| Ken, I would like so much to be able to help you. Your own reports from your FL days have influenced and helped me greatly. However, I have a rule that I will not judge a rose before its third year and so I cannot comment on most of my Austins. There is an old thread (link below) with Austins making the Top Ten list. I personally would prejudice my selection in favor of rebloom. Tradescant did not produce a fall flush and I'm thinking it may have oncer tendencies as the linked thread reports about older Austins. Best always, Chris |
Here is a link that might be useful: Top Ten Roses
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| I've some of these in either California or England, so different climates entirely, but my impressions... Gertrude: Grown in California. Many people love the scent, I grew it as a pillar and it did well giving a lot of blooms. Lots of prickles, I never understood what all the fuss was about with this rose, but I'm in the minority. Lady of Shalott: Haven't grown it, but have seen it growing really well at Austin's garden in England. Can grow quite large and bushy, likes a wall, flowers have many different colours at the same time. I think it looks like it will become one of his best roses over time. Munstead Wood: Grown in England. MW Is wonderful. Mine turned almost purple... deep, rich, wine. Fabulous rose, good scent. William Shakespeare 2000: Have grown it in both California and UK, I like it very much, a good reliable rose with a good scent. Claire Austin: Grown in England. I bought it last summer, it didn't bloom much, when it did I wasn't impressed. Many people really like this rose, I must have had a dud. Winchester Cathedral: Grown in California, not much scent to my nose. Very boring rose that I wouldn't bother growing again. Teasing Georgia: Grown in California. Straggly for me. Wants to climb and ramble. Flowers too heavy for the stems to hold up. Floppy. Average scent and colour. Charles Darwin: Grown in California: One of Austin's best yellows for me. I love the lemony scent, good growth, nice shape and colour. Besides Jude the Obscure, my favourite yellow. Why isn't Jude on your list??? Hmm. Brother Cadfael: Grown in England. I really like this rose. Good strong growth, really wonderful strong scent, great shaped and coloured flowers. A winner. Eglantyne: Grown in California and England. Not a strong scent to my nose, but a beautiful, beautiful flower. Gentle, soft colours, extremely dainty and delicate. Free blooming. Queen of Sweden: Grown in California. One of his loveliest flowers. Strong, upright growth, water-lily like blooms. Gentle colour. Light scent. Spirit of Freedom: Grown in England. A good rose. The blooms are very heavy with all those petals, so they tend to hang and nod, not sure how that will do in a bouquet. Good scent. Tissue paper-like petals. Grown as a pillar. The Wedgewood Rose. Grown in England. Also grown as a pillar. Like Teasing Georgia.. very floppy. Lovely flowers on very weak stems. Light Scent. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any specific questions. There's lots of photos of English Roses from my garden, or at Austin's, on my website. |
Here is a link that might be useful: My site
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| Jude the Obscure is lovely and Ive grown it forever and moved it with me I love him so much. Makes great boquets! |
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- Posted by Strawberryhill 5a IL (My Page) on Tue, Feb 21, 12 at 11:00
| Thank you, Robert, for your delightful website. Your photography is awesome and truly captures the beauty of English roses. It's like seeing them in real life, which helps in choosing the right color. I appreciate your website. |
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| Strawberryhill, thanks very much for the kind words. cheers, |
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| I have only kept three Austins, two on fortuniana which does make a huge difference in their performance on my sandy river loam. The one that is on Dr. Huey I keep because my wife and I had it in our very first garden. That rose is The Pilgrim which has a beautiful flower but seems to want to grow like a hybrid tea. |
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