I have been in my present house for three years, so all my roses are new.

Roses which have been particularly outstanding are

Ivory Triumph
Shin Setsu
Puzzta
Titian
Rosarium Uetersen
Pergolese
Parade
Goldregen

The pink floribunda Diadem is underwhelming so far, and Porcelaine de Chine is on shovel watch. I am also less than impressed with St. Elizabeth of Hungary, mainly because of dull color. Maybe she looks better on the west coast.

You have some interesting sounding roses, nastarana. I'm only familiar with a couple of them, so it looks like I'll have to do some investigating.
These are all very young roses, 6 months to 16 months old, and I'm impressed with all of them:

Munstead Wood

Easy Does It

Diamond Eyes, a Carruth mini

Augusta Luise

Twilight Zone

Young Lycidas

Princess Alexandra of Kent

Colette, a climber

Just finishing up their third seasons are a couple of duds for me: Party Dress, and Memorial Day. The party is over for the dress. Diane

JMHO, but I would wait on Memorial Day - it's a fantastic rose.

I planted

- Pretty Jessica - love the color and the fragrance!! Holds the flowers nice and upright. WINNER

- Comtes de Champagne - hate the smell (like dog poop), don't like the flower - LOSER

- The Alnwick Rose - love the upright flowers and the RASPBERRY smell. WINNER

- Audrey Wilcox - very colorful! WINNER

- Old Fragrance - really tall, strong perfume. WINNER

- Alec's Red - lovely red, great fragrance WINNER

- Velvet Fragrance - really, really nice fragrance, love the smell WINNER

- Purple Beauty - love, love the tall, elegant buds. Lovely pink and wonderful smell.

Brother Cadfael - thin branches that fall down - but the fragrance is unbelievable. I had this rose in Edmonton, and there was NO fragrance. Now I have it in a pot, and the fragrance is WOW!! - WINNER

Royal Dane (Troika) - Lots of orange flower - but they fade to that unattractive mottled pink - LOSER

I'm really happy with my winners.
Carol

Munstead Wood--As I've been bragging all over this forum, MW is my new WINNER. Gorgeous blooms and good repeater.
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LOSERS, but only because they have barely bloomed their first year. Hopefully they will become more floriferous next year.
Scepter'd Isle (Austin)
The Wedgewood Cl (Austin)
The Pilgrim Cl (Austin)
Elina (HT)
Pomponella (floribunda)

Perhaps the "losers" would have done better with a more normal summer. After a spectacular May in which my roses never looked better, we've had too much rain followed by too much heat, with all the problems associated with those extremes. Sure hope my roses get their act together for a cooler, drier fall bloom.

Kate

Kate, I've been admiring your Munstead Wood pics all summer. Do you think it would do well for me in full sun or does it need afternoon shade? I don't really have a spot open in the ground that gets any shade and would prefer not to grow it in a pot.

Two of my favorite new ones this year are two I hadn't heard much about Centennial Star and Bronze Star. Both are extremely fragrant, good bloomers for first year roses and have been troopers through our weird summer of excessive rain and cooler temps and now high humidity, heat and no rain for weeks. I picked up Royal Amethyst at a nursery for $5 in February…a leftover from last year. It was badly cankered and pitiful looking. It’s been my comeback queen this year. It was a little slow to recover, but once it did, there has been no stopping it. Always covered in the most heat tolerant lavender blooms I’ve ever had. Extremely fragrant, last a long time on the bush without fading, wilting or burning in full, hot sun all day. It will BS if not sprayed regularly, though, but I would HIGHLY recommend for a non BS prone area or for someone who doesn’t mind spraying it. I would have to say my loser would be Love Song…was a good bloomer for me early in the season, but then it quit and I’ve only had a couple of blooms all summer. Bush is healthy and full and was beautiful when it did bloom, so I’m hopeful it will be a better producer when it matures. I’m trying to like Coretta Scott King, but so far, I just don’t. No real reason not to other than her blooms are very small. She’s bloomed a lot for a first year rose and her foliage is a beautiful apple green. Hoping she will grow on me in time.

Centennial Star

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Bronze Star

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Royal Amethyst

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Coretta Scott King

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Best would be hard for me because so many are doing well.

But for shear consistence, Darcey Bussell. 6 blooms on Monday for the two plants even in the heat.

Worst, of course the relocated Simplicity-though she is finally blooming or the unknown rose who was transplanted and did not take the move well.

Pat, those are some healthy, happy, and beautiful roses you are growing there!

As to your question about Munstead Wood, mine is growing where it gets almost all day sun, including the hot later afternoon sun (which is terrible in Kansas)! Occasionally MW looks a bit droopy in so much sunshine and heat, but I really haven't seen any serious sunburn or shattering type of problems. So I say, go ahead and plant MW in all day sun. It doesn't seem to be as "delicate" as some of my Austins are.

And let us see some pics next year of how it is thriving in you garden. : )

Kate

The best this season were my Julia Childs and my new Love Song. Both have bloomed a great deal and have been very disease resistant.

The worst were Electron and Memphis Blues. Neither one has given me a bloom this year and precious little growth as well. They will be shovel pruned!

Someone posted a pic of Centennial Star last year, and I put it on my "want" list (love it), but thought maybe it was only a regionally available rose, since I'd never heard of it, and it's not available around here. Wasn't it developed in Texas? Anyway, Pat, it's totally gorgeous. Your Royal Amethyst reminds me of my cheapo, but nice, rose,Heirloom, but RA has more blooms. Lovely. Diane

Thanks Kate...that's exactly what I wanted to hear about MW!

Diane, One of my local nurseries had both Centennial Star and Bronze Star this year for the first time. I wasn't familiar with either of them, but fell in love with their colors, form and scent and decided to give them a try. So glad I did...love them both! CS did ball some when we were having torrential rains daily earlier in the year, but haven't had that issue with her since. Heirloom was on my wish list for the spot I gave to Royal Amethyst...would still like to have her someday, though

Hi Kate:

Thank you for another tempting photo in the favor of one of Austin's roses. Have you tested the cutting quality of you MW? I.e. how long does it last in the vase, are the stems long and straight. Despite the temptations, I have had to steer clear from Austins for their infamous weak necks and lack of lasting power, but perhaps MW could be my first attempt?

I had wonderful luck with Love Song and England`s Rose. Both were bloom machines and very healthy. Annie Laurie Davidson came in a close second. Lots of blooms but a little blackspot. Hoping it will outgrow this! On the downside....Lady Emma Hamilton. Not one bloom or sign of growth. I am confused as to why. Just sat there all summer. In a prime spot...I might add! Looking for a nice fall bloom from everyone. Lesley

This has been so interesting and informative so far. Rosarium Uetersen is a beautiful rose from the pictures I've seen, one of those I've always wanted to try, but haven't yet. Nastarama, you have several I've never heard of. I've seen pictures or heard of so many unique varieties on this forum. I regret that all these years I've limited myself to the hybrid tea and floribunda roses, even though I do love them. But the Austins like Munstead Wood that Diane and Kate have sound so wonderful. Glad to hear from Kippy that Darcey Bussell is doing good. Got it from RU sale and it has had a few blooms. Can't wait until next year. Carol's Alec's Red is one I've wanted to try and Velvet Fragrance and Purple Beauty too. Pat, I really like your roses. That Royal Amethyst is gorgeous. it's great when you can get such a bargain and it turns out to be a good thing. Centennial Star and Bronze Star are both lovely. Of course me and Seil both agree on Love Song. Seems like there are some really good purples. Of course I've been reading how good Julia Child is for a while now, can't wait to find out for myself. Makes me sad that Electron didn't do good for you Seil, it's been on my I want it list for a long time. Of course we all live in different zones and areas and have our own issues, but I do think there are certain roses that do good almost anywhere. I do realize that one season doesn't determine whether a rose is a keeper or not. I remember my Miss All American Beauty roses weren't pretty at all the first year, but by the second year they were big and beautiful and bloomed wonderfully. That may not be a good example, because I think it's considered kind of gawdy by some, but I like it. Hope to hear from more of you and love the communication back and forth.

Lesley - I see Love Song made your list too. You have some lovely roses, I've enjoyed your pictures so much. What color is your England's Rose? I noticed there are 2 Austins with that name.

rosybunny, sorry, but I can't tell you much about Munstead Wood as a cut flower. I almost never cut my roses unless they are done blooming!

I'm also hesitant to say anything very definitive about MW since it is still a young plant--needs a couple more years (like most Austins) to achieve its mature traits. If it helps any, I can say that MW has rather long and straight stems, but they are rather slender here in its first year. I expect them to firm up in the next year or two. MW doesn't seem to have serious "nodding" problems, but it does nod a bit after it rains. But more mature stems may cure it of that problem.

The individual blooms on the first-year MW are not particularly long-lasting, but it puts out new blooms almost immediately when some older blooms depart--thus it always seems to be blooming.

It does have lots of prickles, but they are slender and not particularly bothersome.

But I repeat--I won't know for sure about those features until MW is about 3-4 years old. What I do know for sure is that for a first-year plant, it is doing wonderfully well.

Since I adore Austins, I say (of course) that you should most definitely get a MW. : )

Kate

I totally agree with what Kate said concerning Munstead Wood. Mine is only a few months old, and was blooming before it was planted, and hasn't stopped since--even the day it hit 113 degrees! It's blooms last as long as a typical Austin's, but this rose is a baby so that could change. It's in full sun and besides the constant bloom, it's growing fast. Diane

My husband likes to snip a rose for his desk at work. He told me Munstead Wood lasted nearly all week.

MW and Lady of Shalott were both standouts among of my newly planted roses this year. LoS is an especially graceful bush.

Kronprinzessin Viktoria wins for loveliest bloom ever.

General Allard (Vintage) is surprisingly charming, perfect form and the most eye-catching pink. Bright pinks don't normally appeal to me, but I'm loving this rose.

Tuscany Superb was...well, superb! Intensely deep color and what healthy foliage & vigorous growth.

Purple Rain was my only major disappointment. Blooms fried in the slightest heat, turned to mush in the rain, impossible to deadhead, miserable slow repeat, and covered in blackspot.

I did some overhaul to the modern rose bed (prepping my first OGR bed now) this year and so far the best additions in my coastal, no-spray garden have been:

Brigadoon - Very healthy plant, not the quickest rebloom, but still young and the flowers have been very large. The flowers have a very long life on te plant, but I generally only cut more fragrant roses. It's next to another winner:

Double Delight - No powdery mildew at all which is my most notable issue here a mile from the beach. Great scent, the blooms don't burn or fade quickly. Good for cutting, and acceptable rebloom time so far.

Hailstorm - I moved one that was a year old and got another one. I really, really like this shrub rose. I can't say enough good about it. They do wonderfully in part-shade with a very quick rebloom time. Not a lot of scent, but this just strikes me. It stays very pale pink for me till it's about to blow. Not much of the white stage the name would indicate, but it still works with the other white and pale flowered plants around it very well.

Abraham Darby- This wasn't my call, but I'm glad we went for it. It's been much better than I expected. Slightly slow rebloom, but little defoliation, no mildew so far, and just incredible scent. Great color variation, usually that wonderful orange/apricot centered with a pink edge, but occasionally a solid pink or apricot bloom will come through. Nice and spreading. It should be a nice, large self-supporting/pegged shrub.

Medallion - Really great color, mild scent, nice rebloom time. The foliage has been very clean as well. I have nothing but good thoughts for this rose. Some of my best cut roses this summer have been from Medallion.

Hot Cocoa: Maybe the healthiest rose I have besides Iceberg and White Lady Banks. It has been astonishingly quick to rebloom, the new growth looks great, the foliage has been shockingly healthy, and while it generally has no scent, once in a while a bloom will have a very pleasant old rose aroma.

Worst:

Heirloom - One of my first purchases since getting seriously interested in roses this year. I didn't research it, just liked the bloom color and scent. The rebloom time is great, but the plant is a mildewed mess, the blooms rarely last more than half a day before burning and are nowhere close to the lavender/mauve color I was blown away with at the nursery. It's more of a browning dark red that seldom opens without issue. Probably should have gone with Neptune or just avoided mauve/lavender entirely.

Really Heirloom is the only bad rose for me so far. Probably will be shovel pruned next year if it doesn't improve.

Just today I picked up a Dark Knight that was incredibly healthy and on sale. It's going to be fun to see how it does. A very sultry, velvety bloom with little fragrance, but the coloration is just great. I had been eying it for a while and was all too happy to snatch it today when I saw it was on sale.

I can't report yet on the following newer acquisitions (all of which have yet to even be planted):
Marie Pavie
Sombreuil
Purezza (It's probably going on the opposite side of the house as the 20+ year old white once blooming Lady Banks)

I'm personally more drawn to Antiques, but I hold no grudges towards modern roses. A beautiful rose is a beautiful rose. Whatever makes me happy has a place in the garden.

Always interesting to see what people are trying out! Munstead Wood looks great, but I'm a little reticent to pull the trigger on most Austins. I may give it a shot at some point. As a white rose fiend I would consider trying Tranquility next year, but there are so many great whites I don't have yet that I doubt I'll be making that call. On the other hand, I think I will give Bolero a shot next year. It may be the closest rose to Madame Hardy with respect to bloom form I can expect to succeed here.

Jay

Seil - I've tried Electron twice (different cities) and same thing. Few blooms, no fragrance. I'm not impressed. :)
Carol

My Electron is actually a pretty good bloomer for me despite the fact that I've moved it 3 times in the last couple of years. Big spring and fall flush and regular rebloom in between. Nice fragrance, too. BUT, it's foliage is really, really puckered. Not sure if that's just natural for it or if it's lacking something. Canadian Rose and Seil, do you have that issue with yours?

Earlier in the season I indicated my Veterans Honor bush wasn't doing very well, I was concerned as to what to do for it. I got some good advice from several of you. It's had a few blooms on it, not many though. I noticed yesterday it seems to really be doing good. It is getting lots of new growth and looks like it is going to have several blooms on it. It hasn't gotten very tall, but it looks healthy. I've tried to baby it along and followed some the advice given. I appreciate this forum, because people with so much more knowledge and experience than I have give such practical suggestions.

I have a small no spray garden,so I am very selective about what roses I plant as I live in the southeastern mountains. After much research, I planted a big three gallon Cinco De Mayo from a local nursery, knowing full well it black spots in some southeastern gardens and not in others. I also know the first year is not a true measure of the success of a rose in my area, but I'm happy to say the first year has been a great success. It has bloomed literally non stop, has some black spot, but everyone else does, too. The leaves are still full and healthy this late in the season. I love the color and the fragrance; she's a big flouncy party girl, always swirling and dancing in the wind.

Pat_bama - I haven't had it for about 7 years, so I just can't remember what the leaves were like. I'm glad that yours works for you. :)
Carol

bump this thread up. Glad that England's rose is on the best list (it's on my buy-list for next year). So glad that Roses Unlimited was sold out of Francis Meilland when I ordered last November (on the worst list here).

QUESTION: How are the scents of Liebeszauber, Let Freedom Ring and The McCartney Rose, and how many productive years as own-roots in cold zone? Thank you.

I like what Carol wrote: "Comtes de Champagne - hate the smell (like dog poop), don't like the flower - LOSER."

From Straw: Among my 140+ own-root roses in the last decade, below are the WORST .. so bad that I got rid of them:

1) Arthur Bell: yellow so bright that it hurts my eyes (reminds me of banana peel). Became single-petal in the heat. Scent is mediocre.

2) Lilian Austin: Nasty needle thorns that poked me when I deadheaded.

3) Bridal Pink: Boring pink, plus needle-thorns. Scent is there in bud-form only, gone in bloom form.

4) Bayes Blueberry: intense wild rose scent (nice !), but the bush looks like a giant weed, can't cut for the vase to sniff. Bees-magnet.

5) Scepter'd Isle: gave away, can't like its myrrh & dirty socks scent. Huge as own-root.

6) Queen of Sweden: gave away, never trust Austin's catalog claim for the vase. Bloom lasted only 1 day. Biggest water-hog.

7) Thornless hybrid perpetual with white/lavender stripe. Gifted by a friend, so wimpy that I gave up.

8) Le Nia Rias. Once-bloomer Centifolia that suckered 6 feet away. Took me 4+ hours in 1 year span to kill all the suckers.

9) Once-bloomer Centifolia (very thorny) from Roses Unlimited sale. Gave a lousy bloom in partial shade, not such scent.

10) Jacques Cartier. tiny blooms, the bush looked like a giant weed. Comte de Chambord is much better.