Yes, Kate :)
I've been looking at getting Munstead Wood because of your glowing testimonies. :)
I'm just doing a last check to see if the other two may be better.

Wow - that's a lovely, lovely picture. Love the colors! !!!!
Carol

Hi,

Let me tell you details of all the Roses.

The Dark Lady (Ausbloom)

Category--------English Roses
Bred By---------David Austin
Color------------Red / Crimson
Flower Type---Double/Full Bloom
Size-------------Medium Shrub
Hardiness------Hardy
Fragrance-----Medium
Repeating-----Excellent

Munstead Wood (Ausbernard)

Category--------English Roses
Bred By----------David Austin
Flower Type-----Double/Full Bloom
Size---------------Medium Shrub
Hardiness--------Hardy
Fragrance-------Strong
Repeating-------Excellent

Falstaff (Ausverse)

Category--------English Roses
Bred By----------David Austin
Color-------------Red / Crimson
Flower Type-----Double/Full Bloom
Size---------------Medium Shrub
Hardiness--------Hardy
Fragrance-------Strong
Repeating-------Excellent

I am with Munstead Wood because it's Fragrance and Color both are Strong.

To my liking Falstaff has the better blossoms for beauty of form. Repeat is slow. Falstaff is tall and the shrub is not very attractive. It's better planted behind something. Growth is vigorous and after the first year the blossoms are supported by canes strong enough to prevent flopping, but blossoms are certainly not held erect; they are very full, large and heavy and hang gracefully. The blossoms last a long time, the color does fade to dusky pink. Fragrance is pleasant.

My MW are first year. Blossoms are a much deeper color and fade little. The shrub is very pretty with a balanced growth and shape. The (smaller, less full) blossoms are held erect. First year height was under 3'. Don't have an opinion on fragrance as it was too short to sniff at much. Repeat was good.

Very different plants each suitable for different locations and enjoyable for different reasons.

My Munstead Wood is very young, so I'll only commit to saying that the blooms' scent was among the best of Austin's roses I've smelled, and they were gorgeous. I agree that the rounded, compact growth habit was very nice (so far), too. Diane

I know winter hardiness isn't a huge issue for you since you overwinter these indoors, but I found that Falstaff was the wimpiest of the three for vigor of overwintering and regrowing in the spring. I'd also class that one as the least frequent rebloomer of the three. The Dark Lady repeats now and then in the summer for me, but Munstead Wood is better (as is The Prince, Darcy Bussell, and William Shakespeare 2000), at least for me.

I agree that among the three, Munstead Wood looks like the most reliable rebloomer with the best shaped bush. The Dark Lady likes to grow laterally while MW stays more compact for me.

Cynthia

Shrey - I see that The Dark Lady doesn't have a strong fragrance for you. I just rechecked on helpmefind - and others have found it fragrant. Is yours a new plant?

ratdogheads (interesting call name LOL) I like what you say about Falstaff's blooms being more beautiful. I don't mind a bush that's not as attractive. I want fragrance and beauty of blooms.

Diane - fragrance sounds awesome.

Cynthia - hmmm vigor is important. Good information.

I guess I'm going to bail on Falstaff and The Dark Lady.
I'm going to get Munstead Wood.
Thanks everyone for the detailed information - that's just what I needed.
Carol

I had The Dark Lady for a rather brief time because in my alkaline soil the flowers were not dark but a rather bright red. However, it grew very quickly from a small band-sized plant and produced very large and very fragrant flowers almost immediately. I don't know whether it would have sprawled since I didn't have it very long but its vigor, large size of flowers and fragrance were quite impressive.

I have Dark Lady for many years. Big blooms, some fragrance, not as strong as Abe Darby. It blooms on and off all season. Mine gets to about 3-
3.5 ft. What I don't like is that it gets black spot badly and the thorns are very sharp.

I don't know the other two. If I have to do it over again. It won't make my list.

Ingrid - I do have room for another rose and I was thinking of Falstaff or The Dark Lady. TDL seems to be subjective as to fragrance???

Mamuang - Fragrance is my supreme raison d'etre for getting roses. So....I think I should agree with you and just get Munstead Wood.

Confusing, isn't it. :)
Carol

I think you won't be disappointing with Munstead Wood, it's an all around excellent rose. It seems that the earlier varieties do have their little quirks. This is Falstaff. The photo is quite a bit pinker than real life, red is such a tough color to photograph.

It's funny how experiences can vary, my Falstaff has shrugged off the winter with little damage. Mine are grafted and buried very deep. BS resistance is so-so. Munstead Wood was better.

Next year I'm planting LD Braithwaite and Heathcliff. I hope I won't regret Heathcliff, already hearing criticism about ugly growth. I'm tempted by the Dark Lady. So many roses, so little garden.

Canadian,
TDL is not very fragrant. The most fragrant of mine is Abraham Darby. Both have black spot badly. AD has an edge because it blooms continuously and smell so nice.

Munstead Wood hands down.

rat - yeah I see how beautiful the roses are!!! Gorgeous!!! But I also see the thin canes. I just looked up Heathcliff on helpmefind - that rose looks stunning!!!

mamuag - TDL not very fragrant = pass on my part. :) Thanks for the heads up.

amandahugg - Munstead Wood sure gets ringing endorsements!!!

Y A Y M U N S T E A D W O O D ! ! !
Carol

I've been very impresses with Munstead Wood. I don't grow too many Austins (11) but I'll be putting in a bed of 5 or 6 MW packed fairly tight next year. I've only done that to one other rose in all the years I've been growing roses (40 yrs).

ken - wow!! Another ringing (or clanging LOL) endorsement. We HAVE to see pictures when you get that up and going.
Carol

I grew Mustead Wood as well. Don't get me wrong: it is a lovely rose, but in my garden it is a much inferior performer than another Austin that bears a close resemblence to Mustead Wood, Darcey Bussel. DB is sightless less double, less fragrant, but is far more disease resistance, has better repeat, less thorny, and above all, have a far better growth habit.

I think DB is a much underappreciated Austin.

I was thinking of Darcey Bussel - but since my roses are in big pots - I don't have to bend down to smell the roses. I have come to greatly appreciate fragrance now that I grow my roses in pots. When I grew them (at my old house) in the ground - I had to get down on my knees to smell the roses. LOL So I didn't care about fragrance. Now fragrance is king! But, yes, I agree with you - Darcey Bussel seemed really nice to me when I was researching it.

Any pictures? :)
Carol

Yes, Carol. Here are a couple of pictures. The color is much darker in the spring, but not as deep/dark as MW.

Taken in the middle of summer last year. The color is mcuh lighter than what it is in spring or fall.

Those are very lovely! And there sure are a lot of flowers. Thank you for the lovely pictures; I really enjoyed them!! Wow!
Carol

quickly weighing in with my twopennorth - Falstaff - rubbish rose. Honestly, what a duffer. Upright, sparse leafage, disease-y and mean with blooms. I DO mind an ugly bush and no amount of hiding or disguising will excuse the abysmal performance of Falstaff.

Come on, camp--tell us how you really feel, why don't you?

LOL

Kate

LOL
Okay, you win. :)
Carol

Wondering if your falstaff has vigorous thorns? Mine does.

I love my Falstaff and my MW here. They are both great here.

Yes, I like both of mine, also Sheila, but for different spots. MW is nearer the front of border whereas Falstaff is hidden behind the yuccas resting against balustrades. I only see his gorgeous flowers. They are not as frequent as MW, but memorable and last on the bush. Both are quite fragrant to my nose, but MW is the thornier by far. Falstaff is definitely lankier and can be grown as a climber of sorts. DarceyB is a frequent bloomer with moderately fragrant blooms of a less full nature most of the time. She's a lovely colour that blends well, but a notorious BSer who will defoliate at the mere mention of the word. Both of mine are hidden so I only see their flowers. If I ever find a substitute I'll move them elsewhere along with Milano. If I could be assure that Flameco Rosita wouldn't get too huge I'd plant her in their place. Carol, wasn't MW a dud for you in the end?