My understanding that is although Abe Darby has beautiful blooms, it is a disease magnet or at least too prone to BS--which might not be a big problem if you live in California, but certainly would if you lived almost anywhere else in the USA.

Kate

I have had Abe for about 10 years. It has been a disease magnet for me for sure! Not just black spot either. It has had thrips most every year, the sawfly eat the leaves clear off so the plant is bald most of the year, and sometimes the buds rot off before they open.
Just to show you, I have tried....I moved it about 5 times over the years, just figuring it wasn't happy where it was. Last year I got frustrated and put it in a pot, it was happier there than anywhere, but right now it is in that pot on the back porch in -9 degree weather and I don't care if it doesn't make it. Abe is a diva that I am tired of coddling! buy at your own risk.

I don't find it more of a BS magnet than most Austins. The flowers are worth it.

One of my Austin favourites but he does get BS. I found that making sure his roots were cool and damp helped so I had a thick mulch around the base.

Hi there, fellow Idahoan. I don't know how dry you have it up north, but it's a desert down here, and we certainly don't have any fungal disease problems on our roses, including AD. He's as good as any other rose disease-wise around here. Come on down to Edwards here in Boise and get your Austin roses. I'll check, but I'm sure they'll have Abe. They have the latest Austins, too, including Boscobel. Diane

In my experience, 'Abraham Darby' cannot be grown without regular fungicide applications.

I loved Abe, but the Rust won.

In SW Idaho, Abe can be grown without fungicides, nor does any other rose require them. And, damask, Edwards does have Abe. Diane

In addition to high blackspot susceptibility, sometimes the blooms in the spring flush are deformed and ugly (proliferation/bullnose).

Yhanks, oh this is not going to go smoothly, ten mistakes and type overs in the first sentence. I thought my dental work today went fine until now.
Thanks for the Abraham Darby advice, warnings and the beautiful photo. The middle bloom looks like accordion folded crepe paper. There actually is a paper flower store in Spokane, I wonder if they have online roses ?
Post Falls Idaho has got to be one of the freezing-est, wind blasted, soggiest places to have a rose bush tough it out, and that's our summer.
Reading the hoovb post about Rust doing in Abraham may have tipped the scales; I forgot all about the ongoing battle it was milk misting the roses, and hourly moving the plant pots to follow the slice of sunlight across the yard. (does anyone else go to such ridiculous lengths or is it just me?)
Now I'm thinking it might be pleasant to buy a low maintenance classic rose for this year like Konigin Von Danemark, or even lower, a bush from the Paper Nursery in Spokane.
Tomorrow I bet I'll be online looking at rare Divas again...

Have you checked out Northland Rosarium?

My guy has a place up north of you and I really look forward to spending some time picking out roses I can not grow down here for the ranch.

Here is a link that might be useful: Northland Rosarium

YesYes Kippy, virtually wandering through the Rosarium is what got me into this pickle in the first place. i have three rose on hold for March;
Evelyn
Rouge Royale
Alchemist
and it's taking all the willpower I can muster to not order more. Well maybe I'll just take another quick look at Boscobel.

I would love to pick up a few of those once bloomers...

For what it is worth, Abe is a rust bucket here.

Oh, do go with Boscobel. I want one so badly but have no room left to grow it! It is supposed to have good disease-resistance, so that should help you out.

And let us know later how it does. : )

Kate

This post was edited by dublinbay on Thu, Jan 9, 14 at 9:57

Northland is one of my favorite places to order roses. Abe's good for me but he's on a trellis up away from the soil and I try not to let the leaves get wet. He's thirsty and blooms best with extra water. I think it's worth the fuss but others don't. At least he blooms continually for me which many other DA roses won't do here in So. CA

I've had some bossy roses, now it appears Abraham Darby insists I've gotta move to Calfornia or he will throw a rust fit!
Fine, I'm planted in Idaho, and i happen to LIKE dandelions.

I've had my Abraham Darby since shortly after it came out in the 1980's, it was a black spot magnet, ugly, ugly bush. I got totally disgusted, whacked it down to about a foot tall, and it immediately took off like gangbusters; yes, it still does get some black spot in the fall, but much healthier than it was. I do give him lots of water and fertilize with alfalfa.

Ogrose,
What a beautiful healthy photo of your Abraham. I've read that roses develop a immune defense just like humans do, which gives me hope for next year that my disease ridden plants may do better if I extend them some faith and patience.
I am in zone 4- 5 ish? North Idaho, but I still try to sneak the prettiest zone 5 & 6 roses in, probably not the best idea.
If I can move away from down wind of my neighbor's horribly infected bushes, I just may get brave enough to invest in an Abraham Darby, it is a glorious looking rose.Thanks for the know how advice and pic.
Linda

I bought one yesterday grafted on a fortunia .... at a rose show ..... and am now a bit nervous ... after reading all these comments .. I doubt it will do well down here in south fly

I grow Abe on fortuniana and I spray. He is vigorous and blooms heavily. He has formed an attractive, fulll shrub that should just touch six feet this year. He is one of the most rewarding roses I have, but, again, I do spray.--Sam

I would not be without Abe, but I do spray. Not so much in the middle of summer. We don't get rust here, not much mildew, but do get blackspot. Abe is not worse than average for blackspot here.

Erasmus,
Thanks for reminding me why Abe is still on my list to look for, that is one of the loveliest photos I've seen.
A silver champagne bucket of Abraham Darby at my son's summer wedding would be just the ticket. I hope we don't get a swarm of bee crashers around the flowers and cake...
Linda

beautiful picture erasmus

Thank you. Sometimes it has more apricot tones. My plant has declined some since this picture, I think due to being shaded by Felicia. I love the fragrance.

I see this is an old thread, but I was hoping to find out if it's too late to slash, I mean prune, my Abe to one foot.
Ogrose, did you cut yours way back in the spring? I don't want to wait.... I'm tired of looking at him
Thanks, Lissa

I got my at a nursery 2 months ago. I decided to grow it in a 22" pot. She's going well. Tho, I do spray them at least once a month, just like my Princess Margaret and Port Sunlight. But DA roses are not as bad as some of my peace roses that already have black spots and yellow leaves. I started growing roses last year after my hubby surprised me with Port Sunlight. I didn't really how much work growing roses is. I was use to easy care peonies and hydrangeas.

That is a beautiful picture, Joopster. I'm hoping mine will look like that after I prune him way back. He is on a southern wall, but is shaded from the afternoon sun. Drip irrigation. I just haven't fertilized as much as he probably needs and I definately haven't sprayed. It's just too windy here to spray! I didn't want to, but I used Bayer systemic on him. So far, two applications, 6 wks apart. We will see. I probably should have stuck with a tea, china, or noisette. They do much better here! Loved your picture!

So pretty! I just love him, wish mine looked like that! He has looked horrible for about a year now. I treat him just like my teas and China's. He needs a LOT more care here and I'm going to give it to him and hopefully will be rewarded with a plant that looks as good as yours does! Thanks for posting!

I potted my and prune it like crazy. I should really let it grow to it full potential. I understand it is a large plant but I no longer have room in the ground that is in full sun.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I just talked to Pam at Angel Gardens in Florida and her nursery is going to be selling a lot of the older David Austin Roses this next year so if you are looking for one and haven't been able to find it you might want to give her a call.

Here is a link that might be useful: Angel Gardens Nursery

Well, after a wonderful but small crop of blooms from the notoriously fussy Evelyn, I did order Abraham Darby from Burling to arrive next Spring.
Thanks for the walk through your rose gardens and thoughts on the matter.
Linda

Here is Abe this morning, the foliage is looking better than usual after our long Texas summer; I did feed with alfalfa this spring, but no pruning or much attention this summer. I don't spray, and if I remember correctly, about five years ago I chopped him back mercilessly in early spring before bloom time.

Ogrose. Your Abe is beautiful. Is he a frequent bloomer for you?

shopshops, yes, he does rebloom all summer, probably would get more blooms if I deadheaded regularly. All the Austins I have seem to rebloom quite a bit. The only really bad one I've had is Golden Celebration, just cannot handle all the blackspot, but the blooms are wonderful.

I know this post is older, but for those reading for the first time... Here are my 2 cents. I have a few austins some do okay, sister Elizabeth thrives, but Abraham Darby is a complete flop! I doesn't grow, it dies back every winter to the ground (zone 5), the buds don't open, it has blackspot and rust. I have been waiting 5 years hoping for this rose to perform and have only seen maybe 2 bloom ever on a leafless twig. I have other roses surrounding it that thrive! I would suggest the rose "quietness" as an alternative. Huge, blush colored blooms (not as peachy as Abraham Darby) that smell fantastic. This rose grows tall, has little winter die back and (sitting right next to Abraham d.) has no disease...ever!

Quietness

It's a very good rose in my climate although a bit slow to rebloom during our hot and dry summer. PM is the major fungal disease over here and he doesn't seem to be prone to it, which is good because I can't say the same for many older Austins.

My garden is only in its first year but my AD has had very little BS compared to some of my other roses and hasn't had any issues with its blooms apart from a few that got bug gobbled. He's one of my favorite roses so far. The blooms are stunning and smell like heaven. It's fascinating to me how vastly different a rose can behave from garden to garden even within the same region/state.

abraham darby was pretty disease resistant for me too can't say he was a beautiful plant but those blossoms were to die for that was in my cypress (northwest houston tx) garden about 8-10 ft from a pool and even closer to a fence (not much air circulation and more than enough humidity)

so, it takes half year to get it's first bloom? how long it ends? 1 season? 2 season?

I got Abe Darby grafted from DA on doc huey rootstock. It was blooming in a few months. My Austins on own root that came as small bands took longer to bloom.

I am in a hot humid area. I do not spray..ever. Abe hardly ever gets black spot. I dont know why. I have well water that has a lot of sulphur in it. Also, I ammend my soil and/or potting soils composted manure and vermicompost (worm compost).

I read somewhere that Abe is a water hog and have treated it accordingly with pretty good results. I also don't spray (though am not ideologically totally opposed to a judicious use of poisons).