Some roses do just take time and patience. Probably this is one. It probably didn't like being cut back. It's up to you wether you feel like waiting to see how it does. I bought this rose last fall and it hasn't bloomed much but I feel like it will take some time.

We have had roses that simply did not bloom much. Ever.

I put it down to those roses being incompatible in one way or another with my conditions, and I'm willing to cut a rose quite a lot of slack.

BUT if it goes through its fourth year (as a few have) having produced only one or two blooms, it's gone.

Life's too short to grow roses that don't bloom.

Jeri

I'm afraid I'm not blessed with the patience you ladies possess but I will let it stay in its prime spot for the remainder of the year and through next spring. After that if it hasn't deigned to perform it's going to rose heaven and I'll find a tea rose to take its place. I'm finding more and more that the Austin roses, beautiful and useful as they may be, just don't give me the same thrill as the old roses do. I do believe I'm done with them now.

Ingrid

Rob, you are a little naughty but at the same time I'm enjoying the pictures and what you have to say is very interesting to me. I'm wondering now if anyone in my type of climate has had success with this rose. I'm going to do a search on the forum and see what I come up with. It's a very gorgeous rose but if it won't prosper here there's not much use going on with it. There are other gorgeous roses that will love me more.

Thanks so much for your comments (and the naughty pictures!).

Ingrid

These DA roses are tricky for sure. Some do need a winter chill to do well. I have Constance Spry taking up quite a bit of space. It's been three years and only one bloom. She has 'till the end of next spring to produce or she is going to rose heaven like your SOF. As nice as Austin's roses are, not everyone of his roses is suited to California, at least not the Southern half. We have to experiment with his roses to see what works and that can get expensive and waste time. I'm such a sucker that I still will play with English Roses to find what works because that catalog is so captivating. I fall everytime. :(

Le Jardin, for what it's worth, Abraham Darby, Glamis Castle, Janet, Sister Elizabeth, Carding Mill and Harlow Castle have done well for me, with Harlow Castle and AD my favorite for looks, and Carding Mill for constant bloom and heat resistance. Oh, also Mrs. Doreen Pike, a rugosa with a wonderful fragrance. My Wife of Bath is still too young to comment about. Which Austins do you grow?

Ingrid

Ingrid, same here in DA country - no flowers or flower buds on that new thing, although it's fully leafed out, unbelievable! It's going to be hit with some fertilizer now!

Andrea

Ingrid, the Austin's I grow are:

Abraham Darby
Golden Celebration
Brother Cadfael
Harlow Carr
Pat Austin
Constance Spry
Jude The Obscure
Jubilee Celebration

The one that does the best here in California for me is GC. Jude and Pat do well too. Harlow Carr is starting to bloom well, but having one alone has little impact because the bush is small and the flowers are nice, but not spectacular. Perhaps three of HC together would work better. So sad that Constance Spry is behaving like your SOF. It looked so lovely in all the photo's I've seen, but I guess it prefers to live in another zone.

Thank you for suggesting Carding Mill and your other choices. I'll be looking to get them next season.

Le Jardin, I think Harlow Carr works for me because it's planted among companion plants. You're right, it is more a rose for a mixed-flower cottage garden. I've heard so many good things about Golden Celebration but it's big and I have no room. I'm actually trying to decrease the number of roses I grow because of water usage, and I've been weeding out the least desirable ones, but the number is still 80, and I'd be more comfortable with 50 to 60. It's just sooo hard to be cold and logical about roses...

Ingrid

Ingrid, I've seen your garden and it is special and unique to most gardens I've seen. I love your setting and your plant choices. The way you have put things together works well. It has a romance about it. I'll bet you have many beautiful sunsets where you are too.

I understand how hard it can be reducing the number of roses, but sometimes we must. For me it is because of lack of space. I have had to eliminate many roses that did not work for me, many of them Austin's that we're not performing well. Fortunately there are some Austin's that do quite nicely in my garden. DA and old-garden roses are my favorites. It is not easy to minimize the rose garden, but you'll get there and be happy when your garden is at the right comfort level. Good Luck!

Ingrid,
Did Spirit of Freedom bloom for you? Or did he get shovel-pruned? From what I've read, it takes some roses about 4 years to get established, after which they start blooming. I'm just curious about how it turned out for you. :)

If it is not the lack of winter chill, my next guess, since it grew tall and lanky and did not bloom, is that in your warm climate it wants to be a climber. Roses that are determined to be climbers resent being cut back, and will not bloom until they get "tall enough", which can take 3 or more years in my experience. If it were mine I would let it make long canes, and then tie them horizontally as I could and then wait.

Jackie

Alas, it is gone and has been for some time. In addition to it possibly needing more winter chill than I could give it, I planted it where it had morning shade and afternoon sun, never a good thing for a rose. I've also found out recently that the good soil in that area had been carved away, which explains why no rose has ever done well in that area. I'm now subtracting roses rather than adding them, so I'm afraid this is not a rose I'll ever grow, and frankly I don't think desert-like conditions are to its liking. It looks magnificent where it's happy.

Ingrid

I got rid of mine after one season and I'm in England. Weak necked, too many petals, balled in wet weather... maybe I should have given it longer, and I'm not happy about it... patience is not one of my virtues...