He is stingy, but the few blooms I get from it are beautiful.

Are they new plants? I hope the mature into bloomers for you! Desmond is a sweetie!

Buford, I know Falstaff's reputation for stinginess ... now. I never said it wasn't beautiful, only that there was just one of them!

Seil, I bought the Falstaffs last October from a local wholesale-ish nursery - they were in 5-gallon pots and were enormous. After a few blooms (2 or 3), I let them sit for a while and then pruned them ruthlessly in January. After a bit of a spurt in the spring, they sat ... and sat ... and sat. The Alnwicks in front of them quickly became a foot taller (and were covered in blooms, too). A few weeks ago, the Fs began to grow, but showed no buds. One day I was out there sadly mooning around and saw a spot of red far, far down on the bush -- and there was this lovely, lonely bloom. No warning beforehand, no new growth: suddenly it was just there.
And then it was gone.
Desmond accepts the compliment. He's used to them.
Sylvia

My Falstaff was planted last year. This afternoon I decided that is one of my favourite roses. It has large, beautiful flowers. It produces much more blooms than Munstead wood. In spring I pruned it only slightly, and now is at least 150 cm tall.

It must like Slovenia. Here it produces about 6 blooms a year, every one exquisite. Just not enough of them.

Sadder but wiser. Again.

Austin roses like my Mediterranean microclimate (there are Alps in different part of the country). And this year we have rain all the time, so most of my DA roses are always in bloom (except Munstead wood and English garden). Wedgwood rose, Heritage and St. Swithun are covered in blooms. But for me Falstaff has the most beautiful bloom form, rich colour and fragrance. And luckily produces more than 6 blooms a year :-)