Hello Rick,
I had to gasp when I saw your exquisite photo of Evelyn, the rose I have most adored for years. I agree with every word you said about her. I have even worn Evelyn perfume off and on since it first was sold, though it has grown pricier recently. Sadly, my five Evelyns are shadows of their former selves due to unplanned tree root competition and more shade from the blasted trees. It's been several years since I have had a good fall flush from them, and moving the Evelyn roses will become a necessity, I think. Your photos of The Pilgrim are equally exquisite. Thank you for posting them.
Our fall hasn't really kicked in yet (90 degrees tomorrow), but judging from bud production, I think Frederic Mistral, Julia Child, Angel Face, and several others will be lovely for autumn. Jude the Obscure and Brother Cadfael already have a pretty good flush going. I'll post photos when more blooms open. Thanks again for the breathtaking Evelyn photo. Diane

Rick, your pictures are absolutely exquisite. I'm not usually a lover of apricot roses but could make an exception for Evelyn. The Pilgrim has the kind of subtle pale yellow color I really like because it blends with every other color.

We're still in summer mode here and October is often one of the hottest months, so it will be some time before I can talk about fall blooms.

Ingrid

Chilly rainy day here today, so I guess autumn is on its way. Can't wait to see the fall blooms on my new The Pilgrim. Hope it is as lovely as yours.

Kate

Hey Rick, I am guessing you might like Crocus Rose. Austins are a bit miffy (at least the few I have) but Crocus is really shining and quite pristine - no mildew, no blackspot (and, in my garden) not a huge amount of care and attention either. It seems a healthy and mannerly rose (and is, I believe, hardy in your area).
I absolutely agree that autumn blooms are really rather special - that last hurrah before winter hits is always so tender and fleeting. Roses look wonderful in that low autumn light. The worst of them, those defoliated by July blackspot, have obliged with new growth which assorts well with autumn shades.......and then there are heps.

G'day ladies,

Well it may not be fall in California, but today is certainly feeling like it in Eastern Canada. I went for a good hard 50km bike ride with a friend this morning. It is gorgeously sunny, but was only 12 C, when we left and 15 C (58 F) when we got back. Tights, windbreakers and cool weather gear. The first tinge of fall colour is also beginning to show in the leaves. I love fall though, so its all good.

Campanula, I do have a bush of The Crocus Rose and it is a good variety. In fact it is the only rose in my front rose bed that will not be replaced when I renovate it next spring. It is healthy, a little mildew in late fall, but very vigorous, healthy and productive otherwise. It would make an excellent hedge rose in a warmer climate than mine. It is an excellent bloomer as well.

I placed my order for the spring reno yesterday, 10 roses, all Austins and Bucks. I have been wanting to trial the rose Mustead Wood for a couple of seasons and I had a look at the Pickering website yesterday. They have only been accepting orders for two weeks and I saw that they were already offering only smaller plants of M.W., so decided I better order one before I lost another year. That will go in a pot. I also ordered Pretty Jessica, 2 plants, because of all the good things I have heard about her on the forum over the years. I looked her up on HMF yesterday and the photos of her flowers are exquisite.

On a whim, I ordered one plant of Darcy Bussel, another new Austin Red. I love the Austin reds, but it is interesting that the ones that have done the best for me are the older ones, The Squire, Wenlock and the original William Shakespear. WS 2000, Tradescent, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Falstaff and several others have all been trialed and eliminated.

So that is it for my rose orders this year.

Cheers, Rick

Rick, keep your eyes pealed for heathcliff if you like reds - it's closest to the squire only much healthier. Like you, I have grown Tradescant and Tess and like neither of them very much. Darcey is by far the most vibrant red he has, stands out from a mile away lol. Don't keep munstead in a pot for too long, tends to grow to its desired size pretty quickly then stops. Doesn't grow many new basal stems, just keeps the ones it has for ages. (they don't go gnarly, they look like the day they grew) My best flower for early autumn is Ludlow Castle (disc) pictured below. The weather suits it, too much summer sun and the colour goes.

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Beautiful blooms Rick and caldonbeck.
I grew The Pilgrim in England. One of my favourite roses with a gorgeous fragrance.

Rick I would love to know, is your bike a motorbike?
Motorcycling is my other passion.
Daisy

Hi Caldonbeck, gorgeous bloom on Ludlow Castle. It looks very much like Crocus Rose blooms to me, do you grow that variety as well?

Heathcliff is apparently not available in North America yet. I looked at the David Austin UK site and the photo is lovley though. The Squire is not a great plant, but the blooms are so wonderful that I keep him anyway. If Heathcliff is close in bloom form to The Squire, then I shall definitely watch for him here.

Daisy, no I was referring to bycycling. I did own and ride motrcycles a lot thought when I was in my 20's and 30's. I still often gaze with lust at the new touring bikes. I belong to a local cycling club. Quite a number of the members are in their 50's and 60's, including me. In fact 8 of us just returned from 2 weeks of cycling in the hills of Abruzzo, Italy. Expecially now that I am over 60, I find that frequent hard riding keeps me in pretty good shape for my age. So far, it keeps me fit for doing the heavy yard work, digging and other assorteted garden and home maintenance chores that my rose passion requires.

Cheers, Rick

Ye it is basically the squire on a more robust plant. I bet it won't be long before it gets to you, being a red I would think it will be quite a commercial variety. Ludlow Castle not really anything like Crocus in the flesh, the flowers are smaller and flatter and growth is completely different. I don't grow Crocus, I find it a bit boring lol. Another good one at the moment is Charles Darwin, but it is my poorest grower. I keep wanting to dig it up and then it gives me some of these:

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Caldonbeck

Thank you for posting the photos and expecially for the short note on Charles Darwin. Interesting how different roses behave completely differently in different climates and growing conditions. I too grow Charles Darwin. I have seen quite a few images of his blooms on other folks plants. Like yours, they are often bright yellow, or mustard and quite open or even rosette shaped.

I have three plants of C.D., two own root and one grafted. The grafted one is much the best, though perhaps the own roots will improve with a few more years to grow roots. My grafted C.D.is very vgorous, healthy and blooms a lot. The blooms however are extremely cupped and never open from their lovely cupped shape. The buds are red tinged yellow and very lovely in their own right. The colour of the blooms sometimes begins with a yellow hue, but rapidly darkens to what I describe as a pinkish beige the colour of fine antiqued lace or silk. The petals are substantial and hold up well to heat or rain. The scent is an intoxicating fruity blend with hints of citrus. He is one of the best English Roses for cutting and lasts well in the vase.

I have heard many people say that they do not like the old lace colour of C.D., so as with all things rose, it is a mtter of taste. Another rose I love and would not be without.

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On a lark, here is a shot of another great English Rose, Jayne Austin. This is by far the best shot I have of her. She was my absolute favorite rose when I lived in temperate British Columbia. She grew best as a pillar rose there to two metres plus. She was absolutely healthy there as she is here. But in Ontario, she grows to only a metre high. Her blooms are also much smaller and less colourful and intricate here with our hot humid summers. I suspect she likes cooler summers than here. But when she is on, she is spectacular.

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Cheers, Rick

The Crocus Rose is one of Austins hardier cultivators (minus the once blooming or rugosa traited ones) As such is brings a bit of the creamy yellow that is hard to find in the northeast. Of all the austins I tried, this is one of the best for cold zoners

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Rick---Your pictures are gorgeous----I lost my Evelyn but she sure was a beauty so I'm thrilled to see your pictures--

I love reading about your list of new roses----my planting days are pretty much over so it is a treat to read what everyone is doing.---

Please keep the pictures coming

Florence

Thought I'd stick one on of The Alnwick Rose - another one looking good at the moment. I know the keen ones amongst you will notice the spray - I'm having a battle with sawfly larvae, not just nibbling but stripping leaves off entire stems so had to resort to spray.

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