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| I found a new local nursery today. And was I ever surprised. Had no idea they even had a nursery behind all the masonry, but they did and I hit the lotto on David Austins.
They didn't have a big selection of Austins. They had mostly Weeks Roses for $34.99. The the Austins they did have were in 5 gallon pots on sale for $12.99. I came home with Glamis Castle, Sharif Asma and Windermere. I "almost" also came home with Christopher Marlow and Geoff Hamilton, but I'm not even yet sure where I'm putting the three. Then they also had The Mayflower, but it was in pretty sad shape. Curious what experiences you've had either with the ones I purchased, or the ones I should run back and get! Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Ah, just one further note. The foliage on the three I purchased were very healthy, and two (Glamis Castle and Windermere had blooms which were beautiful and fragrant (Sharifa Asma was not in bloom but I have since looked up the blooms and am delighted). Christopher Marlow had scant foliage of average health (and no blooms, but I've looked them up, and am not that impressed with bloom photos). Geoff Hamilton on the other hand - this one I'm second guessing myself on. They had 5 Geoff Hamiltons. Two were in bloom, and the blooms were breathtaking. But each plant's foliage looked of less than average health, which is why I didn't bring him home. I "think" I made the right decisions (whatever right is), but those blooms sure were stunning... Probably time to let someone answer! |
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| Sharifa has a gorgeous, heavily scented flower and can quickly grasp mildew to her bosom, refusing to let it go until either sprayed or conditions change. The Mayflower, in my experience, is the healthiest Austin rose I've yet encountered. It was spectacular at the beach. It reminded me very much of Portland Roses. I've not tried it at home. Too many new babies of my own to make room for! Kim |
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- Posted by rideauroselad 4b/5a Ont (My Page) on Wed, Nov 21, 12 at 19:02
| Hello Harmony, The two roses that you list that I am familiar with are Sharifa Asma and Christopher Marlowe. Sharifa is a very lovely rose. I first found her many years ago when I was wandering through a nursery looking at roses. I began to get the scent of the most delightful rose and literally followed my nose to a plant of Sharifa that was in full bloom. The scent is very potent, and wafts wonderfully in cooler weather. The plant is compact and fairly disease free in my experience in two different climates zone, 8 B.C. and 4b Ontario. The flowers are blush pink and lovely. Christopher Marlowe I grow in a pot here in Ontario. He is very compact and quite bushy. He blooms in flushes, three or four a season. I very much like this rose, not because of vigour and overall zone 4 performance, but specifically for his exceedingly lovely flowers. They are salmon colured with a yellow centre and very double pom pom to roseate shape. The newly opened flowers on C. M are to die for. It is bit of a gamble to grow him in zone 4, because he is a bit tender in my zone, but I love the flowers, and particularly the unique colour. Though any rose that will grow and flower well in my harsh climate is tough, I suspect that Christopher Marlowe would grow much better and larger in California and would likely be a standout there. I suggest you grow him in a large pot with morning sun. The only other rose I know of with similar colour and form is Paul Barden's "Treasure Trail". Give Christopher Marlowe a try. The poet was a great bard, and his namesake rose is lovely and unique. This is an Austin rose that should be more widely grown IMHO. Cheers from the Great White North, Rideau Rose Lad, aka Rick |
Here is a link that might be useful: Christopher Marlowe @ Help Me Find Roses
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| Rideau Rose Lad is right -- the fragrance of Sharifa Asma is something special -- AND the bloom is lovely. But Kim is also right, in that this is a rose that will mildew with very little encouragement. When we grew S.A., we were still spraying, religiously. Any rose that persisted in mildewing under that regime could not be deemed worth garden space ... And she did. So, she is long gone. FWIW, I never grew Glamis Castle, but back when it was a new release, it had a reputation as a weak grower. That, in fact, is WHY I never grew it. The Austin white that I really loved was Fair Bianca -- another rather weak grower, but I've never forgotten the bloom and the fragrance. One of these days, I will try growing it again, in a container, so the roots get some warmth. Jeri |
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| I have 2 Glamis Castle. It is a small, spindly bush, I have both in a large pots. When they finish blooming, I cut them way down and they come up again in a few weeks covered in blooms. It does blackspot badly here, but you may be ok out in Cali. It also has a myrrh scent that people either love or hate. |
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| I'm afraid I got rid of my Glamis Castle because of its unattractive growth, vicious thorns and to me unpleasant smell. The flowers are quite nice but I wasn't able to enjoy them given the negatives. To me it was an unfriendly rose. Ingrid |
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| I grew Glamis Castle for 5 years. It was a moderate sized bush, not spindly and bloomed well in flushes. Removed it to plant tea roses. Gave it to a friend who has it in their garden now. Not a fragrance I like, but as a landscape rose in my area, not bad. I grow Christopher Marlowe - have seen glorious plants of this locally and that is why I bought it. Mine was slow growing the first couple years. Floppy canes and not that impressive. Will prune it hard this year and see what it does next spring. Geoff Hamilton was in my garden when I first redid it in 2005, it was one of the first roses to get shovel pruned and put in the green bin. Poor bloom production and extremely poor re-bloom. Don't remember much else about it, it didn't last long at all, think I got rid of it within 2 years. Have no personal knowledge of Sharifa Asma and Windermere. |
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| Sharifa Asma is one of the most beautiful roses I ever grew. However, here it suffered with black spot. The rose was hit so hard, that is seldom had leaves. It really hurt to shovel prune it since it was one of my favorites when i was spraying. But without spray, I don't even think there were blooms. But we live in entirely different zones. Good luck to you. I hope it will thrive in your zone. Sammy |
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- Posted by amberroses 10a-Pinellas Co.FL (My Page) on Thu, Nov 22, 12 at 15:54
| Windermere is very healthy and easy to grow here in Florida. It has pretty old fashioned flowers, a nice medium strong scent, and good health. |
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- Posted by floridarosez9 10 (My Page) on Thu, Nov 22, 12 at 21:53
| Christopher Marlowe here is very bushy and even in our hottest weather continues to bloom. The blooms bring to mind watermelon. In July and August, it gets some disease, but doesn't defoliate and keeps right on trucking with blooms. It's on Fortuniana, so it's large here. |
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| Glamis, excellent production, flowers short-lived but always more of them, nasty prickles, do not prune hard--takes years to recover. Some people hate the fragrance & describe it as a cross between cough syrup and dog f@rts. Gets black spot even here in dry So Cal. Stays reasonably small. Did I mention nasty prickles? Really nasty prickles. Windermere, give it afternoon shade because the flowers are so very delicate, Outstanding bloom production, gets tall. Lovely citrus fragrance. Sharifa has the most superb fragrance. Better vigor once it goes own-root. I'd go back for Chris Marlowe. Not much fragrance but great disease resistance and always blooming. |
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- Posted by Strawberryhill 5a IL (My Page) on Mon, Nov 26, 12 at 11:12
| How I appreciate Hoovb for her info. on roses! If I had seen what she wrote, it would had saved me from wrong buys months ago. Never under-estimate Christopher Marlowe. It's the healthiest rose, least-demanding on water. I didn't like it at first due to slight scent, and never water it... Now I appreciate its low-need for water in my climate. Below Christopher Marlow in early summer, I constantly chop it down, and the repeat is fast.
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| I'm with Sammy on Sharifa Asma. I have two own-roots that I'm watching for another year. If they're not capable of shrugging off the blackspot, they may have to go. They don't flower much (maybe because of the blackspot), so why bother for just a few blooms on a plant with thorns and sad-looking foliage? Lou |
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| Oh boy. I had pretty much counted Christopher Marlowe out, until your photo Strawberryhill... Now the question - will he still be there this coming weekend? And thank you Hoovb for the recommendation to give Windermere afternoon shade. I'm going to swap places with another rose who is in a spot that only gets morning sun. I'm still pining after the blooms I saw on Geoff Hamilton. Will also check on him this weekend. |
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| Thank you everyone for your feedback. I cheated and went back today. I returned home with all three: Christopher Marlowe, The Mayflower and Geoff Hamilton. I ended up in a conversation with the manager who told me these roses had been there since she took over the business 3 1/2 years ago, which is why they were on sale - they couldnt' sell them. They look pretty unloved, but hoping they go through insta-transformation once they go in my ground, which is an often repeated occurrence. |
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| Sharifa Asma smells like heaven, but I've never grown it. Glamis Castle, on the other hand...to MY nose, smells like a diaper pail. I'm not kidding, really its awful! That said, it seems to quite a vigorous bloomer, (or at least MY plant is, and others that I have seen in gardens) and I planted mine directly into the ground as a band-sized plant and it took off immediately! The thorns really are terrible though, LONG and sharp and plentiful, and I have a feeling its going to have major blackspot problems. However, I have no plans to shovel-prune it. The flowers do look very pretty, and I even had some buds open last week! |
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