It's probably one of the best roses for a small garden like a dwarf bourbon.

Maybe it would be a rust-bucket on the West Coast.

It's true, good small shrubs are hard to come by. In my front bed I have PJ, three Prosperos, three SdlM sports, two polyanthas.

Joe, it does remind me of a dwarf bourbon!

Micheal, I also have some polyanthas ('Marie Pavie') & SdlM, and really like them too. I have a fragrant, yellow miniature rose that works too, and is amazingly healthy for a mini.

Randy

My PJ was planted this winter, and is already reaching 3'. It has been blooming very well in half day sun, and not a speck of disease so far:-).

Masha
{{gwi:209991}}

She sure is a pretty rose Randy. I imagine one reason DA isn't marketing PJ any more is that the it was introduced in 1983 (like Tamora) and the patent has expired. Sometimes newer is not better.

Masha, your PJ is awesome, and already 3', huh? Sounds like she likes your part of California! Where did you get yours?

Hamp, I think it's even more than that. I have a current catalog from David Austin, and he lists many of his older roses. You can still order many of those oldies directly from David Austin. He even features some of them, like Heritage, along with his newer introductions. But 'Pretty Jessica' is not mentioned once in the catalog or on his website. It's as if it never existed. I agree that sometimes newer is not better :-) And not just in roses. Take salvia for example. I've still never found a salvia I liked any better than 'East Friesland'; and it's been around practically forever.

Randy

One more ...

{{gwi:209993}}

Randy,
I got mine from Reagan, a local retailer, but the tag said Canadian rose. Maybe Hortico? It is grafted and growing really fast. I got their very last plant, so I assume people know and like her.
Masha

Thanks for the info, Masha!

Randy

Love it too. It's just easy and no disease so far. It's looking very good next to Louise Clements and Jeri Jennings. Good cut flower too!

Lovely pictures. I can tell by your multiple posts that you're quite enamored of her ;)

Mine is going from a one-cane wonder to a 3 cane mini-shrub right now. Interesting that yours self cleans, the blooms on my PJ would probably dry in place if I let them.

Eric

It's beautiful and one of the roses I was considering. I'm saddened to hear it is no longer available.

You can order it from Roses Unlimited.

RU has it, Mine came from Pickering, Vintage has it...it's till around and it is a pretty thing. She seems to always have blooms. Lovely lady, Randy.

Carol

Sure glad I got it before the propagation bann -- here in my So Cal garden, Pretty Jessica's been disease-free, in spite of being right next to PM-magnet McCartney Rose. Your photos of PJ are gorgeous, Randy.

Anne

peachiekean, I bet it does make a good cut flower. The blooms sure last long on the bush.

Eric, yes, the blooms on my PJ last a long, long time, then the petals fall to the ground before it gets ugly. I like that.

nuttnem, it is really a hard rose to find.

Michael, actually, I called Rose Unlimited this morning to order a second 'Pretty Jessica'. They told me they do not carry it any more. I was saddened because I got my original one from them and it looked great from day one.

Carol, I struck out with Roses Unlimited. I think Pickering sells grafted don't they? I only buy own-root, so that leaves them out. I had an order for PJ from Vintage, but they cancelled my back order, saying my 'Pretty Jessica' "perished" and they have no more of it.

Thank you, Anne. When my PJ is large enough, I will carefully try to root it, because I HAVE to have another one.

Randy

Randy I know what you mean about the older Austins. I have Wenlock and Othello and they grow so well for me, even though they don't get much attention in commerce anymore.
Your PJ is beautiful.

My Prince and Sharif Asma are lovely and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I think they're both still available in commerce though. They just both seem to do well in the heat here, so they get to stay. They also both do fine in their pots.

Here is Sharif yesterday AM -
{{gwi:209995}}

Patty, your 'Sharifa Asma' is a real beauty. And I've heard its scent is among the very best. I'm glad to hear 'Prince' does well for you too. I like the photos I've seen of that one's blooms.

Randy

Prince's blooms are treasures, they truly look like something from the 1600's, like an old gallica. However, if the sun hits them for more than 45 min. they are toasted. I enjoy them in the early AM and then cut them (this time of year).

Sharif smells like fruit to me. Prince has that old fashioned, grandma's perfume fragrance, I guess that's damask?

I really like a good fruity scent, so Sharifa & I would probably get along just fine :-)

Randy

Randy,Pretty Jessica is a beauty. Sharifa Asma was one of the most beautiful roses I have ever seen. I had two, and took them out when I decided to stop spraying. They were very diseased. They were almost as bad as Distant Drums.

You have a knack in the garden, though, and might have more luck.

Sammy

Thanks for the info on 'Sharifa Asma', Sammy.
For my Austins, I may just stick with Pretty Jessica, Heritage, & Golden Celebration. I need the room for the china roses anyway :-)

Randy

I brought home a bloom tonight nice fragrance nice form it gets blackspot by mid July but then again very little doesn't. I had the Prince for half a season and then moved it to the northern section of our garden where some unwanted things go. It like many great dark ogrs with wonderful pedigrees and cache burned black in the hot sun. I have Pat Austin and the only other 2 I would even consider are Tea Clipper and The Crocus rose. I love the crocus every time I see it but I really have no space for it. Not really a big fan of the rest of the "reproductions" the continued rennovation at The NY Botanical Gardens removed many OGRS and have been replaced with what looks like the entire Austin collection oooooh ahhhh ho humm.

Joe, I hate to hear the NYBG removed many OGRs to replace with Austins. Hopefully that trend will stop. I enjoy having some reproductions sprinkled in my own garden, but not at the expense of the OGRs.

Randy

It is sad that DA doesn't keep a good rose like PJ--

"oldies are goodies"

she is a beauty

BTW---I'm still waitng for a bloom on my RdeV-----I'm nursing her along. LOL

Florence

Florence, I hope your RdV kicks in & blooms soon. When she's good she's really good. Definitely worth pampering, I think.

Randy

Randy i love the way you romance your roses, i can't imagine you have even one you don't love!

PJ is beautiful, perfect against that lavender, and looks like she deserves her newly acquired 'cult status' ; )

There are many orphaned Austins. My favorite is Lordly Oberon. In England Austin called it a poor grower. Here in California it is a power house. It is rather like a reblooming Constance Spry.

Pam, I pulled Lordly Oberon up on HelpMeFind. Looks like a beautiful rose, and there are very favorable comments about it on there from those who grow it and love it in the US. Of course, there is also the comment attributed to David Austin, which can be taken with a grain of salt (no $$$ involved).

mauirose, I think I like the fragrance of lavender almost as much as I do roses. I also like the scent of lemon thyme and sweet basil with the roses.

Randy

OK Randy, it's on my "to get" list. Although I don't have a clue where to put her.

Hamp, that'll be an easy problem to solve ... "Jessica" doesn't take up much space! So find her a place with the good soil and sun that she deserves :-)

Randy

Fantastic pics Randy.

PRETTY JESSICA produces some of the most gorgeous pink roses within the entire English group. The Old Garden Rose flower form is perfect every time. Never is there a petal out of placement. The color is unusual and reminds me of the best pink Gallicas: lavender on the outer petals blushed a cherry pink in the middle. Blooms also last a long time in the vase and are produced freely on a short, upright shrub that is useful for placement in the front of mixed flower borders. The very strong fragrance is positively sinful and retains its strength regardless of climatic conditions or the time of day. Reliable repeat and clean foliage with infrequent spraying. It is simply a superb rose for the Mid-American rose garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: Free Jessica!

AUSjess is back on the Antique Roses Forum, spurred by two active threads, so I thought I'd revive this pictorial thread. Free Jessica is a very beautiful rose and resembles a dwarf Bourbon. She is also sinfully fragrant. If you like SOUVENIR DE LA MALMAISON then you will probably love Free Jessica. She does seem to do best in US temperate zones 4/5/6, and dislikes the wet maritime conditions of the Pacific Northwest and the UK. I've also read good reports from places like Texas and the Kansas. Mixed reports in California.

:) Patrick

I do love 'Souvenir de la Malmaison', which does beautifully here in my garden. And yes, AUSjess (aka "Free Jessica") does remind me of that caliber of bourbon in some ways due to her frequent rebloom, growth habit, perfection of bloom form, and memorable fragrance. If SdlM does well in a person's garden, maybe that same garden is a good candidate for AUSjess? Interesting. And remember, AUSjess has very, very few thorns, a rarity among roses for which I am appreciative.

Randy