I've had bad luck with Lady H, but I do persist. My first Lady H (shrub) I killed while it was still in the pot. How? I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I broke it. So I ordered another and planted it in the ground. It disappeared. In retrospect, I think the likely culprit was a gopher. They were just starting to move into my garden at about that time.

A year or two ago I planted what I thought was Lady H Cl, but apparently I ordered the shrub by mistake. Sigh. It had a lot of blackspot initially but that cleared up and it became healthy. Mine grew modestly and bloomed more than you described for yours. Perhaps yours will improve in time. Realizing my mistake, I ordered and a few days ago received and actual Lady Hillingdon Cl. I just came inside from potting it up from liner to gallon and the first thing I saw was your note.

Rosefolly

My first Lady H was a failure. Grew about 2 ft. and stopped.
The one we have now is a Very Good plant, easily 4 ft. tall.

We have to remove it, because it is in an area which has been made shady, but there's nothing wrong with the rose.
I think this one must have come from Vintage.

Jeri

I try to keep mine no bigger than 8' high, but it's a struggle.
Jill

LOL @ Jill - which do you have, the bush or the climber, that you try to keep no bigger than 8'?
I have the bush form and it has been in the ground only 3 or 4 years and is about 4 feet high. Can't recall where I purchased it (? from Uncommon Rose right before they closed). It is sited totally wrong and should be moved, but I'm not inclined to do so.

This picture was taken several years ago. It is at least twice this size now, probably 8x8.
{{gwi:230040}}
Olga

She sure is a beauty. Thanks for all your input.

She's definately a keeper in my garden.

Thank you for the encouragement - I have a bush LH which has only achieved 2 canes that are maybe 24 inches high, and no flowers, after two years. I thought it might be a dud. It is in a bed where it got a lot of shade a large part of the day, but there were other tea roses in that same bed that were doing well.

I hoped that, for this one, lack of light was the problem, not "duddiness". For that and many other reasons, we had a very very large tree that was shading that bed cut down recently. I am happy to report that, even though it is still quite chilly here (lows in the 30s at night), LH has suddenly started putting out a lot of new growth, I presume responding to the additional light.

That along with the lovely pictures of the gorgeous LH bushes you have posted has encouraged me to see what it does in the next two years.

Jackie

It sounds like everyone's experience with the climber is surely better than my experience with the shrub. I gave my Lady H three full growing seasons to become wonderful, including lots of loving mulchy encouragement. She rewarded me with about 18 puny inches and blossoms so numerous I could count them on one hand. Mebbe half a hand. My shovel and I put me out of her misery this past December.

I wonder whether the bush does better in a warm and moist climate since the two I grew in two different gardens in my dry environment were less than spectacular. The climber, on the other hand, which of course has more vigor, has done very well for me, and I'll be getting another one later this month. It's from Vintage and I'm thrilled to have it again.

Ingrid