Well, directly from the source for one, David Austin Roses.

You don't say where you live (approximate location), you may want to do so in order to get more information on hardiness (if that is an issue), growing habit, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sources for Evelyn from Helpmefind.com

Yes indeed.

Evelyn is terrific in many places, but awful where I am located. So WHERE you want to grow it will greatly affect how it performs for you.

Jeri

And beware that if you grow this in the South, you're actually getting a HUGE climbing rose. Ten feet tall at least. I stupidly planted mine by my front door--so I can enjoy the fragrance, was my reasoning.

Little did I know this rose would get so tall! It started to attack me on the way to the car, with clusters of fragrant roses luring me in to get thorned.

Don't feel so bad Ehann -- Where we are, it was a huge climbing rose with one bloom at the end of a cane. :-(

I would never plant it again, but I'd love to meet it in someone else's garden. I don't know what the fragrance, "Evelyn" smells like, but I thought the rose 'Evelyn' smelled like very ripe sun-warmed peaches.

Jeri

Hee! Jeri, at my house, the long canes arch way over (trying to cross the walkway-that's how I get attacked) and so it makes tons of looong laterals that break into flower along the whole main cane. It's gorgeous, but I wish I'd known about this habit. I would have found a much better spot for it.

Well, it didn't help any that we, too, had it in a place where there was nowhere for it to lean over and do that. That was back in the days when everyone believed those "four-foot" plant descriptions.

I don't remember how much flexibility those canes have, but I THINK if I were forced to grow it again, I'd wind it up a tripod, to force lateral breaks.

But there's only so much space here, and only so many work hours -- so that sort of extra effort is more or less reserved for something uncommon, or rare, or downright endangered. It's not that we don't have any well-known roses. It's just that they have to be willing to just grow and BLOOM without a bunch of coaxing. :-)

Besides, it mildewed. Kiss of death.

Jeri

I wonder what the Evelyn here will do. Jeri, how old was yours a) when it got huge, b) when it got shovel pruned? Did it go gangbusters from the first season?

Reason I ask is that I think we have a weird clone here. I bought 3, own-root, J&P potted plants in November 2004. They were 70% off, as the nursery prepared to get ready for bare-root season 2005.

That first year, spring 2005, they stayed very diminutive, and kind of arching...no more than 3.5 feet and kind of spindly floppy. I got the impression it was blooming at the expense of growth, but that is not to give the impression it was lavish in bloom...just consistent.

Last year, 2006, I thought, "watch out, it's really gonna get big"...but nothing really happened, and one of the 3 actually weakened.

At pruning time, I went very light on 2 of them, and cut the weakened one down to the base (yes, I'm a monster...) with the warning, 'do, or die, plant.' It is sending up basals, but too early to tell.

I had hoped for a large plant, and am not getting one. I won't say I am shovel pruning this next winter, but I sure do hope this third season will be the "Leap" one, because so far, Evelyn has been a disappointment, and I had wanted to like it.

Jerome

Jerome, I wish I could tell you, but it's a long time ago now. We had Evelyn within a year after it was introduced, so say 1997 -- 10 years back.
It's my impression that it took off right away, but maybe I'm wrong. I know it must have been here minimum 3 years before it was removed. What I remember most is the length of the canes, and the one or two blooms out at the skinny end. Like as not laying on the ground. Beautiful blooms though.

I think it's got a good chance of being a very different rose in your environment. You have much more warmth than we do.

(BTW -- Early Happy Birthday!)

Jeri

I'm definitely going to purchase evelyn.

Could someone tell me is evelyn an excellent disease resistent like "Heritage"? So far, there's no signs of black spots with my Heritage rose, I want to get another rose with excellent disease resistent.

this is Evelyn at my house where the temp range is between40F (winter) and 105F (summer)she behaves perfectly and stays at 4 feet.

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I still don't know where deblawson or jumbojimmy live, but in my northern garden Evelyn does great. No disease to speak of and she is one of my more reliably hardy Austins.

I tested the Evelyn Rose fragrance at Crabtree & Evelyn and it smells nothing like the real rose.

Jerome, mine came from J&P and I had almost the same identical experience as you.

Got mine from Petaluma Rose, bareroot and so perfectly pruned that it bloomed all over its little self. My neighbor got terribly interested in the quantity of blossoms,very desirous that it should all bloom on command --a solid floral carpet. So Now I clip it down to half, or about 2 and 1/half after each flush. It is a raving beauty, the cut flowers are splendid and the scent intoxicating.
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la

Ooh, Luanne and Youngquinn, you are evil enablers with your great photos. I've been eyeing this one in memory of a lovely spinster lady named Evelyn who lived next door to my childhood home...and hearing from Veilchen that it does well in the north has me definitely adding it to my list. (I'm sure I wouldn't be dealing with a 10' climber here, LOL!)

AC

I guess since we grow it here for cut flowers it doesn't grow into one of those monsters (due to regular pruning). It's definitely a favorite with florists, and the fragrance is great.

--Ron

I read this post with interest because I am moving to a new home and had Evelyn where I live now. I shovel pruned her because she was huge (NC) and bloomed once a year. Is this the case with her? Pilgrim was another once a year bloomer for me. I love both of these roses, but would prefer those that bloom more frequently. How did they perform for you?
Sharon

'Evelyn' bleached to a very unattractive pink by the end of the first day, in my garden. Yes, it stays under 5 feet, but it never looks as good as DA photos depicted. It reblooms poorly for me, as well. There are much better selections now. Many Tea-Noisette type OGR's bloom much more freely than the Austins do, if you are in the right climate.

Yes Paul but do they have the same vigor, ability to grow well on their own roots, tight OGR flower form, large bloom size, and unique peachy-sweet fragrance? The only other rose I've seen that approaches the perfection of her luminous blossoms is JAUNE DESPREZ and that monster has smaller flowers. I know you rate ABRAHAM DARBY higher but the color of its blossoms appear a little "grayed" to my eyes.

EVELYN is terribly fussy though. You've got to grow this goddess where she'll be shaded from afternoon sun. Prone to black spot here in the East and demands the best growing conditions: Eastern location, heavy feeding, frequent watering, careful pruning, spraying, the works.

For the novice I recommend TAMORA instead. The clarity of the apricot color is actually better (but frankly I prefer Evelyn's blend of pinks and peaches) and the growth habit is more universily acceptable. Nice fragrance, reliable repeat, decent disease resistance. One of my MIL's favorite roses (she grew it in a big pot on her patio).

But give me EVELYN. Those blooms!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Most Beautiful Rose in the World