I grow them and think both are nice plants. Heritage is a bit more hardy for me, the flowers are larger than SI, and the color is softer. SI smells like myrrh (which I really don't like!) and I have never smelled anything on Heritage though people on here say she's very fragrant. My nose must be broken... In my garden Heritage grows quite tall and SI seems to want to be more bushy.
For my zone Heritage is the better pick because it is hardier and bounces back from winter much more easily than SI. That may not be much of a concern in your zone.

Thanks, Twohuskies. I haven't smelled myrrh strait to my knowledge. I really like the fragrance of Tamorra but it is a myrrh blend. Supposedly Heritage is also a myrrh blend.

Ruth

IMHO, Heritage and Lillian Austin are the best of the lot and Heritage smells more like grandma's face powder.

Wow, Patricia. That's high praise. Tell me more please.

Ruth

I'm not in your zone but wanted to chime in. I have both, Heritage and Scepter'd Isle and love them both equally. Heritage did get taller for me than SI, and I seem to have no winter kill on either one of them.

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Wendy

If you grow Austins at all, you really should have at least one Heritage and one Lillian Austin. I have grown probably 30 Austins and in my opinion these are the best of the lot and I do grow some of the older ones and some of the newer ones, even the diva's like Gertrude and Evelyn.

I cannot tell you about Sceptre D'Isle, but I can tell you a little about Heritage. I grew Heritage in British Columbia and found her to be floriferous, healthy and very fragrant. To me, her blooms have a strong wafting Citrus Scent, very nice and not Myrrh at all. Her only fault is that the flowers last only 2 or 3 days and she is not good for cutting.

Heritage in times past, was trialed at both the Nova Scotia College of Agriculture and the Montreal Botanical Gardens and rated as a superior performer for both winter hardiness and disease resistance. High praise indeed.

Early last fall, I had the wonderful Ontario experience of strolling through the potted roses at Pickering Nursery in Port Hope, Ontario. Hundreds of potted roses, late season when you can see what is still healthy and what is still still blooming. Amongst the Austin roses was one that was still blooming and still fully foliated, also fragrant. It was very double, many more petals than I remember on Heritage in British Columbia. I thought it Might be Spirit of Freedom near whom it was sitting. It was not tagged, but I picked it up, took it inside and asked what rose is this? Larry looked, smelled and said... that's Heritage. I bought her. I look forward to trialing her in zone 4 Ontario, but have no doubt that she is another cold hardy Austin, equal to the Buck, Explorer and Morden roses for growing in Canada.

My two cents worth.

Cheers,

Rideau Rose Lad

Rideau rose lad,
That's very encouraging news about Heritage. Certainly enough to add her to my list for 2009....
Thanks,
Judith

Geez Judith, you posted that before I could! Heritage is looking like a likely purchase for me too. Thanks Wendy, Patricia and Rideau Rose Lad.

Ruth

Thanks, Randy!

Ruth

I grow both and like Scepter'd Isle but love Heritage. To me the shape of Heritage's blooms is more beautiful and the fragrance is strong and lemony. A rose that smells to me like face powder is Marchessa Boccella ( sweet with no sharp notes). I'm not saying it's incorrect to think Heritage smells like face powder...it's just different for me. My Scepter'd Isle is growing in a lot of shade and is still healthy and blooms, even with some repeat. Am sure it would do even better in more sun.
Linda

Randy is turning into a first-class enabler, right up there with Patrick. Ruthie, you really must look up his Reines des Violettes......
Judith

I like both roses very much. They are among the top best 10 Austins Ever IMO. Heritage is in my experience not very hardy, many winter I have had to prune it back to 3-4 inches below soil level, since the pith was brown and frost damaged. But here is the best news for cold zoners. It always grows bushy and 5-6 inches before the season is over!!! I love the Scent of Heritage Roses and even though they shed a lot of petals as cut flowers, they are gorgeous:

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Scepter'd Isle is a smaller than Heritage in growth habit, but it has got to be one of The Austin that produces the most flowers! The Flowers are smaller, and yes they are Myrrh scented. I like that scent! Heritage just have hints of it.

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I would get them both!! And winter protect them. I would not miss either in my gardens.

cupshaped roses, GORGEOUS photos. May I ask what pretty blue flowers you have planted among Scepter'd Isle? They look stunning together.

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Wendy

Wendy: The blue/purple spikes are from Salvia Nemerosa 'Ostfriesland', planted in front of the roses. It is a hardy perennial that when cut down 2/3 after flowering will rebloom. The spikes last a long time.
The blue flowers behind Scepter'd Isle is cat mint Nepeta 'Walkers low'. Not much low about them ...they get 3 feet tall. I use companion plants in blues, purple, hot pink, grey and burgundy.

Cupshaped, your bouquet of Heritage is mind-boggling beautiful.
I grow a lot of salvia nemerosa 'Ostfriesland' here too. It does excellent for me, and I especially like it next to the roses. Here, it is often sold by the English translation, 'East Friesland' salvia.

Judith, I'm not in Patrick's league ... he's a pro. But I sure enjoyed the compliment :-)

Randy

Judith, I already have RdV on order for the spring so Randy can't cost me any more money in that regard (I did see his pictures before ordering it though). Wonderful pictures Cupshaped! Some of the Austin oldies apparently are indeed golden. Sometimes it's hard to figure out if the new 'improved' versions really are. I can't wait for gardening season to begin.

Ruth

Ruth, in some cases, his "improved" aren't.
Take 'Pretty Jessica'. Although it has supposedly been "replaced" by a better rose, many who grow it love it like crazy. And no one will convince me that there is an Austin rose that is an "improvement" on Heritage. Different maybe, but not an "improvement". Once upon a time, hybrid-teas were said to be an "improvement" on the true tea roses ... I think not, at least not in the south.

Randy

How true, Randy. Tamora is a favorite and it doesn't even rate a picture in Austin's latest book.

Ruth

Ruthie,Tamora is also one of my favourites. I don't understand why he would not put it in his latest book.
Randy, I ordered Pretty Jessica for this spring after PATRICK raved about her and then said she was being "replaced". Doesn't make sense to me, but I will see how she does in my garden.
(Oh, and besides RDV coming this spring, I've also put Gruss An Achen (sp?) on my list, due to your lovely photos and wonderful descriptions. Thank you. And I do mean that sincerely:)
Judith

That's crazy to leave Tamora out.

Judith, my RdV has a bud that looks like it's ready to open, perhaps this weekend. Could be my first bloom of the season in my garden. Don't forget about the PINK sport of Gruss an Aachen ("Pink Gruss an Aachen") ... I like it even better than the original Gruss :-)

Randy

Randy, guess I'll have to get the matching pair....:) And please post a photo of that first RDV bloom. Spring is taking so long to arrive here.

Judith

front...
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backyard..
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...sigh...

Brr, that does look cold. But I still hope to visit there someday. I could practice my French from way back in college (not that I remember much of it). Not too many French speakers down here in a border state with a Spanish-speaking country next door :-)

Randy

Ha, just don't come in the winter! Seriously though, Randy, it is a wonderful city, with lots to do, and all sorts of festivals in the summer. The Montreal Botanical Gardens has a wonderful display of roses that you have to see. And lots of chances to practice your French! I hope you get a chance to visit one day; you will definitely have a good time.
Judith

..and here I've been complaining about OUR weather.

You know I love my Scepter'd Isle. I don't grow Heritage. SI is hardy and vigorous here. No winter dieback at all. It spreads out about 5' across, but doesn't get much taller that 5'. It produces many blooms which smell "different".

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Thanks, Harry. How do you describe the myrrh scent? Drat, I suspect I'm going to have two new roses next year.

Ruth