Of your choices I have Abraham Darby, which I absolutely love, and Carding Mill which is new and has not bloomed for me yet, but which I and others on the forum consider to be very beautiful. I've grown quite a few Austins and have never planted more than one of each variety. Carding Mill and AD are both large plants (I'm growing AD as a climber). I think Mr. Austin's recommendation for threes is probably more appropriate for England, where there is much less sunshine than in the States. Many of them grow into monsters here. I hope someone can comment on your other choices or you could do a search on this forum. As far as BS is concerned, I'm far from your zone and can't make an informed comment. I'm sure you'll receive more responses from your area.

Ingrid

I am in the same zone as you.

I saw and smelled Pat Austin at the local Botanical Gardens last year and wrote her down as a must have so she is coming to me this spring.

You do not "have" to plant them in 3's. I only buy one of everything I have. It depends on the look you are going for.
Sunni

I´m in zone 7a - and I have 2 Pat Austins, which are gorgeous, delicate beauties and they're almost continuous bloomers here. BUT they don´t like heat very much! They're best in spring and fall but their petals wilt during heat waves. Lady Emma Hamilton might cope better - and the color is similar (not the same of course). I would at least put Pat into a place where she get's some shade.
Cyberblue

I've had pat 10 years now and shes my favorite. Great colors nice fragrance she can get big she reached 7 to 8 ft last year before I cut her back. 3 to 4 flushes in very intense heat she fries in a couple of hours. Not good for cutting the blooms nod for a couple of years (that sounds terrible but still my favorite)

Of you three choices I have Pat Austin - and my experience is also that she tends to wilt in the heat. In the spring and fall she's heartbreakingly beautiful. I will never get rid of her, but if I were to start over, I would probably choose one of the other two...

BettyN

I have Pat Austin and Carding Mill...Carding Mill IS one of the most beautiful of my roses, but, it does get some BS, leaf loss, then bounces back. Pat Austin is newer, also extremely beautiful, and seems to handle BS better. Carding Mill has shown no tendency to become very large in my garden...maybe 4ft x 3 ft. Oh, and I don't spray at all.

Robert

Thanks everyone for responding to the post. Since we have such hot summers where I live I think I will pass on Pat Austin (though she is my fav from the catalog). I will probably go ahead and order Carding Mill. Alnwick will have to wait for another year!

Pat Austin and Teasing Georgia are indestructible in my garden. I've killed a lot of Austins from disease, drought and torrential rain storms, but these guys are still healthy and fragrant.

I got Pat last year and I really love it. I was very disapointed in Alnwick it was not a very full plant and had black spot very bad and lost all it's leaves. I also have Carding Mill which I love great color.

I'm not in your zone, but thought I'd mention that Alnwick has an absolutely delicious fruity scent.

I don't have Pat, but I'm in my fourth (I think) with Carding Mill. This rose has gained my admiration; it gets better every year. Very good rebloom for me, wonderful soft glowing colors, and a strange fragrance which at first I did not like but now find delicious. She receives less than perfect sun but I spray.

Pat Austin will do fine in your area. It's more heat tolerant than many other Austins. Teasing Georgia is great too, if you want a softer orange-yellow. I don't think heat is a problem for Austins as the Austin US nursery is in Tyler, Tx, a zone 8a area with high humidity in the summer.I live in an area with 90+ weather for 8 months out of year and 80+ percent humidity in the summer.All of the Austins, I've tried grow here, some have more disease problems than others.

I'm in 7a or b - maybe sliding towards 8, if you go by the performance of some 8 plants I have.

Pat Austin is WONDERFUL for me - I have 5. She blooms in flushes all year.

Carding Mill is also great, especially in the spring. I don't spray and she usually loses most of her leaves in the summer to BS. But that doesn't bother me, because I don't want the darned JBs to get her anyway!! Then, come fall, she leafs back up and blooms again.

hi bobkat. I am in Va Beach. I have to say I saw pat in July and she was covered in fragrant blooms so I am crossing my fingers she doesn't fry for me.

Thanks for all of your great input. I have orded Abraham Darby and Carding Mill. I also ordered Christopher Marlowe elsewhere. Pat Austin is back on my wish list but I will have to wait for next year since I have a rule that I can only get 3 per year. I have also added Jubilee Celebration to next year's list!