Jerome, what a great post! I'm one of those impatient gardeners and you've given some great reasons why that can be such a mistake. As for Carding Mill, I've praised this rose here umpteen times because it was so wonderful in the heat, better than almost any other rose I had. I no longer have it since the color didn't really blend with my scheme but will continue to praise it and recommend it for anyone with a hot, dry climate. And it is gorgeous! I will forever regret not keeping Janet because I didn't have the right spot for it. For me this rose bloomed beautifully from the start. I can be such an idiot at times!

I'm glad to hear your opinion of Young Lycidas. It's a rose I've coveted since I first set eyes on it. I would love to have updates from you in terms of how well it does in the sun and heat, since most purple roses in my garden have been miserable failures.

Thanks for a super thread.

Ingrid

Thank you Ingrid. See, I love the apricot/yellow/peach color range. I have to be careful to get contrasting colors, or the garden gets bland. The blue pinks (like Brother Cadfael here) are not something I'd ever get - though Eglantyne has tempted me...and I am not naturally fond of white (though we have a fair amount of that too...)but I incorporate those things to balance everything out.

Carding Mill is everything I love in a rose, and the color is a lot more subtle than in the catalog pictures. It ranges from sunset to almost white pink....all on one plant. I just recently came back from a trip to Illinois (May 29) and my jaw dropped when I saw this little 13 month old plant so covered with perfect blooms that it was hard to see the foliage. It's gearing up for another flush now. Love it. Gonna get more of it too. Funny thing, because I don't know if they offer it in the UK, but in Orange County, this rose rocks!

Jerome, have you never tried 'The Dark Lady'???

You know how much I like 'Prospero.' This is of the same breeding line -- improbably bred from 'Chateau de Clos Vougeot.' It's really worth your time and effort.

I must post a photo.

Jeri

You're right, Jeri; I have lots of The Dark Lady - a whole hedge of it, and love it. I forgot to put it in my post. I've seen Hoovb's glorious Prospero (and smelled it too!) and that's on my short list of "roses to get". I'm also growning the hard-to-get Cymbaline from Vintage. It's still small (bands went in in April) but blooming its head off and it's a superb rose so far. I love the smell. I also forgot to mention "Radio Times"...it blooms a ton, and stays small so far...but I think it's one that will put on size after a few years in the ground to put down roots. Actually, the Teas taught me about the patience I need for some of the Austins here, as well as how much S-P-A-C-E they need!

Did I mention Young Lycidas? Brand new this year (but I cheated and got 5 gallon pots from a local and very "tony" nursery) but it's growing beautifully, and is a fantastic shape.

Jerome, Cymbaline isn't a big bloomer here (I bet it likes your hotter weather) HOWEVER it is so lovely, so fragrant, and has such great foliage that we grow two of it, anyhow.

Jeri

I'm loving my Carding Mill so far. Ingrid highly rec'd it even though it's not her favorite color for it doing well in this sort of climate, and I"m really happy with mine so far (and I love the color, too! :) I can't wait to see what mine does NEXT year.

I still have Crown Princess Margareta on my list... I might have to crack and get it next year.

I ADORE my Jude the Obscure, but both of mine have done really well. I wonder why yours had a lot of trouble? our zones are pretty similar. Maybe just one of those things.

Young Lycidas is gorgeous. Maybe if I finally give up on William Shakespeare 2000, I'll replace it with that or maybe Dark Lady.

My James Galway cl has been AMAZING. It was slow to wake up from bare root, but when it did, it grew the fastest and bloomed the most of ALL my DA roses, or perhaps all my roses all together. It's amazing and I love the crinkly petals on it, it's different.

My Mortimer Sackler, last year, it's first, was unhappy in the summer, but it did not die, and it's doing well this spring. I'm going to give it some time. The pointy petals and leaves make it lovely and different.
The Prince in it's slightly shady spot seems pretty happy.
Other than what I mentioned, I'm really pretty happy with (so far) Belle Story, Queen of Sweden, Wild Eve

Thanks for sharing this with us Jerome.

I'm so glad that when I lived in California I went ahead and just chose the English roses that appealed to me and tried them rather than worrying too much about how they had performed for others, there are so many micro-climates that I think you can just never know unless you give it a try.

Here in England I've been trying to buy English roses that I didn't grow in California, just for the variety and to form a list of my favourites so that when I move into my own home (right now we are renting) I'll know which ones I really have to have. That said, there are two from California that I simply had to have here for their fragrance... Jude the Obscure and St. Cecilia. So far, Jude doesn't seem to like the cooler weather as much as he liked the heat, but nevertheless, he's worth it for the blooms alone. St Cecilia seems even happier here, although the bush is young she is producing a lot more blooms and they are not bleaching white as quickly.

I have no idea how they would do in your garden, but if you're inclined, I'd recommend trying Munstead Wood, Princess Alexandra of Kent and Jubilee Celebration, they are quickly becoming favourites of mine here.

I'm also growing Young Lycidas, and so far I'm very pleased.

Cheers,
robert

IF I was going to try another Austin, right now, I'd try Munstead Wood . . .

Jeri

Munstead Wood is simply a lovely rose. I saw it growing beautifully in the garden of a friend in England and had to have it for my own garden. Here under very different conditions it is also beautiful; healthy and fragrant, too. I think it would be well worth trying in your corner of the world, Father Jerome.

Rosefolly

Has anyone tried growing Lady of Shalott yet? If so, your opinion of her?

Jerome, how is the repeat on 'The Generous Gardener"? And do you deadhead it?

Thanks for all the feedback...that's exactly why I started this thread. Robert...Munstead Wood really tempts me. A question of where to put it! I very much want Princess Alexandra of Kent - it looks very beautiful, and also Jubilee Celebration. I am willing to give them a try now that Austins seem to be doing better for me.

The mysterious thing is I don't know why they all of a sudden grow well and in the past I did not have success. I have always watered them, fed them, you name it. But all of a sudden, even varieties that wouldn't grow here are doing well. I am grateful.

Rosefolly, I am glad that Munstead Wood does well here...I'll have to order it.

harmonyp - Lady of Shalott sold out before I could order. It looks glorious. I have a friend (hoovb) who has Lady Emma Hamilton - that's a great rose too. Fragrance is extremely powerful.

Thanks for the feedback all.

The more I read about roses, study them, admire them, and tend them, the less I truly understand them. But like you, I am grateful.

Rosefolly

As someone who is very involved with DA roses, I have read all the information here with interest. There are many that do quite well in CA. And it amazes me how healthy and fragrant the new introductions are.

Jeri, why not try Munstead Wood? I'll bet it will be wonderful. I would be very interested in your results. I know you have a certain micro-climate that requires careful choices, but the new DA's are tougher and healthier.

Juliet

harmonyp, regarding the Lady of Shalott... I was knocked out by her on my visit to David Austin's garden in Albrighton. They are starting to grow her as a short climber and the roses looked unbelievable. It's not a colour that I tend towards, and I didn't remember to check the scent, but the performance was really amazing. I have a feeling Austin is planning big things for this rose. Here's photo of her against the wall.

{{gwi:213550}}

Jerome, another rose I want to mention is Princess Anne. I wasn't expecting to be the least bit interested in this rose, but the bushes I saw at the garden were just really impressive. David Austin says it is from "an entirely new line of breeding", and I must say, whatever it is, I liked it enough to pick one up and carry it home on a two hour train ride. I doesn't look like it is out in the States yet, but consider it when it does. A photo:

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I am in Florida with temps 10 degrees plus higher than where you are, and I have been surprised to find how well the English roses do here as well.

The best one I have is Windermere. It blooms all summer and is a large bush. It has been great since day one.

I also have Graham Thomas, Crown Princess Margareta, Ambridge rose, Pat Austin and Wildeve.

Wildeve is the one I have to have patience with. Mine is very slow growing.

I will definitely have to try some from your list.

Tina

Blendguy - thank you so much for posting the photos of Lady of Shalott. She is breathtaking! And Princess Anne is stunning as well. I envy you for having proximity to David Austins garden Albrighton. I think if I ever entered it you wouldn't be able to pull me out.

Hey Juliet -- I would try Munstead Wood, but for two things:

1. We are in a phase here of REDUCING, rather than increasing, our rose numbers. We are removing some really very nice roses, to open up space, reduce our water needs, and make room to add additional Found, rare, and endangered roses, which we can propagate, and share forward for preservation.
2. Over 30+ years, we've planted and grown many Austin roses. The sad fact is that only a handful of them are well-suited to our odd environment -- AND they are in general not drought-tolerant. The ones that have worked here, and that we really love, we make an extra effort for, and will keep. But it's unlikely that we'll plant more of them.

Jeri in Alkaline, Saline, Foggy, Coastal Ventura County, SoCal.

Jerome,
We cross-posted above and I think you missed my question. Does 'The Generous Gardener' repeat much for you? And do you deadhead the spring flush? I ask because there is a gorgeous specimen in my neighborhood that is not deadheaded and that produces a huge crop of hips with very little repeat.

Sorry about that Michael, I am not on the forum as much as I'd like to be and I completely missed your post. I do deadhead it, and it blooms constantly for me so far. It went in as a gallon plant from RU April of 2010 and concentrated on growing for about a year. This March it started blooming and has been a very generous gardener indeed. It behaves (so far) like a Tea for me in that the initial growth was smallish and now it is throwing up large basals (it could easily be used as a climber I think) and smaller side branches from those. It will be a very large shrub here.

Thanks, Jerome, very interesting. The plant here is very disease resistant, and it's reported very hardy from the Midwest. It has dense, handsome foliage and fine, fragrant flowers. Trouble is, it needs 8' x 7' even with pruning. So what rose that I like am I going to tear out to accommodate it?

Austins that have done very well for me. All are hardy need to be sprayed once/month for BS:
Mary Rose
Winchester Cathedral
Heritage
Crocus rose
James Galway
The Squire - mines about 10 yrs old but is starting to poop out. I think I'll either have to but or make another one
Abe Darby - I really like the color but should be sprayed for BS more frequently, but I won't and it still does well enough.
Fair Bianca did well, I think. I chose not to grow it when we moved. Whites are hit and miss for me. On most the flowers seem to turn brown in hot weather. I think they're a little prone to thrips, those are best viewed from afar.
Roses I have shovel pruned:
The Dark Lady - I tried this for about 6 years but it was a BS magnet and the red turned to magenta, and very thorny.
Jude the Obscure - I tried real hard to like this rose, about 10 yrs. I liked the color but it was a sparse bloomer and got too much BS.
Lillian Austin - nice rose but was a BS magnet and very thorny.
Brother Cadfael - similar to Jude.
Golden Celebration - An octopus, thorny, flowers can-t survive a thunderstorm, a BS magnet, didn't have much of a second flush, and I'm not really fond of butter cup colored roses. I give most roses four years, but this one was gone in 3.

I see that The Generous Gardener won a gold medal as a climber in a major European trial.

Has anyone tried any of the newer Austins - I want to order Princess Alexander of Kent, Princess Ann, Lady of Shallot - have just ordered Lady Emma Hamilton, and the older ones Leander, Lucetta and Cressida. Any comments on these?

My Mary Rose is 2 years old, but since I had to dig her up and cage her, it was almost like starting over with her this year. About 10 blooms this year, all with lovely fragrance.

Then, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Teasing Georgia, Crown Princess Margareta, and Young Lycidas are new as of spring, and Eglantyne and Munstead Wood new as of a few weeks ago.

First year is definitely a growing period. 2 blooms from PAOK just recently was it for this year, but they are breathtaking - large, and marvelously fragranced. About 10 stunning blooms from YL, and I was quite tickled that I was able to pick up another discounted at a big box (no idea why it was there). CPM put out 3 blooms this summer, and another bloom last week. Very very pretty. And Teasing Georgia is teasing me plenty as she hasn't bloomed yet.

Not like the HTs on steroids in my climate, but all have grown significantly, and look strong and healthy, and I look forward seeing their progression in the next few years. I can wait.

I grow Lady of Shalott and just love her. Planted in the springtime, here is a sample of her summer time blooms. Notice how healthy the foliage is also. She's a prolific bloomer and very disease-resistant--and beautiful!

Lady of Shalott--summer 2012
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Another view of Lady of Shalott:
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A lovely close-up of Lady of Shalott:
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Kate

When I saw some of your gardens, I thought the plants looked full of life and were flowering well. I'm glad that you are happy with your selections. I have the same thoughts about DA roses. They take time. I try and do my best for them at planting time and then wait patiently. Repeat blooming and disease resistance improve as the years pass. The plants have a nicer shape. This spring the leaves and flowers suffered in the damp conditions but maybe next year will be drier.
Right now I'm grateful for flowers that are produced before the winds come. After these few days in the 90s, hopefully we will get some prime rose temps and along with them some super fragrant roses. Brother C. is on my list of must haves for next year. I have a place where he can spread out and I'm looking forward to practicing patience again.

I just found Spirit of Freedom and Pegasus on sale - they are needing to be planting and the leaves dont look glossy and healthy - but they are alive and well, have buds and think they will do well with care. I also bought very healthy 1 gallon specimens of Sharifa Asma and Noble Antony. Any comments on these?

Kate, I adore Lady of Shallot and she will most definitely be on my order list!