Pretty much what Karen says.

I'd rate it about 7.5 to 8 out of ten. Fell in love with it also a few years ago when I had the opportunity to visit DA's gardens in Albrighton. One of few roses not affected by any type of disease and just beautiful in habit and growth.

It is mostly thornless and a sturdy and very upright narrow grower. A great bloomer with fast repeat. Very good disease resistance. Better than average winter hardiness. Blooms that have a tinge of apricot pink when young and fade to pale pink before the petals fall clean from the plant.

Definately worth having.

Here is mine at the begining of the first flush this year.

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How is the fragrance??

I raced around this spring trying to get a decent bush shot as my 4 foot, 1 year old bush was loaded with blooms. Unfortunately my photographic talents were not up to the task. How could anyone see this, I said to myself, and not fall in love. Morden Man's pictures of QOS last year on this forum enabled me and for that I have to bow to him in thanks. I get a light powdery fragrance, but the true beauty is in the blooms and the wonderful growth habit. If David Austin could just repeat this same sturdy upright, narrow, relatively thornless growth habit (with excellent disease resistance to boot) in another color I'd jump on it like a duck on a June bug. As of now, before the brunt of our long hot summer assaults it, I would rate this rose an 8.0 for sure.

Maryl,

You are most welcome and glad you like QOS.

Greenhaven,

The fragrance is light and fruity at best on my own plant. However and oddly, in DA's garden, the fragrance on QOS was much, much stronger. Different climate, different fragrance...

If you have the space, I'd get three of them and plant them in triangular shape, about 18-19 inches apart. That way, they will appear to be one bigger fuller bush--and, of course, three times as many blooms!

Unfortunately, I do not have the space, but I surely do adore my one and only Q of S.

Kate

I too loved the photos I've seen. It reblooms regularly and is quite nice to look at and hasn't come down with powdery mildew or rust, which is a problem in my garden due to fog. However, it is a terrible for cutting. The petals fall off the flowers when I have tried to cut them (like half of the petals on one side) and I've grown quite frustrated with it. Also, if it gets breezy, some of the petals fall off so the bloom doesn't last very long. I'm surprised that no one else here has commented on that. I'm thinking of giving it away for that reason. Sorry to be a damper on this rose.

Q of S is a healthy, upright free-flowering shrub here in U.K.
the fragrance is quite light & the colour a lovely delicate pink. The blooms are not very longlasting but repeat well.

It is featured on the cover of David Austin`s 2009/10 cat. growing in David Austin Jnr`s garden which I have the great pleasure of looking after. I grow it there as a 50 metre hedge but in my own garden it happily grows to 6 ft as single shrubs. I would rate it 8/10. Glad to help,Mik.

My Queen of Sweden does have pretty flowers, but they are small. The bush does get tall, but it remains slender and does not sprawl much. Repeat bloom for me is not much. It bloomed in May and had only one time so far it rebloomed this year. I have a number of Austins that are mostly bush and few flowers, and this one is one of them. It is a shame because this rose is quite pretty. I don't know where you are, but St. Cecilia has more flowers for me in a pink one, and both Benjamin Britten and Munstead Wood do better in the red groups.

My Q of S does shut down after the blazing heat of August (100+ degrees), but no worse than a number of my roses. I noticed today it is starting to form some buds now that the temps have abated to the 88-92 range.

However, I do have to agree with bustopher, the flowers are somewhat small, though perfect otherwise--a most wonderful rose, all things considered.

Kate

I WANT it...