Hello! After a while of searching these forums, this is my first post! I only have one David Austin, Fair Bianca. The scent is strong and very unique and the flowers are beautiful. BUT, it is very leggy and sets so many flower buds that the canes droop...a lot. Also, I am having a big problem with Rose Midge on the Fair Bianca. Maybe they are attracted to white roses like thrips? Anyway, this is all I can offer in the way of Austins.

How large a plant do you want, Tim?
What color do you cherish?

FWIW, Cliff Orent has mentioned how well 'The Dark Lady' does for him. He is in Morongo Valley, undoubtedly hotter and drier than your location.

{{gwi:307671}}

Jeri

Go for Dark Lady--if it works for Cliff it should work for you. Austins are not usually heat-loving roses.

hoovb, I didnt know Austins are not usually heat-loving roses. Ive got a lot to learn.

jerijen, Its more what I dont want. I dont want it to fade or burn in the heat. At least 3x2 but no bigger than 6x6 & want good repeat blooms. I dont want to limmit myself by color or anything else.

Here are some I have on my list, can you give me a yea or nay on any of these & tell me how they grow in CA? Keep in mind we are DRY here with very low humidity all summer.

Mary Rose
Golden Celebration - maybe too big
Abraham Darby
Gertrude Jekyll
Wild Blue Yonder
Bishop's Castle
William Shakespeare 2000
Young Lycidas
Tamora - fades so probably not
Dark Lady - looks good!

In my experience, all Austins require more than the usual amount of irrigation water. They just make such big, spidery plants that any water you provide is used up quickly. I hope you are not intending to just put in the rose and expect not to irrigate? Or are you just referring to a lack of humidity when you say "dry?"

I run drip to all my plants, they get plenty of water, its the weather/air that has no humidity here. I am in the Sacramento valley.

More on my possibility list.

Apricot Parfait
Crown Princess Margareta
Eglantyne
Falstaff
Glamis Castle
Heritage
Jude the Obscure
Prospero
Scepter'd Isle

I've only had mine since this past spring, but these are doing well for me so far:
William Shakespeare 2000
Jude the Obscure
James Galway cl

It's perhaps a little too early to tell on my Wildeve and Queen of Sweden and The Prince.

I've also had people in zone 9-10 recommend the following for being heat tolerant:
Carding Mill
Golden Celebration
Molineux

also you might try this thread about heat tolerant austins:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesant/msg052020093530.html

Here is a link that might be useful: heat tolerant austins

I have similar Summer weather, maybe a bit less heat. I have the light pink sport of Mary Rose (Redoute), and it is doing very well. I also have The Mayflower, which seems to love the heat and Crown Princess Margareta, the first year the color was more tan than apricot, but this year the color is beautiful. I have Crown Princess Margareta in full afternoon sun, and she was happier in a spot that received more morning sun.

Tim -- Listen to KStrong.

You may be doing OK on drip with OTHER roses, but we have found that our few remaining Austins really do require more water than most of what we grow.
You may have to supplement them.

Jeri

aimeekitty, & roses_more_roses, thanks for your growing experiences & that link.

KStrong & Jeri, Do the austins need water more often, or just more water in general? Unless it needs water every day or twice a day I can put larger drippers or more dripper to any one plant. If they need water every day then I will hand water, I do that with my brugs & some hydrangeas now.
tim

I get the feeling from mine that they need a source of water nearly all the time when it's hot. It's as if the evapotranspiration of the plant is just barely keeping up (i.e. the amount of water uptake versus the amount of water lost to evaporation and growth). Flowers crisp up as soon as ground has no water to offer. So if you want flowers to cut, ground must be wet. My lay analysis is that the plant, when it gets hot, really, really wants to grow greenery, and it sacrifices all the flowers if it can't drink enough to support both. It may be that the roots are not particularly strong and/or efficient -- I've always wanted to try an Austin on Fortuniana to see if it makes a difference, but I haven't gotten around to that project yet.

I am in a different climate but FWIW, we have had the hottest summer on record. No, our climate is not dry, it is humid but we are talking mid to high 90s every day on end. My Austins have flowered very well with some supplemental water (but not a lot). We have had stretches where it has not rained for a couple of weeks.

I have high, dry summer heat - 85 - 100 July through mid Sept. It does cool off at night. I have quite a few austins varying in age from new to 3 yrs old. Most have done well here on my drip system. I drip every other day 20-30 minutes (depending on the heat level). Many of mine only get sun until about 2pm. I do have some in the sun all day -- sunup to sundown. They are Molineaux, Charlotte, Carding Mill, Symphony, Lady Emma Hamilton, Sister Elizabeth, Pretty Jessica and Young Lycidas. All have done fine. Others can't take that baking and need the partial shade here -- The Prince, Jubilee Celebration and Glamis Castle.

Some can take it, some can't. I also think my overnight drop in temps helps. I don't have that constant heat that the desert has. Pick a few you love and try. I did play with the drip system a lot to find what works for me and I watch it religiously. Move plants if they don't thrive. Make the most of that real estate that has sun until 2 then shade. That little strip of garden is my most priceless area -- only the very best are in there.

Good luck. I love my Austins.

Debbie

kstrong, Sounds like I will have to give extra water when its hotter. I will watch for crispy blooms & check ground moisture often in the summer.

redsox, it doesnt rain here for 4,5, 6 + months durring the summer.

rosecorgis, Looks like I am 6-7 degrees warmer at night & in the day then you. My priceless morning sun till 2 pm is gone & that makes it tougher to chose the right rose. My spots are 9am - 6pm or 1pm - 7pm, not much does good in the 1-7 slot(no new roses will be put here). Hopefully I get some that can handle 9-6/7 sun. Going to search your recommendations. ty
tim

Or you might just want to give the Fortuniana rootstock a try. If I were just starting out with the Austins, that would be my first stop, knowing what I know now. They have some of them at Cool Roses in Florida. It is more expensive this way, but probably worth it for the long haul.

Here is a link that might be useful: Austins at Cool Roses

I have a very hot and dry garden and the Austins that have done best for me are Carding Mill and Cottage Rose. Glamis Castle also does pretty well and Wife of Bath, Bishop's Castle and Queen Nefertiti. Abraham Darby, although very beautiful, did poorly in my heat. Wild Blue Yonder, which I love for the color, does reasonably well but mine doesn't get full sun and the flowers are much smaller and crisp more in the heat.

Have you by any chance considered tea roses? They have to be ordered on-line, which is easy, and start out small because they have to be shipped, but many of them do very well in the heat and will grow into big, beautiful bushes with lots of bloom. They're very different from hybrid teas in that respect. An excellent nursery in California is Vintage Gardens, which has a great selection of older roses which do well in the heat, which includes the chinas, teas, noisettes and polyanthas. In dry heat these roses have very few disease problems and will bloom very well with your watering regime.

Ingrid

I would love to give the fortuniana rootstock a try, but my budget wont allow it.

ingrid_vc, I really want to try austins for next year, If I still have a space left I may get a tea. I really haven't done much research on teas, yet. I saved the list you gave me on roses that do good in your heat, so those are on the top of my list after any austins I get.
ty
tim

I can tell you that I have had Mary Rose for a couple of years now. She has taken her time getting comfortable. This is the first year I've had any appreciable bloom. I have it since Spring of 2009 in our back rose bed where it gets a little over half day sun. And plenty of irrigation. Those circumstances seem to really suit it. I love this rose but would be slow to put it in more direct sun or drier conditions. It seems to prefer a bit of coddling.

Hope this helps.

Kate

Mary Rose is one I just have to have. I really like everything about this rose a lot. I am also getting it in memory of my grandmother as her name was Mary & I think I got my passion for (flower) gardening from her. I know its not the best rose for this area, so I will give Mary rose the best spot & coddle the best I can.
tim

I am in Zone 9 Florida, and Austins are my absolute fav. I would most definitely go with Abraham Darby to start. It was my first Austin and the blooms are simply magnificent. I do run a drip irrigation system, and during the heat it waters nearly every day. In one year my AD has grown to 7' and blooms freely, with a great bloom size and fragrance. Even in this heat we are experiencing currently I have at LEAST 15 bud/blooms. I recommend it to anyone.

The only David Austin rose I've had experience with is Mortimer Sackler. This is a very healthy rose that needs no sprays, and its blooms are a charmingly delicate form and color. It's fragrant too. It wants to throw up a few very long canes, like a climber. The canes have good flexibility.

Best wishes,
Mary

I have no first hand experience, but David Austin's website description for Crown Princes Margarita says:
"It is likely to be vigorous in warmer areas and so would benefit from some summer pruning to maintain its shape and encourage quicker repeat flowering".
Although I am usually skeptical with such lose descriptions, it may be worth considering...

Its your requested habit of 3' x 2' that limits you the most on Austins. Very few stay in that range in California. Mary Rose and Tamora might work with some pruning. But they both fade and you say you don't want that. Take some time to visit your public rose gardens and see first hand.