My climate is a tad bit warmer (usually over 100 degrees each day) than where you are and we get no rain over the summer unless there is a stray thunderstorm over the mountains that wanders into the valley. I have two of the plants you are looking at purchasing.

I have Munstead Wood. It gets strong afternoon sun. I love, love, love this plant. Its canes will bend over rather than stay upright. The canes will get to be about 5 feet long or so. It flowers all the time. Flowers don't fade in the heat or sun. It is a beautiful rose.

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I also have Princess Alexandra of Kent. She also throws out long canes probably 6 feet in length. I have her on my walkway and she gets strong afternoon sun. I have had to tie her up a bit so people can get to my front door! This is only her first year of growth (as is Munstead Wood) so I am anxious to see her during her second year. Both varieties are on their own root as I have to heavily mulch here due to the heat.

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Thank you very much for your reply mustbnuts . I love both your photos! Especially Munstead Wood. What a stunner in its first year! I am thinking of probably grouping Munstead Wood, Tradescant and Heatcliff together between my red rose bed and the herb garden. I've placed Princess Alexandria in front of Eglantyne trained as a climber over the fence. I'll see - if she gets too big I might consider pegging her.

If you double the DA catalog estimates, that is pretty reliable.

Our temperatures here in Vegas have been up to 110 (f) and my Austins placed in the garden this spring did just fine. they are not up to full height yet. However, i had some at the old house: Glamis Castle stayed 24" . Heritage grew t about 4.5 ft. Golden Celebration and tradescant are doing well.

Thank you hoovb and Lorrihz. Double the DA catalogue estimates it is then :-) Lorrihz, Do you train Golden Celebration and Tradescant as climbers? Does Golden Celebration bleach a lot and does Tradecant keep its dark colouring?

I did not. They are actually near the street side. I like my Austins there because they do not have too many thorns :)

I planted a bare root Tradescant this spring, and was afraid it would remain a runt for all its blooming. But it has climbed to the top of its arbor, spiraling all along the way, and has also woven itself in and through all the slats across the top. So this rose does make a nice climber in my zone, and the color remains a dark burgundy, bleaching only slightly in harsh sun. - jannike

Here's a picture of Tradescant blooming on its arbor in the heat of summer. Its color is deeper than shown in the photo, and darker still in cooler weather. It blooms in clusters with flowers smaller than all my other Austins. It's not my favorite Austin, but it's a strong grower/bloomer in my zone, covering its arbor in a graceful tracery of swirls in less than six months.

Claire Austin, with its heart-stopping blooms is also growing as a short climber twirling up a pillar. It has thorny but very flexible canes that are easy for a masochist to wrap around a post. Some of its elegant blooms have strong necks and some nod, a wonderful combination for a pillar rose to be seen at best effect from many angles. Claire has made it about half way up a 10' 4x4 in a winding pattern in less than 6 months, and is almost never without blooms, though the blooms have been much smaller since about mid summer.

jannike

Thank you again Lorrihz and Jannike. After this photo of Tradescant there is now way that I will be able to leave it from my list. Thank you also for your comment on Claire Austin. It has been on my wishlist for such a long time (even long before I thought it would ever be available in SA) and my nr 1 choice for a DA white. I have read some poor reviews about it lately which made me a bit hesitant to buy it but I think I might just give it a try. Does yours grow in full sun or in a slightly more shady position?

Liezel:

I've also read some bad reviews about Claire Austin, but the one we planted at Humpty Dumpty House has been our best performing rose this year. It's planted in a very well amended bed, gets underground drip irrigation as well as a hose blasting once in a while, and is spiraled around a pillar. I've only fed it once so far, for lack of time. Unfortunately, most of the roses here get morning shade and blazing afternoon sun, and our summers are very hot and dry. Claire was always blanketed in a dozen or more elegant blooms till early autumn when her blooms got smaller and eventually decreased in number as well. Since blooms decreased on all the other roses in the same garden, I'm guessing that shade was the culprit. With the autumn sun lower in the sky, tall hedges, and overgrown trees, the roses were pretty much in bright shade all day long. We're chipping away at the trees and hedges to bring in a bit of sunshine, and I'm curious to see what happens to the roses next.

By the way, another elegant climber that's ecru with the slightest blush of apricot is Wollerton Old Hall, in case you have access to that one and don't need a pure white. Wooly has a deeper cup than Claire, and holds its blooms even in strong winds.

Have fun with your choices! I am so happy with our new David Austin roses, and hope you will be too. Our Claire is shown below.
jannike

Thank you Jannike for your notes and lovely photo of Claire Austin and recommendation of Wollerton Old Hall. Your Clair Austin's blooms really are 'heart-stopping'. The photo's of WOH I've seen also appear to be so beautiful. Not sure we can get it here, but think I will investigate ... should it indeed be available it will however leave me with a slightly bigger predicament ð¯as I will have to choose between CA and and WOH.

It is fun to dream and plan and research though.

My Munstead Wood has been demure for several years, but I have a feeling it iso getting ready to take off this coming year. I'll report in a year or so.

Rosefolly

LiezelG,
You picked out some great roses , and your garden is going
to smell wonderful; it is such a worthwhile effort to cultivate
more beauty in the world for everyone.
Linda

The dark colors such as Tradescant and Munstead Wood will crisp and blacken rather than fade in hot sun. Shade after early to mid-afternoon is a good strategy for that color.

Mustbnuts this is a very old thread but if you are still there could you tell me how your princess of Alexandra of Kent went after the 2nd year? Did it get really tall and did it bleach? I'm getting one this winter and hoping it's not going to be too big in a hot summer area