Your location and growing conditions are definitely going to be the determining factors for finding the rose to perform to your expectations. I grow about 50-60 different Austins as well as Carefree Beauty and Marie Pavie. I grow without any type of chemical support. Carefree Beauty would be in the top 10 roses in my yard (of about 700-800 different varieties) that would earn the distinction of "Dog." It blooms okay in the first flush, but then, it is completely defoliated. The flowers do nothing for me, and I keep hoping the beaver will choose to take this rose out, but even the beaver isn't attracted to it. Marie Pavie has been in the ground a few years and has shown no signs of wanting to grow. I have seen these two roses growing very well in the gardens of others not too far from me.

On the other hand, I have several David Austins that seem to be doing very well: Sweet Juliet, The Alexandra Rose, Comte de Champagne, Teasing Georgia, et al. Some of my worst performing David Austins are better than Carefree Beauty. Why do I keep Carefree Beauty? I keep hoping, in time, it will live up to its expectations. If I lose it, would I replace it with another Carefree Beauty? Definitely not.

Robert

Obviously Robert has a stain of blackspot that gets after Carefree Beauty, but rootman does not have that strain (yet?). CB is resistant in many or most gardens.

Austin's The Generous Gardener and Teasing Georgia are resistant in many gardens, and they have the luxurious flowers you expect from DA. However, these are very big plants that are basically climbers or 8' shrubs here--probably in PA too.

Some more Buck roses that are easy-care in many gardens are Earth Song, Prairie Harvest, and Quietness. These all give prompt, heavy repeat bloom. I also recommend Mother of Pearl, which is descended from Carefree Beauty but has a better flower.

I only have 2 Austins, Golden Celebration and Graham Thomas, and although they are both very winter hardy they both do black spot so I can't really help you there.

The Buck's I have are Quietness, Country Music, Iobelle and Rural Rhythm. They're all very hardy but they all do black spot to some degree for me.

It exists. Your mission is simply to find it. It's a rugosa hybrid named Snowdon. It probably has the best flower form I've ever seen on a rugosa, along with the more normal rugosa health and hardiness traits.

Now if the restriction is made that this has to be a 'normal' Austin, I'd be interested in one too, but am reasonable doubtful it exists. But the 'one offs' can be very interesting and useful roses. It's just that they don't fit into any recognized commercial category.

I guess it depends on one's particular garden micro-climate, but I haven't found a rose to beat CB for all around best performer. Even today, after a week of freezing and near freezing nights and heavy morning frosts, CB is fully leafed out and covered in hips from the last bloom. No blackspot to be found. She blooms all summer long, in flush after flush following dead-heading. If I don't deadhead, she is covered in hips like now. I love Abe and Graham but their foliage and blooming does not approach CB's.

I was just wondering whether Robert L. could be thinking of Carefree Wonder instead of Carefree Beauty. CWonder is susceptible. But again, Robert may just have a strain of blackspot that isn't widespread.

Michael,
CB blackspots badly for me (Carefree Wonder blackspots too of cause). Marie Pavie and most Austins will defoliate here too. I heard good things about Generous Gardener, it gets BS, but keeps vigor and some leaves.
So all this is climate specific.
Olga

Michael,

I had grown Carefree Wonder as well...that rose did very poorly for me, and it is probably dead.

I have two Carefree Beauty roses in slightly different locations. Each gets plenty of sun. I am trying to fertilize them heavily with alpaca manure this autumn/winter to see whether a lack of nutrients may be the culprit for the poor performance. Surprisingly, I have Carefree Sunshine about 10 ft from one of the Carefree Beautys (in nearly identical growing conditions), and CS is doing beautifully.

There is a possibility that the two roses I am growing as Carefree Beauty are, in fact, imposters.

Robert

hey, along with Snowdon, can I also mention Wild Edric, another rather good rugosa hybrid. Unlike all the other Austins I have either known or grown, the rugosa types seem to have kept the innate health of this species. Haven't grown it but have also heard good things about Doreen Pike too.

Rootman, I was looking up the above-mentioned Austins on HMF and happened across this stunner. I see your point.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Carefree Beauty in north Alabama

Rootman - The Huntington Rose and Benjamin Britten.

Benjamin Britten

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The Huntington Rose
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