dublinbay (kate), you are actually the forum member who enabled me into this rose, with your glowing recommendations. I'm trying it for the first time this Spring and I'm excited. From what I hear, it is a fairly compact rose although not tiny, and fairly hardy as well. Deep yellow blooms (not as light a yellow as many others). A shorter rose, fragrant and reblooms. I'm really looking forward to it and it sounds like a great gift to celebrate a new baby in the family :) What a nice idea!

Pam is right. I do have a weakness for those yellow reproduction roses. So far I've tried: CHARLES DARWIN - definately a keeper if the subdued mustard yellow doesn't put you off. Also tends to shatter at the spead of sound. Nice bushy growth habit, long stems and so-so disease resistance. The fragrance is positively orgasmic. CHARLOTTE - truly a beautiful rose. Looks like a yellow Bourbon. Soft-soft-soft pure yellow color. Few thorns, gracefuly arching growth habit, good repeat, fully hardy in zone 5, and superior disease resistance. Alas the light fragrance was a disappointment so I shovel pruned her. Pity. HAPPY CHILD - see first post. MOLINEUX - the energizer bunny of the entire Austin line. Brillant kaleidoscopic color blending every imaginable shade of orange and yellow. Nice versitile growth habit and superior disease resistance (although it isn't bulletproof against black spot). Cheerful pompon flower form, strong stems (medium), sweetly fragrant (moderate musk and tea blend). Does lack the wow factor found with GOLDEN CELEBRATION or GRAHAM THOMAS but is a whole lot easier to grow. T-H-E best yellow Austin for the novice gardener. SYMPHONY - drop dead gorgous flower. Think a creamy yellow Souvenir de la Malmaison. Excellent repeat too, shapely shrub that stays under 4' and good disease resistance. Alas no fragrance, so she got chopped into mulch. THE PILGRIM - big and beautiful. Produces without doubt the most beautiful flowers that I've ever seen on a yellow Austin. Fresh and strong fragrance (Tea rose and myrrh blend) that reminds me of high quality mens cologne. Repeat could be better but by no means is this a once bloomer. Outstanding vigor. Good disease resistance. Love it. GRAHAM THOMAS (a classic), GOLDEN CELEBRATION and JUDE THE OBSCURE are the next must haves. I've seen all three in cultivation but want to finally try my own hand with them. Hopefully, I'll avoid the pitfalls, especially with GT.

Mariou, What region of the country are in? Most California rosarians do not have to deal with the rampant black spot typical in my zone 6b garden. Their biggest problem is mildew. If you garden in the Mid-Atlantic, for example, you will have to contend with the worst fungal pressures in the country. Roses that are completely clean - no spray - in places like Petaluma CA will defoliate elsewhere. I do not have Julia Child but I have grown Happy Child for years. It is pretty little rose, approximately 2.5 feet tall with an loose, open growth habit. Good repeat bloom and truly lovely flowers. Fragrance is moderate to strong, and Tea-like. The foliage is rather unusual looking, resembling spinach leaves. In my region black spot can be a problem but is resistant to other fungal diseases. To prevent defoliation you would have to spray it with a fungicide every two weeks to control the black spot. About my only real complaint is the vigor. Without disbudding during years one and two, an own root plant will limp along never maturing. It is also a wee bit more sensitive to the cold than your typical English Rose. I lost one during a particularly cold winter, which I quickly replaced in the spring. You would too if you ever saw the blossoms. The yellow color is extremely pure without any secondary tones. Very few roses combine fragrance with such clear, canary yellow color. You can purchase an own root plant of HAPPY CHILD online from Heirloom Roses. Good luck, Patrick

Nancy, having lived in Florida I can compare summers by saying the ones in Oklahoma are as hot and humid and miserable as the ones in Florida. The only difference (aside from the size of the bugs) is that our misery is shorter - say from mid May to around the first of October. I lived inland from the Cape area in Florida....I don't remember there being any problem with Happy Child because of the heat, but it's been awhile since it went to greener pastures.