I live farther north in Palos Verdes (next to Redondo Beach) with similar marine conditions. I've grown without any mildew problems: Mellow Yellow - Hybrid Tea (grown in a pot even though it is a big rose) Sunsprite - Floribunda (grown in the ground) Gemini - Hybrid Tea (in the ground - not sure how it would do in a pot - it is somewhat big; awesome rose for cutting) Honey Bouquet - Floribunda (very clean, lots of flowers, but this was in the ground) Sexy Rexy - Floribunda (blooms in huge flushes, also in the ground) Trumpeter - Floribunda (grown in a pot, it is a relatively small rose) Gourmet Popcorn (never out of bloom and tough as nails) I have not personally grown these roses. At the South Coast Botanic Gardens here in Palos Verdes the healthiest disease free roses I've consistently seen during multiple visits throughout the year were: Midas Touch (small hybrid tea) Mardi Gras (floribunda) - lots of flowers Sun Flare (floribunda) Passionate Kisses (floribunda) Molineux (David Austin English shrub) The following got some mildew in my garden but baking soda and canola oil spray minimized it: Mr. Lincoln Double Delight Iceberg (tree rose in a pot) Cheri Parfait for me was a rust magnet. No matter what I tried it got rust. After seeing the board comments some have experienced this problem and some have not. Most likely the garden centers do not pay much attention to their sources as long as they are cheap.... You might consider one of the roses mentioned here grown as a tree. Tree roses grown in pots are really beautiful. I like the fact that people can walk over and smell it without having to bend down. Hope you find the perfect gift! Lee

I grow many of the plants listed above, but I love the "surprises" that show up in the garden. A couple of years ago, I harvested some California poppies .. of course, they don't transplant well, but I put them into a container and let them do their last gasp to spread seed to continue the species. Their glorious orange/yellow has shown up in places in the garden where nothing else would grow well. The funny thing was that I thought they were spring flowering only. To my surprise, if they get water throughout the season, they repeat bloom all season long with no care on my part. Feverfew is another accidental plant that is providing "sparkle" to the garden with it's white blooms. I have poor soil and when these accidental plants show up in places where other delibertly planned plantings have failed, I always find that they are a special sorce of enjoyment. Yes, I have bulbs and am learning to grow irises and the texture of the garden is always changing. For me, that's the joy of gardening. Smiles, Lyn

The good: 1. Quite a few things can be grown here. Peonies, both herbaceous and trees, do well. Usually vegetables will do reasonably well also. Daylilies like it here. They are everywhere. 2. Cost of living here is not as horrendous as other areas, particularly coastal. 3. Usually rainfall is okay. The not so good: 1. tornado alley. It is the ones the weather people don't see coming that are the scarey ones. I was outside when the sirens went off only to see the thing trying to start the sustained spinning going over my driveway. 2. I think we have 6 or 7 seasons. The four usuals just repeat in random order depending on which way the wind is blowing. 3. Blackspot. very bad here; regular spraying needed. 4. Utility costs are high here. My gas and electric costs are sometimes higher than my house payment. 5. Soil quality is poor. Lots of soil amendments are needed. 6. Too many mosquitoes around my area. Mosquitoes make working in the yard a real challenge.

Yeah, I mistrust Austin stuff, I mean, those breath-taking photos they put up,of gardens full of perfect plants covered in perfect flowers...anyone here ever hear of Photoshop??? I'm beginning to get the impression that they'll stoop to anything for their marketing. I guess the final straw that veered me into the disgust range was reading in last year's printed Italian catalogue the assertation that a rose can't really live for more than five or so years, and then has to be replaced. What about all those "cemetary roses" "found roses" etc, etc, etc??? .And, yeah, they are starting to look all the same, to my eye,and ,no, they don't cover themselves with flowers and take my breath away. I'm disgusted a bit with myself, too. Last spring, at my garden center they had all these climbers for sale, and I was taken away by a Gerturude Jeckyll, trained as a climber and covered in flowers, and I bought it,for about 30 euros; way too much money. AND planted it in a pretty prominent position ..(.and I did this just LAST SEPTEMBER). And now, am thinking: it only looked that good in the store probably because it was all hyped up on chemicals,and once it boards The Good Ship Reality that is life in my garden,it's going to be a disappointment with a capital "D". So , I'm a jerk and a fool. I'm trying to swear off Austins from now on. Will I be able to stay on the wagon???