I have only started to plant DAs myself,however the one I did plant last year has been the first to flower this year. It is Jude the Obscure and its form and perfume are great.

Suesette, sorry, I don't know what's good for Melbourne, but here in Perth I'm planning to plant heaps of DAs this year. I'll probably plant them all around my front garden because I've decided to give up lawn (it's so boring!) and make a beautiful rose garden, with all different rose varieties.
I've already started with some 16 red HTs, and 13 yellows (floribundas and HTs), and now preparing the soil for DAs. I've visited local nurseries and they do have some great varieties, 2-3 yrs old, all grafted on Fortuniana rootstock. I've also discovered that now is much better time to look for roses (potted roses, of course) because they shoot all new branches and showing off foilage, where you can discover all potential problems; Rose Mosaic Virus being one of the worst. If you buy barerooted roses in a local shopping centre, you cannot see any of these.
Here are my choices so far:
Yellows - Graham Thomas, Golden Celebration, Happy Child, Molineux
Copper/Peach - Grace, Pat Austin, Pegasus, Tamora
Whites - Winchester Cathedral
Pinks - Heritage, Scepter'd Isle, Sharifa Asma

I'm also looking for some good repeating DA's climbing rose, but I'm still undecided. Any thoughts and ideas about this? I wonder what varieties you're gonna choose!

Cheers,
Tom

Hi Tom, Not from Perth but only hours away. Graham Thomas is a terrific rose but should be treated as a small climber. Tamora is an excellent repeater and behaves well as far as growth goes. Prickly thing too! I think I read somewhere that DA may have created a better apricot?!

I have to recommend Abraham Darby, best grown as a small climber and repeats beautifully. I think Othello is magnificent too used this way. Thorns to kill.

Suesette- I don't live in Melbourne. Hope you get some useful responses. However, happy to add my bit if you want.

Cheers
varmi

Hi Tom , I'm a bit sceptical as to whether RMV really exists in Oz. I know this has been discussed before, but your statement that it is one of the worst problems to be encountered by rose purchasers has me intrigued.
What is your experience of it?
JJ

Hi Jumpingjack. In a way, I still can't be 100% sure RMV is the issue, but one Mr Lincoln I've got has so many symptoms found in RMV infected roses. In fact, that's the only plant I've bought not from nursery, but from Bunnigs warehouse (I'm such a silly! But can't resist Mr. Lincolns... :-(
I couldn't see all those symptoms before because the plant was dormant, but I'm almost feaked out now. All my other plants look great, but this one ... uh. 1/3 of the foliage looks like leopard's skin -- perfect mosaics, with yellow veins. And afterwards, they look almost rusty and fall off .. :-(
I'll further investigate this and will let you know what I've found out ...
Tom

Are you sure its just not caused by cold weather, lack of some trace elements or something similar. I have had yellow mosiac like markings on several roses over the last 20 odd years and they have had no ill efects at all. Sorry to seem such a spoilt sport, but I think you may be over-reacting to something very simple.
JJ

Hi Jumpingjack,
thanks for the note and encouragement. As I sad, I'm not 100% sure, but I'll take a careful look. I have enriched the soil with trace elements and will se the results in next few weeks. Anyway, I think it's always good to be cautious and share experiences, no matter what they are. It's better for all of us.
Tom

Hi
I have a number of DAs here in Melb and they are doing well.I have:

Golden Celebration
Heritage
Pat Austin
Jude the Obscure
Claire rose
Pierre de Ronsard
Yellow Charles Austin.

All do really well-in fact Golden Celebration needs a Chain saw!!!
Good disease resistance and beautiful blooms.
The only problem I have is that because they are young plants (2-3) years old the necks are soft still and the blooms droop and face the ground
I have been told that they will firm up over time.
I wouldnt hesitate in going for DAs.
cheers
Michelle

Hi Michelle - 'firm up over time' that sounds like something the actress said to the bishop.
The nodding heads (we rose lovers do not call it soft neck or droop) is part of their growth habit.

The nod is good for roses that are placed up high as you can look up into their faces. Not all DAs have the nod - it depends on the variety

Deryn

Tom, sharing experiences is what this forum is all about, but its best not to start panicking over a virus that is non-existant in Oz. Hope your roses pick up soon. I always go the simple first. If the leaves are yellowing, then crisping it may be black spot, or indeed rust. Perhaps giving them a good soak with Seasol may be beneficial in that it is a root stimulant and soil conditioner and may be of assistance in the plant taking up those trace elements.

Suzette, I have Golden Celebration, Heritage, Claire rose, Lordly Oberon,Tradescant,Abe Darby, Sharifa Ashma all growing very well here in the eastern suburbs of Melb. My neighbour has a magnificent specimen of Charles Austin.

Agree with Derryn, LD was my first Austin and has been in the ground for years and still nods away. Luckily he is a tall grower, so I no longer have to lie down to appreciate his charms!
Cheers
Melda

** Oops, that should read LO is a tall grower - that will teach me to read over before posting! :P Mel

Hi Deryn
LOL
ok...nodding will be the term used now:))
Cheers
Michelle

DA intruduced some new varieties this year. Wild Edric and Lady Emma Hamilton are two I'd like to have (based on info on his website) , but, of course, they're coming in Oz next year. :-/
Can someone say more about what happens actually when new varieties are intruduced here. They probably have to be grafted on new rootstock suitable for our climate. And then again, do we have to wait even more for those new plants to develop? What about climate changes -- does it affects overall growth, disease resistance and similar topics? What about vegetative system of those new plants -- do they accomodate to our seasons straight away or ..? What about Australian customs -- we have probably the most "difficult" customs in the world; how they treat importing of new rose varieties?
Thanks a lot!
Tom

Here is a link that might be useful: New Collection of David Austin's

Roseforme
Just so you know Pierre de Ronsard isn't a DA. Flowers are definitely in that style though.
V

RMV has been and still is present in Australia, though it's only of any importance to those involved in commercial propagation.While you need not be overly concerned (in general) about having this virus in your garden Tom, if a particular plant seems to be suffering to the point you have described, you may just feel better for just ripping it out and replacing it.I have a few garden roses infected with this virus and they still perform well enough.Many gardeners will tell you they're in the same boat.Veinal chlorosis as opposed to interveinal chlorosis would in the most cases lead one to suspect a viral cause before nutritional,however you say that the leaves burn then fall off! One possibility you could check here is sulfur toxicty.This would be unusual except where a plant has been exposed to sulfur or fertilisers containing sulfur eg.ammonium sulfate in excessive amounts.
Let us know if your investigations turn anything up.
Does anybody else on this forum have reason to believe that a virus may have caused defoliation on their roses?
I would not be sure of what to expect from this disease in climates colder than mine (ie.Qld).
Thrip

Vee71
Thanks for pointing that out.
I realized a few days after I posted!
Ah well you're right they do have the look of an Austin:))
cheers
Michelle

At one time I grew about 80 or 90 varieties of Austin Roses. Today I am down to 47 Austins. The David Austin Roses are lovely and some are definately better than others in my garden. I grow about 350 roses in a suburban front garden. I very quickly started running out of room and after I discovered the Tea Roses I had to start choosing which roses stayed in the garden and which roses really weren't doing well enough to justify the space they took up. The Austins have all had the same problem in that they very often didn't grow any or many new water shoots. It didn't matter what I did in the way of feeding etc. The Tea Roses on the other hand flower for most of the year with a much greater quantity of flowers than the Austins and constantly put on new growth. I have replaced some of my grafted Austin plants with cutting grown ones and they seem to put on much more new growth than the plants they replaced. They have also stayed smaller plants over all.
Two of the best Austins have been Molineux and Jude the Obscure. I have Golden Celebration as a standard which is gorgeous. Other Austins I would recommend are Graham Thomas, Mary Rose, Winchester Catheral, Redoute, William Shakespeare 2000. I also like the original Will Shakespeare, but he maybe hard to find. The Dark Lady, Abraham Darby, Windflower, Moth, Canterbury, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, The Countryman and Belle Story. Also don't discount the spring only flowering Austins Constance Spry and Chianti. Constance makes an excellent large climber. Gertrude Jekyll is supposed to be a repeat flowering rose but after its first flush of the season it doesn't do much more than a little bit of spot flowering, but if you are willing to put up with this she is also a good rose. I have to admit it has been 3 or 4 years since I've bothered to look at the new Austins. With the new releases we may be still about 2 or 3 years behind what is released overseas. My understaning is that bud wood is imported by some of the large growers who have been given permission to grow the roses by the Australian agent for David Austin Roses and then they need time to build up enough stock to release for sale. Many of the wholesale rose growers will have a special importing licence for importing bud wood and some of them may even have areas that meet quarantine regulations.
Vivienne

Guess I will agree to differ on that one Thrip.
Susan Irving, the supposed guru of Australian rose gardens suggests that RMV does not exist in Australia.
RMV is basically a cold climate virus. In the US they obtain virus free propagating stock by keeping infected plants at temps of around 100F for a couple of weeks. These conditions are naturally occurring in many Australian gardens. Apparently heat kills or severely weakens the viral agents so even if it were present in Australia, it is hardly something to worry over.

Then surely Susan must be out on a limb with statements to that effect.The heat treatments (virus indexing) you refer to have been and are still being carried out here in Australia.Some of the growers concerned with this virus(actually viruses) would be Treloars and Australian Roses that I know of and I can guarantee many others also.The DPI and Ag Depts'in the various states have been aware of it's presence here also.
But I do agree that it's of little consequence to home gardeners.However commercial propagators and cut flower growers are definately concerned and take steps to keep it out.
Thrip

Thanks for all that,
Jude the Obscure has always appealed, so he'll be a definite starter. Along with perhaps Mary Rose and Yellow Charles Austin.
350 roses Vivienne! I'm really impressed. I realised after my last little spree that I was getting up to near 100. The obsession is growing.
Sue

Molineaux really is a sturdy floriferous rose. Shame about the lack of scent though.
I've got Charles Austin, it's a big fella, also disappointingly scentless.. I'm not planning to cull him, but if I had time over I'd probably get something else.
There's so many lovely Austins..my faves would be
Pat Austin (Glorious on every level! A must have, and not at all strident in colour which you could expect from the photos and labels...very very fitting he named it for his wife)
Jude the Obscure (sensational perfume...when it's running)
Abe Darby (Lovely flower, lovely perfume, lovely lovely rose)
Cymbeline (yucky myrrh type smell, but sensational colour)
Eglantyne (great smell, and very pretty too)
...easy to go one, as is often the case, the ones that make the most beautiful shrubs aren't so hot on the perfume...

...have you checked out the Austin section at Werribee?

Sue,

I've grown and loved in the past (& still do!),

Jude the Obscure (Can't beat this perfume for my nose)
Winchester Cathedral (Very tough however gentle and soft looking plant with great smell)
The Dark Lady (Great with pinks)
William Shakespeare 2000 (Unusual colour)
Abraham Darby (A beauty for overall form, flower and perfume)
Canterbury (Delicate!!)
Belle Storey (Reliable)
Heritage (Tall and prolific light pink flower)

All are terrific and highly recommended. I don't mind the nodding bloom habit of some as I tend to crowd them in a bit with other roses/plants to hold them more upright.

Regards
Garry

I only have one DA in this cool zone in the Dandenong Mountains s-e of Melb - John Clare, which is a continuous bloomer from early spring. Heads do not nod; good perfume. Lovely large deep pink cupped fully double blooms which last quite well unless we get a freakish hot day then they tend to open up far too quickly and it drives me crazy. Possibly too delicate for Perth's hot weather.
Janine

Suesette
I'm in the Dandenongs and have about 30 or so D.A's (most as standards). All seem to bloom pretty well but Molineaux,Heritage,Abraham Darby, William Shakespeare 2000,Radio Times,Sharifa Asma and Jude the Obscure probably the pick of the bunch. Graham Thomas (on a trellis) has been brilliant this year. Flowered for 4 weeks and still going! Took this snap this morning to send to my grand-daughter in Darwin.

Brenton

{{gwi:288844}}

Thanks everyone for the input, we've been away for a few weeks and I didn't get a chance to say that I bit the bullet and bought Winchester Cathedral, Jude the Obscure and Lillian Austin before we went, and all are proceeding very well, especially JtO.

They were the DAs which looked best at the nursery the day I rushed in. I've put some of the other recommendations on the Christmas list, let the kids run around looking for them.

Hi - I have grown Gertrude Jekyll on a garden arch over two years, and found it very successful - nothing to worry about, - I always deadhead, and there are more and more buds coming. Just energetic enough to cover the arch, but not to need hacking off, no trimming at all so far. The other DAs I am holding back judgment - not enough time to settle, yet, or in some cases, a terrible urge to decline to grow.(KMart- haven't got the docket still). I'm on the far western outskirts, and to-day, for example, is hot with blistering north winds galloping over the plains.

Love your picture of Graham Thomas,Brenton,really lifts the spirit.Thank you,
Pam.

Brenton, your Graham Thomas pic was so lovely and i even put it on my computer screen. Last year i planted it myself and it is doing so wonderfully in my not so big backyard in perth. Only had a few gorgeous flowers so far.
please show more of your DA rose garden pictures.

karima