Thanks for those great picture, Niels. You are right on what you wrote, "fading to two-toned - almost white in hotter sunnier weather ...Flowers last about 2-3 days before they shatter - and petals fall." That's my problem with Scepter d'Isle in full sun at 80 to 100 degrees. We finally got down to 60 degrees in the morning, and Scepter looks pink instead of white. I will move my Scepter to partial shade - its bloom bleaches out to completely white and shatters in hot sun. Compare that to "Deep Purple" floribunda which retains its color and bloom lasts 10 days on the bush, and 5 days in the vase. Scepter d'Isle, like most Austins look magnificent in cool and wet weather below 70 degrees, but really faded out and scents go away in hot summer. I understand that your summer in Denmark is much cooler than my Chicagoland, right? The heat is here until after Labor Day, September 3, then I can say good-bye to fans, and look forward to better colors and better scents on Austins.

Well, I certainly backed myself into a corner by suggesting a hedge row of pink Austins about 4x3. That is a common height of a lot of his roses, but wouldn't you know it--I don't grow many pink ones that size. Do study his catalog--I know he has a number of them. My best 4x3 Austin for a hedgerow is Queen of Sweden--but it is a lighter pink with a hint of apricot. It is somewhat upright--which Austin seems to think is best for making a hedgerow. Great rose in all respects. I also grow Austin's Mayflower--reliable, hardy, would make a good hedge--but the blooms are more modest--it doesn't have that lush look many want from their Austins. If I had more room available, what I'd like to plant is Gentle Hermione. Someone posted some pics of it on this forum gallery recently, and those blooms were gorgeous! It seems to be a healthy and bloomeriferous rose and is 4x3--but it is a paler pink with a fuller pink center. Don't know if that pink is bright enough for you. Lady of Megginch meets the above criteria and is a deep rich pink, but if you might make do with a somewhat shorter hedge--say 3.5x2.5, the rich warm pink rose I'd love to get is Princess Alexandra of Kent. That bloom is absolutely beautiful in the photos. That gives you some choices--all excellent possibilitities in my opinion. If you spend more time browsing the David Austin site, you may find others that also meet your criteria. All the ones I listed have good disease-resistance--an important qualification for me. Kate

I do grow GC and it is one of my showstopper. It didn't do much the first few years but when it matures, it put a show like no other. As you can see, it does have blackspot and mites loves it. The good thing however is, the leaves stays on the plant mostly, so it isn't naked throughout the rest of the summer. The other two austins I would definitely recommend is Teasing Georgia and Evelyn. Jude doesn't do much in my garden. I got a handful of blooms and that is pretty much it. Evelyn Evelyn and Ascot (bottom)

Bella, your John Davis is what I wish mine looked like. Mine are stumpy little shrubs planted at the base of trees, and that's probably why they're stumpy little shrubs. Yours, in the second photo, looks like he wants to come inside. All those buds! Looks like John Cabot on the left. They make a good combo. I see a beautiful deep red clem peeking from behind J Davis. Beautiful welcoming entry.