Robert, thank you so much for going into detail about the roses that did well for you in SoCa. I am really glad that I have already some of them (Charles Darwin, Jude the Obscure, Sister Elizabeth, Yolande d'Aragon), and I will think of the others that worked for you when you were gardening there. Yves Piaget is especially appealing to me! Thanks for posting more great rose pics! Seeing your photos forces me to try 'Munstead Wood' and I really like 'The Wedgewood Rose'. Wishing you lots and lots of fun with your "old" and new roses in England. Christina Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Garden Dreams

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.

So far, Darcey Bussell has been my best DA performer. She’s not a favorite, only because I prefer softer colors. She remains “fairly” compact, relative to most DA’s here. She never seems to mind pruning, no matter when or how often. She blooms all the time and makes a better cut flower than most DA’s. I don’t get any disease on her here, although Embothrium has big problems with something like downey mildew on Darcey Bussell. I don’t think that’s in a dry Mediterranean climate, though. Mine is always healthy and happy. She’s in a rather small bed, so she’s cut back often. She doesn’t receive more water than anything else does, and doesn’t seem to need it. My soil is clay, so it does retain water well and is full of nutrients. Abraham Darby on the other hand, DOES want extra water here. I have never experienced rust(other than on hollyhocks), until recently. I’d been very busy over the past month or so, and must have slacked off on watering, just a little. Nobody minded except for AD. This, combined with the wind and 3-5% humidity produced a spectacular case of rust on Abraham Darby. Even though I’ve never seen rust on my roses before, it’s so bad that there’s no mistaking what it is. I’m not even sure what to do about it. I’m giving him lots of extra water, and thinking of pruning him down to almost the ground. I’m worried about spreading the rust, even while pruning. Last night, I went out late to move the hose with my headlamp on. I removed a spent bloom from AD, and in the light beam I could see tiny dust like particles floating off. I can only assume they were rust particles. I fear that while pruning the rust will blow everywhere. So AD definitely wants extra water. He’s brought me my first case of rust on a rose bush. And oh yes, of course, he grows huge in our kind of climate. Lisa

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.