I plan to put Wildeve next to a fence - so if it does get long canes I will have something to attach it to. Jay [that's my son's name too!], glad to hear you like this rose - got it at an excellent discount for $5 in a big pot - it now has lots of buds. I have quite a few pink Austins - many are young so I haven't been able to evaluate yet. Am thinking I need to get Queen of Sweden, heard lots of good reports on it. England's Rose started out great last year, covered in blooms. Maybe I should have pinched them - the bush is still alive but not very vigorous - not going to let it bloom until/unless it recovers and starts growing. Love my James Galway - strong, upright bush that has a beautiful spring display then always has some blooms on it. Just got Sharifa Asma - covered in buds. I have a very old Mary Rose that does well. Love Tess of the d'Ubervilles - its on a huge fan trellis that it covers - it now has loads of big buds. Like Lady of Megginch - think I need to fertilize it more - when it blooms, you can see them all over the yard. Also have a large Scepter d'Isle that I like a lot - soft pink blooms, healthy bush, reliable rebloom. Charles Rennie Macintosh is another favorite - almost a lilac pink. I would like to see a stronger bush, but maybe its time for it to "leap" - it will be 3 yrs. old this year. That Alnwick rose is beautiful, Sylvia! Judith

Hi le Jardin, we moved here for several reasons.. my partner is English and had a career opportunity, I wanted the chance to go back to school, and we have family here. I've always loved England anyway, so I was actually more excited than my partner! I love it here. Hi Diane, thanks for looking at the photos, I'm really glad you enjoyed them. Hi albertine, Yay! Another corgi fan. I've had two as well and they really spoil you for other dogs (although, there are many others that I love as well). We see a lot of Jack Russells, Greyhounds, Westies, occasionally an English Bulldog or a Bull Terrier. There are also some type of herders that I'm not familiar with that remind me of skinny versions of Australian Shepherds. If I ever see Lilac Rose looking lonely at a garden centre, I'll probably go ahead a pick her up anyway, but she's not something that I'm going to seek out, there are far to many recommended roses to get first! Andrea! We really have to meet up, I think you might be my soul sister! :) I picked up Mr. Fairchild and Alan Titchmarsh together last autumn, the first to roses that I purchased here. I have mixed feelings about A.T., like your', mine tends to have such heavy flowers that they go right to the ground. On the other hand, there are so many of them! For a first year rose mine must have produced 30 or so roses so far this year. I noticed that if I let the branches hang, like pegging I'm getting new shoots popping up and already there are buds on them too, so I'm just going to let him do his thing and see how it goes. Mr. Fairchild, by comparison, has been less vigourous; but I much prefer the flowers, scent, and bush shape. I really like this rose. Wow... going through your wonderful list: I grew Gertrude in California and didn't really like her. I smell some scent, but my nose doesn't register the scent that everyone else raves about. I had the same problem with Comte de Chambord, so I guess I'm just not wired for that group. Shirifa is in a nice pot, I am hopeful. Jude I adore, I'll have him again soon. Lady Emma Hamilton really surprised me at Austin's, not my colour, but I loved the scent. Summer Song is totally out of my colour range, I wish I had smelled it though.. bananas!?! I really liked Young Lycidas, it is one that needs to be seen in person to really get the subtlety of the colours, and yes.. WOW, what a scent! Love WM2k, so so about Golden, but love the Prince. This is one of my favourite photos of him from my California garden: I saw Dark Lady and Prospero for the first time this trip, both nice but undewhelming. I really liked Munstead Wood. Also saw Radio Times for the first time, it was nice but didn't bowl me over. Now, I had the Alnwick Rose high on my list, but was disappointed in the scent! I chose Sceptre'd Isle over it this year during my small bareroot purchase, and had been wondering if I had made the wrong choice. The way you describe it though, I really out to love it, so maybe it was just the wrong time of day, or I had been overwhelmed by other scents. I grew Evelyn in California and I liked her delicacy very much. I've yet to meet Ab Darby, isn't that strange!? Princess Alexandra and Jubilee are the two top on my list right now, I'll keep my eye out for Rosemoor. Gentle Hermione is the other bareroot I ordered this spring, and she just had her first flowers this week. I like her, and true to Austin's word, she held up beautifully in the rain this morning, and even held water in her cup through the whole day without falling over or apart. I used to grow Tamora as well, but in California it was a rust magnet, I swear it was nearly copper coloured by the end of the season. Thanks for sharing your list, it's helped reassure me about several choices that I'm interested in. Here's a shot of Tamora and Evelyn: Carla, it's so kind of you, thanks for the good wishes. Here's a hug for you... (((Carla))). Hi Joanne, it's nice to see you! Apparently they have redone the "Lion garden" and will grow roses with perennials, thank goodness, as much as I like roses I much prefer them mixed with other roses. Mottesfont is still the gold standard for me. Megan thanks you, and sends best wishes to Maggie. Hi Aliska 12000, thanks for looking, and good luck with your Wisley, ultimately, it really comes down to each of our gardens, what does poorly for David Austin might be a gem for someone else. That's a lovely photo! Hi Sue, thanks for your good thoughts, they are much appreciated. Thanks Beth! Cheers everyone! I'm delighted that you have enjoyed these photos.

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

People say Duchesse de Rohan is even more fragrant than Marchesa Boccella/ Jacques Cartier. http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.235357 Other people also say that it takes a while before it reblooms -- five years, according to someone on garden web. On the strength of this information, I bought one, but it is still a little band. On the other hand, Jacques Cartier is blooming for me -- it is like the ever-ready bunny. The fragrance is divine and the leaves very pretty. But in the hot weather the blooms go by in a flash. I am glad for the roses to take a rest and start up again in the fall when things get cooler. A new David Austin rose to look out for is Olivia Rose Austin, which is not available here yet. People say it could be his healthiest and most fragrant yet.