Thanks for your replies. I do not have any issues with David Austins with respect to my zone which is actually closer to a US zone 4. (I'm in Canada). I do have 3 David Austins which is a bit of disappointment only because I wanted pink blooms and somehow turned out incorrectly labeled when they were purchased from a seasonal garden centre... long story short, I learned my lesson and will buy them from a rose supplier this time around. David Austins (not own root) do very well in Ontario, for as long as the root graft union is protected. I had forgotten about the Eglantyn and so thanks for pointing out the plant. I wanted old fashioned style, large cupped and repeat blooms. Scepter'd Isle is not something I have heard of (for David Austins) and I'll look it up. In anycase, thanks for the pointers. i will look up every one of your recommendations.

Those of you who are in the warmer regions probably need to assume that many of your Austins will get slightly taller than the size he lists. Here in my Midwestern zone 6, they stay fairly close to the listed sizes, but Californians, for instance, claim some of them get much larger, so I assume Floridians might have some of those problems also. Claire Austin--closer to 5 ft or taller--I've heard mixed reviews: lovely blooms but maybe a bit stingy on the blooming? You might consider Tranquillity instead. Jubilee Celebration--supposedly 4x4, but mine is 6 or 7 years old and has never grown much taller than 3 or 3.5 ft tall. In fact, although the blooms are gorgeous, the bush as a whole has been a weak and wimpish sort and it isn't as bs-resistant as I'd wish although it isn't too bad on that score. I would never get rid of mine, but I'd hesitate to recommend it very strongly for someone else. In fairness, there is another poster on this site that adores this rose. Boscobal --if I had any room left, this is the newer one I'd get. About 3x2 and healthy and salmon and pink, somewhat upright rose. Molineux --good bloomer, changes color from gold to yellow to apricot to cream, sometimes almost pink in the center--but golden yellow with apricot highlights is its predominate color. It doesn't have great bs-resistance--I have to spray it occasionally--but better than average on that score. Kinda of narrow--more an upright grower. I recommend planting more than one together to make more of an impact. 3x2 or taller. One of my very favorite Austins. Lady Emma Hamilton -- she is 4 x 3 or taller. Austin's new Lady Gardener is roughly in the same color range but a bit shorter (and healthy). Princess Alexandra of Kent--3.5 x 3, large beautiful blooms, disease-resistant. I'd definitely get this one. Scepter d'isle -- supposedly 4x3 or taller, but based on my two-year old bush, it might be somewhat lankier and a bit taller bush. Lovely soft pink, but the blooms do not last long. Better than average BS-resistance, but occasionally needs a spray. I do like it, but if I were doing it over, I might go with the more rounded shrub Gentle Hermione instead. Alternate pinks: Sister Elizabeth would be even smaller--2.5 x 2.5 ft--and a couple of our posters really like her. Pretty Jessica would be about 3.5x3--good pink Austin, blooms just burst with petals--but she is hard to locate. You might have to search for her. Princess Anne is an excellent rose-- smaller 3x2--described as "deep pink, almost red, gradually fading to a pure deep pink" and very healthy. Sir John Betjeman is smaller, very healthy, but a darker pink. Look forward in the next year or two to Austin exporting to our shores his wondrously lovely light pink Olivia Austin--very disease-resistant and smaller. Check it out on his English site--I can't wait for it to get here. Don't know about the others, but a couple others I'd consider if I had the room are The Shepherdess (3x2 light apricot/cream, healthy) and for a bright red Darcy Bussell (3x2, healthy). And of course my absolute favorite smaller Austin: Munstead Wood--dark purple/magenta/deep burgundy, 3x2, healthy, good rebloom. Munstead Wood--look at that color. Absolutely irresistible. What a marvelous Xmas present you will be getting. I can't wait to hear how they are doing in your garden next summer. Have fun making your choices! Kate

I adore my Munstead, it is well over 5 ft tall (I have only lightly pruned it in it's 3 years here in my garden) it is grafted though so I don't know how much that could affect size, I have a baby own root that is very small but has been growing and blooming like crazy this spring. MW is a great repeat bloomer & has a strong floral fragrance, resists blackspots very well for me ( & trust me it has a lot of opportunity for BS) but it sure is thorny! I don't really mind it, until it's time to deadhead, but it is probably my thorniest rose. Here is mine last week & the week before: Olivia rose looks like it will be a shorter, rounder shrub, I picked a grafted one up from the same local nursery I got MW from, it had a few blooms on it at the time that had a mild old rose fragrance & lovely petal arrangement. Pinks aren't my favorite, but if this one is as healthy as I hear and reblooms as much as MW I will be a very happy gardener. Here is Olivia rose upon arriving home from the nursery: I hate the choosing process, I always want to try them all. I LOVE MW, but I can't wait to see olivia rose in action, she is getting a prime spot because I'm hoping for greatness. Good luck! Jessica

Jin, Here is my Gertrude. Sorry she is not in focus. I have a very cheap phone/camera. She has a bunch more buds about to pop open. She smells great, but it is not the intense smell that La Reine has. Gertrude is more sugary sweet and lighter. I have heard that she is not the best for lots of rebloom. We will see. I don't have a single bud on CPM. There was one when I got the bushes, but on the delivery truck the bushes must have been crammed together so tightly and a lot of the canes were distorted and bent. Her only cane with a bloom was damaged so I took it off. I might have to wait until Fall before I see a bloom on her. Jin, how are the scents on Pat Austin and Molineux? The blooms both remind me of Abraham Darby. Oh, I wish I had known which ones would bloom the most before I went and bought everything available! I want it all--great and frequent rebloom, beautiful flowers, lots of rich colors, health, vigor, and intense fragrance. Why is that so hard to find? I guess at this point I should admit that I placed an order for more Ausins but this time on Fortuniana. I called Geoff at coolroses (he is closer to me--calling works best as he never answered my email) but he didn't have any of the intensely fragrant ones so I ordered them from K&M.