Do you have a good local greenhouse/nursery that sells DA roses? If I have a choice, I definitely go to my favorite local plant vendor. They sell DA roses in either 3 or 5 gallon pots, and will keep them in a special greenhouse if you buy early (there is a discount for buying early, too). Anyway, when I pick them up at my convenience, they are raring to go, and most are already blooming. I harden them off a little and plant them. I can't say enough good about these local people, You can even have them special order roses for you. And these roses are from $25-30, which, I think, is a very competitive price. If you investigate, maybe you can find a really good seller in your area. With the competition out there, local people need our business and most are so easy to deal with. This doesn't mean that I don't order plenty of bare root roses, too, often ones that are impossible to obtain locally.

You shouldn't have any problem with DA bare root roses planted directly in the ground. They should grow just like an HT bare root. I think DA owes you another rose to replace Golden Celebration, and possibly QOS. You are too experienced with roses to have this trouble. Was it hot when you planted the bare roots? That's the only thing, other than not watering that I can think for having such trouble. I hope things work out for you, and you don't give up DA roses. Diane

Here's Boscobel, still in its DA pot. You can see the patio in the background.

As a general rule, my Austins are not fast-starters (and I have both grafted and own-root Austins). In fact, if memory serves me right, mine don't do much of anything the first season--or even the second season in some cases. And now that I review the ones in garden which I've had for more than 3 years, they aren't what you would really call vigorous, husky growers. They seem to stay a bit on the "delicate" side of things--or that is how they appear. Maybe they are really tougher than they look.

None of which would stop me from going out and buying 15 more--if I had any room left open to plant them. : )

Kate

Oooh!! Those are lovely!

My Evelyn now seems to have these small flowers. Wish it looked like yours!!

And Boscobel is stunning!!1 Oooh, the color!!

Sara-Ann - good luck with your Austins. Remember, they love lots of water. But I agree with Diane - you're very experienced. The problem can't be with you.

Carol

Bare roots can be hard. I lost 3 of the 9 I got from Palantine and they were healthy. A combination of my not taking great care of them and some is just bare root failure. I usually have about an 80% success rate with bare roots. This year, I decided to buy Austins from nurseries here. They get the bare roots and pot them up and then sell them when they are nicely leafed out and ready to bloom. That way the nursery takes most of the risk. Yes, they are more expensive. But with shipping and the time spent babying bare roots, I think it's worth it. Plus you get those cute little square green pots.

Thanks so much everyone! Gorgeous pictures, Diane. I have wanted so much to buy some container roses, especially Austins. There's a reputable nursery in a nearby town, and I thought for sure they would have some, I couldn't believe they only carried Knockouts, I was upset about that, because they are so readily available at the big box stores. We have Roses Inc. Green Country, over 60 miles from where I live, I will visit them next spring, maybe I can reserve some Austin roses ahead of time.

If your HTs do well, but your Austins are sickly, this may be a sign of over-pruning.

Sara-Ann, you don't say when you planted them. Bare-roots planted in May or June will often fail because they have been in cold storage too long. Plant in March or April and forego the late-season sales, unless you enjoy rolling the dice. Some will work and some won't.

I am fairly certain I planted them in April, although maybe a little later than some of my other bare roots, I generally never plant bare root roses past mid April. They've never been pruned. They all had very green canes when I received them.

June 6.8 inches, July 1.1 inches, August 1.5 inches

I got 2 bareroots from Austin this spring, Queen of Sweeden and Jubilee Celebration, and both of them are struggling. I'm not particularly pleased with the quality of these plants at all. I think next time I'll find my Austins locally rather than order from them. In the first place they sent them way too late for my season and that didn't help matters at all. They were dry when I got them and it was warming too fast so I had a problem getting them going. I have gotten a couple of flowers on Jubilee but the Queen hasn't bloomed at all. It's still green but not doing anything else. Not even growing let alone blooming.

I was also able to get a replacement Graham Thomas at a local nursery (Pikes). It wasn't in the best shape, because it was late in the season, but it has done well so far (still in the pot). I also picked up The Charlatan there, a very robust plant I had been looking for it for 2 years. Yes, these cost $25-35 each, but I hate buying roses and losing them and then you have to wait a year to get new ones.

Austin also sells some potted roses directly on their website. Not a super selection but they do have a nice variety of colors and styles.

I have had some bare roots die too of many diff varieties. Some years I do really well with bare roots and others years not. Most of my bare roots have performed really well this year and they were all austins but I thing they were vigorous austins anyways because I ordered some I already grew that I knew I loved and would perform good. I love my Queen of Sweden but good grief she is a very stingy flower giver. Gets on my nerves bad. She's really not that pretty of a plant either and I was thinking of clumping several together just to get a better look. I'm not the best rose mommy either always being kinda on the lazy side. I agree that it has to be the roses because your other roses are beyond gorgeous and you definitely know what your doing. Give it another year or two plus check out the local nurseries like suggested. I love buying from all my local places. Judy

Instead of guessing, a soil test can be a wise investment. Some states offer low cost testing to residents.
Connecticut Ag Extension Soil Testing

Roots from nearby trees can be a really bad problem for roses.

I've found that older bushes does very well but it probably depends on the variety and weather as well. My two oldest, Golden Celebration and L.D. Braithwaite does very well. They got loads of blooms in the first flush, more scattered during the summer but has a small flush at the moment. Heritage and Mary Rose, third year by now, seems to be okay. They were very vigorous last year but this year seems a bit sluggish. Mary Rose at least continue to pump blooms but Heritage a few only and stayed very small compared to last year. My second years, Graham Thomas, Jude the Obscure, Evelyn, Othello and Teasing Georgia seems sluggish too. They grew not as vigorous as I want them to be and provided scattered blooms.

However, this year weather has been very strange. Summer weather started late about the middle of June. We've had lots of rains but then it quickly turned to a very hot july and august. About two weeks ago the weather cools very early like it is early fall. Having said that, I will have to see how they do in the third year. We are expected to have a milder winter this year with probably more freezing rain in the winter. Yikes.

I found the Austins Charlotte and Harlow Carr in my nursery very early last spring. They were in containers and were already leafed out. Since it is very rare to find potted Austins here in Ontario Canada, I impulsively bought three of each and had to baby them for quite a while, taking them into the garage at night and in bad weather until I could finally put them in the ground. The Charlotte took off like crazy giving me multiple blooms in the first flush and is now in full bloom again at the end of August and is tall with a lot of new growth. Harlowe Carr struggled. I did get some pink blooms in June and they are blooming a little now. The bushes show lots of new very thorny growth but are still very short after an entire growing season. Both are supposed to grow to about 4 feet tall so I bought three of each to anchor either end of a kidney shaped bed. Harlowe Carr has not held up its end. I'm pleased with my Austins, however, not knowing what rootstock they are on or how hardy they are in my climate, who knows what next spring will bring. That will be the real test of their success here.

Beautiful flower beds, Carol, and your new Austins look great. I shouldn't have been so complacent about some of my Austins in the back yard beds, because the deer came down the mountain last night while Diane was sleeping on the job, and ate every one of Evelyn's buds and blooms. She was covered with buds for September, and they are all gone. All because I delayed spraying on the stinky stuff, thinking I still had a few more stink free days. I will now change the depressing subject and concentrate on your beautiful flowers, Carol.

I also hope you don't have to deal with deer, Sara, because they love Austin roses more than any others (around here, anyway). It must be their lovely scent, and Evelyn is at the top of their hit list.

Diane

That is terrible, Diane. So sorry to hear about your Evelyn!

Sara-Ann, I don't know if this is any consolation to you but my bareroot DA roses that I bought from DA website are doing just ok, not great. They gave me a bloom here and there but nothing I would call a flush. They don't really have robust growths either. Perhaps they need a few years to be established? The ones I bought at a local nursery do much better. Diane is definitely right about her recommendation of buying potted DAs from local nursery. That is what i will do from now on.

Diane, that's sad! I would be very upset! I hope I don't jinx myself, I've never had a deer problem, but we do have plenty of them around here. I've gotten some good advice on this thread, I appreciate it, and the lovely pictures too.

Karen, thanks so much. I plan to find a nursery that carries them and do the same thing.

Thanks Karen and Sara. I just mixed up a gallon of the wretched stinky stuff and will spray away this evening. The leftover from last year, which had a smell beyond my endurance, is down the drain. I hope you both continue to be deer free. Diane

In general, I have been much happier with own root DAs which I have gotten from Roses Unlimited or Chamblees Roses rather than grafted.

Slower to start, but healthier for me here. Plus I don't have to worry about dr. Huey showing up, lol.

A

Thanks Adrianne! I have been back and forth with own root. I ordered and planted several own root hybrid teas this season, they are doing well. All from RU, except for La France and Marijke Koopman, they came from Burlington. they're all doing great! I think I might try at least a couple of Austin roses own root. I have wanted to order from Chsmblees, are their roses a good size?

DA bare roots are junk. I only buy from them when there is no other source. Chamblee's sends HUGE roses but I've had several sent with RMV. If I buy a grafted rose I root it. Own root roses do much better for me. Prettier bush and less dieback. I've bought roses from just about every mail order vendor. I think RU is consistently the best. They are my first choice vendor. Susan

Long Ago is great too!

Thanks Susan! I love RU too! They always send healthy roses and Pat is so helpful!

I agree that Long Ago Roses is great! I just received 4 lovely plants from her- including two Austins.