Mine didn't bloom much its second year either, and this year, its third, still isn't the best bloomer. However, I don't think this is a problem. I've had several other Austins that took 3 or so years to really settle in and begin blooming, and if I had been able to care for the Lady the first half of this summer (I was in the hospital), she might have put on a better blooming performance this year. I do hope she takes off next spring. She's supposed to be a good bloomer/rebloomer, but maybe she needs more sun. Like yours, mine only gets about 6 hrs of sun.

Since I am not planning on using her as a climber, I don't let her canes grow out and sprawl like you have. I keep pruning them off at about 5-6 ft tall. I sometimes wonder if that is why she isn't the strongest bloomer, but I do not want a sprawling bush in that spot and I have no other place to plant her, so she will just have to adjust to 5 ft. heights, I guess!

Kate

Here I was wondering if I trimmed her some maybe she would pay more attention to blooming. It seems thou that shrubs that grow this way just respond by growing more if trimmed. My opinion was a sun issue. Thought this would be a good spot since the blooms shatter so easily in the sun or she needs time.

Then I saw the post from Kingcobb and there went that theory. Mine has been fertilized well. Not over fertilized. It has got to be the sun. Was not expecting a shrub this large (should have know better). I was going to move it but not if there will never be more.

What we need to hear are whether others are getting strong repeat bloom from the Lady. Generally roses that grow that vigorously are not going to repeat much. It takes three to four months to grow a seven-foot cane.

While the David Austin web site says that it has a "excellent" repeat, they also say the same for Geoff Hamilton, which is notoriously stingy.

michaelg got my tape measure and went out. The three newest basals are 78" tall but I forgot to take off the height of the bricks. Thats 4" lower that I'm standing when looking at shrub. So they are 74" tall. She doesn't send laterals until she has bloomed at the end of the canes. They won't bud they just keep growing.

Kingcobb is the one that I've heard mention that the Lady has been a very good bloomer for him. I fertilize with Carl (rosenuts) receipt minus the urea and super phosphate. Thanks to you many moons ago had soil checked. The soils in our area usually don''t much phosphate. Also use my compost. We had many lightening storms in spring. Fixing plenty of Nitrogen. Starting six ago I've used miracle grow for roses on her foliage every two weeks. No more feedings for this year.

And I do want to repeat that I've had a number of Austins that needed 3 or more years to mature enough to become really floriferous. I never expect a big bloom the first year or two from most newly planted Austins--although Munstead Wood started blooming almost immediately after I planted it. But it is more the exception than the rule.

Kate

Your right Kate I have heard many times that Austins need time. As in years to mature. Thanks for the reminder after all they are not floribundas.

Marlorena that is very helpful. I thought I was being to hard on my roses. Never used Miracle Grow before. But one see's all these gorgeous roses on here with a million blooms hence the MG. They normally get their organic feeding in spring plus leaf compost then I keep the ground covered with straw for cooling roots, controlling weeds and habitat for firefly larvae ect. They don't get extra water except in one spot because there is water there. If I plant in early spring the roots must follow the water down. It's there down by the clay sand layer. Can't afford to provide the water they have to do it on their own.

No repeat on Geoff Hamilton this year, though I did get a good bloom in the Spring. I've seen it have an unusual bloom cycle--cycling through the canes, one at a time. I wouldn't be surprised it the midge screwed that up.

Thanks Zack I was unaware of this. I do tire of midge no insecticides here. Some years there is almost no damage to speak of. Other years not so great. If I got to pick between midge and mosquitos I'd take midge.

You might not like this observation, but most of my Austins need extra water. When it seems to take forever for one of them to bloom again, I often give it a good watering--and in the next day or two the rose often starts working on creating buds and blooms.

In other words, your Lady may need more regular watering. Mine might also, now that I think of it.

Kate

I have not had any major problems with Lady of Shalott. It spits out flowers pretty much throughout the whole season although in summer they are not as large, as many, or as intensely colored. My bush is quite large. It is a big one. I will say that our weather here this year has not been all that conducive to dependable blooming for whatever reasons including late cold weather. I have seen a bunch of strange problems this year including some that haven't flowered much or even at all.

I will say also that a lot of the Austins require extra time, probably extra water, and sometimes extra food. As a case in point, my Summer Songs have begun repeating a bit during the summer with small, almost mini-flora sized flowers. They are getting older and seeming to do a bit better although they are quite lanky. My Symphony is for the first time in about 10 years taller than about 18 inches and had some really nice flowers this spring, but it hasn't done anything since. Usually it does repeat, but this year it has just sulked. I'm scratching my head on this one. The weeds, however, are just fine, as always.

Patty my Austins get lots of water but not extra food. I try to remember that Austins are bred in England and I attempt to create that climate ( HA HA HA) for them here. Dappled shade and lots of water. Not too much scorching sun. Feeding them all those chemicals is going to wreck the soil you've worked hard to improve naturally. Neptune's Harvest gives me a GREAT response in bloom.

I don't have midge...not that I know of...at least, not yet....

Susan

This was my first miracle grow attempt three times two weeks apart. Thinking your right, I have been very pleased with what the soil has become in twenty years of organics. In spring when the soil is moist you can go a good 8" down with your bare hands. With lots of worms and critters. I was happy to learn that firefly larvae slurp up slugs. Neptunes harvest and Johnny's sea weed fertilizer were what I've always used before.

I admit to attempting the same here sun wise. Since lies further north they have less sun intensity. Even thou they are a warmer climate. So I tried to place it in a morning sun spot with more filtered afternoon light to help the blooms. I will say that PAoK while full of disease at the moment is pumping out buds in her first year. Hope the disease issue is better next year.

Kate and the bustopher believe me I appreciate hearing all advice and thoughts. Well unless you told me to give it all up cuss I'm hopeless. :-)

you can overdo the Miracle Gro. I only use organic fertilizers (Rose Tone, fish emulsion, alfalfa, composted manure). I will use a 10-10-10 ever once in awhile and also some bloom buster, but usually only before a show.

I was curious how your lady of shallot was doing this year? How was winter damage, growth rate, blooms this season? I'm contemplating growing this one next spring. So doing research & you are closer to my growing conditions! An update would be appreciated.

It died the roots rotted. I have three more ordered from Regans. That one came from Austin roses. I have been seeing photos of Lady of Shalott being much more upright than mine was. Even in its first year (unfertilized) she grew those long canes with grey green leaves. Reminded more of Pat Austin when I grew it then LoS.

I potted mine up and moved her from her prime spot. Lady A of K is now in there and after a very long hot summer, she is finally starting to take off.

My Lady of S has done so much better this year without full sun. She gets afternoon sun. Either in the spring or the year after that, I will move her to one of my front beds that gets dappled sun all day. She does send out long canes (she is an Austin after all), but she has had much more blooms this year and is still pumping them out when it is 107 degrees outside. Also, they are not the bright orange they were last year, thank goodness. Much more apricot to peach shades. Austins always seem to take time to come into their own. Exceptions being Lady A of K and Munstead Wood. They are amongst Austin's best.

Thank you for sharing the information. I ordered three as I'm a bit determined to get one good plant. My PAoK is doing okay.It will be a while she is only in her second year. The Lady Gardener, Royal Jubilee and The Poets Wife are new this year. Dr.Huey absolutely won't grow in my yard. I planted them deep and at an angle in the hope that they go own root. There is always a chance.

Not bad for a first year Austin

That looks great for a first year! None of mine, new this year, are that full. They are growing well though, so am happy with that. How did the root rot on LS? I was hoping to get a good report & you were to say it was of a good height with tons of blooms, haha!

I have absolutely no idea. It sprouted a few twigs maybe 4 inches high and that was it. I highly suspect that it did not appreciate my moving it in September of last year.

Well your moving of the rose in September has inspired me not to move my Abraham Darby until next spring. I was seriously contemplating it! Well good luck with the 3 you have on order.

I have to say thou that is the only time it has happened to me. I'm not going to be to be in a hurry to try it again thou and thank you.

I got LOS last spring. Its a grafted plant. It didnt bloom much last year. She grew a lot though. This spring I espaliered her on a piece of wire fencing strung between a few metal t-posts to try and get her canes more horizontal. That did the trick because she has been blooming in regular flushes this year. She is much larger now that in the spring when I took these photos. She is in mostly full sun and in a black plastic nursery pot still lol. She likes it that way!! There is a tree that casts shade on the far side one end of the plant, really late in the day about 4pm (left side of the photo). The majority of the plant (about 3/4th of it, including its pot, gets full sun All day.

Thank you Bonnie, nice to know my growth was normal. It also may have died from root gall. There was not any when I dug it up. However Easy Does It which was just to the left of LoS came down with crown gall. When I dug her out there were galls on the roots. When I moved LoS later that year I did not get the far reaching roots from that side. If it had become infected during the year. That may have been enough to kill it over winter.

Got mine this year own root from DA. It is planted in part shade on the berm of my rain garden. It is about 4 ft high now. Always in bloom and no disease.

Nice to hear totoro, I was just about to ask if anyone thought the rose is worth doing again.

I've spent the last three years wondering if Shalott was worth it also, but about a month ago, I gave it a super thorough watering with the sprinkler (I forgot to turn it off!) and a really good feeding of RoseTone, and it is now--for the first time--really starting to put out good growth and blooms.

I had been wondering if it wasn't getting its fair share of food and water--it's kinda back from the main beds and often gets overlooked. Its recent response would seem to indicate that that probably is true.

I think she is worth it now. Love that color of bloom also.

Kate

I watered it a lot in the beginning when it was hot, sometimes twice times a day because I would see the foliage start to wilt in the sun. But now I don't water it that much and it seems fine. Perhaps being near the rain garden gives it the water it needs.