Liz I think you are going to be very happy with this rose. Although I only got it last year it has really put on a show. I can't imagine what it might do when mature!!!! Ingrid--thank you. Buford--I agree, fragrance would be so nice....but right now I can't get low enough to sniff her anyway. lol

mexicanhat, mine are about the same size. Sophie is a bit more upright, Tamora flops a bit. I have them both at the front of the bed and so far they are perfect there. We must have the same taste, because I do have The Prince next to Tamora. It was short and floppy for the first 3 years, but is becoming a bit more upright this year. Others on this site say it does get a bit bigger. I've been in drought conditions for 2 years, so that may have stunted The Prince from getting larger. I do love the color contrast between Tamora and The Prince.

Certainly I would agree that Sophy does well in the heat. It gets stinking hot and very, very dry here every summer. I've got Sophy planted in an area with some well established plum trees and it doesn't get watered very often in summer, maybe every ten days or so if the temperature is under about 36 degrees Celsius. Once it gets into the high 30s and 40s then it might get watered once a week. My aim in late summer is just to keep my garden alive. This rose doesn't bloom as prolifically then, but makes up for it now. I rescued a few buds out of the garden today, it's ice-cold (literally snow fell on the high peaks today, that's unusual!) and really wet. The dark pinks are Sophy, the very light bloom on the left is St Cecelia, the globular one at right is Gruss an Aachen and I'm not sure if it's going to open at all Mid winter next week. I feel very lucky, really!

I don't know why I do this to myself. I bought Sir John Betjeman and just discovered it has no fragrance. An Austin without a fragrance. I've own two: Sophy's Rose and LD Braithwaite. Will I like SJB more? How does SJB compare to SR?