Juliet, yes, his gardens are very near Birmingham, it's a half hour train ride from there. Even in late August it should be pretty spectacular. Wollerton Old Hall is covered with buds. I've not seen a single bloom yet "in real life", so I've got my fingers crossed. I think I'm expecting something similar to Scepter'd Isle with a lighter colour. I'll post photos when it blooms. Florence, it's my pleasure, and a treat to share it with others who enjoy the roses! Silverkelt, I do appreciate how lucky I am to live so close! When I lived in California I never dreamed I'd get to visit, and now I can walk out of my door, get on a train, and be there in just over two hours. I wonder what I should do this weekend?? LOL. Jumbojimmy, the roses in most of the pictures of the greenhouses are "potential" new Austins, either for garden or cut flowers, so I'm pretty sure we wouldn't know any of them already. If you like button eyes, you should consider Sister Elizabeth and Eglantyne. I thin Sister Elizabeth might do very well in your climate, she loved my So. California garden. Krista, it was great fun. I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures. Hosenemesis, thanks for taking a look! Inga007, you're very welcome, thanks for taking the time to look through everything. The Bustopher, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Christina, I'm so glad the photos brought some happiness to your day! Ingrid, it was my pleasure. Thank you! Jerome, yes, I agree, I think he is a genius too. I can't tell you how much enjoyment I get out of his creations. I think we are so lucky to have him. He lives in a house on the grounds, and the tour guide told us that he still comes out every morning and walks through the gardens, taking notes, commenting, and finding improvements. He still works in the breeding and selecting and is very much the man we can thank for these roses. So.. thank you very much Mr. Austin! Kristin, I did spend hours there. We arrived at 11 and left when they closed at 5, and I still could have spent many more hours wandering around. It was really fantastic.

Austins that have done very well for me. All are hardy need to be sprayed once/month for BS: Mary Rose Winchester Cathedral Heritage Crocus rose James Galway The Squire - mines about 10 yrs old but is starting to poop out. I think I'll either have to but or make another one Abe Darby - I really like the color but should be sprayed for BS more frequently, but I won't and it still does well enough. Fair Bianca did well, I think. I chose not to grow it when we moved. Whites are hit and miss for me. On most the flowers seem to turn brown in hot weather. I think they're a little prone to thrips, those are best viewed from afar. Roses I have shovel pruned: The Dark Lady - I tried this for about 6 years but it was a BS magnet and the red turned to magenta, and very thorny. Jude the Obscure - I tried real hard to like this rose, about 10 yrs. I liked the color but it was a sparse bloomer and got too much BS. Lillian Austin - nice rose but was a BS magnet and very thorny. Brother Cadfael - similar to Jude. Golden Celebration - An octopus, thorny, flowers can-t survive a thunderstorm, a BS magnet, didn't have much of a second flush, and I'm not really fond of butter cup colored roses. I give most roses four years, but this one was gone in 3.

My birthday is on the 28th May, which is the day the Chelsea Flower Show ends so I have a pretty good memory of the roses usually in bloom in the south of England at that time. I agree with Marlorena and fduk that it is too early for the full flush of roses. There might be some in gardens, if it is a warm, early spring but I wouldn't count on it. However, apart from Kew Gardens and the Chelsea Physic Garden, there are a number of private town gardens open in London and the surrounding counties that week. Look in the Little Yellow Book, link below. There are lots of choices. You could even get down to Sissinghurst Castle with a train from Victoria Station to Maidstone and then a bus or taxi to the gardens. If there are roses blooming naturally at that time, they are more likely to be seen in Queen Mary's rose garden in Regents Park. Being in central London, where the temperature is warmer, everything blooms earlier than the colder midlands where DA is situated. Daisy Little Yellow Book Sissinghurst Queen Mary's Rose Garden

Kristine thanks for mentioning that you're not fond of RD the person. I liked many of his books as a kid but since then I have learned that as a person he was very problematic to put it diplomatically. I also would not want. aa rose named after him