I am really enjoying your blog. Thanks for doing this. I am sure many of the other Florida rose growers are enjoying it like me. Very well done.

thanks! I'm working on trying to get more readers :)

Hi SoFL, Do you have a link to the list? I am in NE FL (Jax area) Jude sucks here as well. It hardly flowers and I think it likes it a little cooler at least at night than we have most of the year. I have tried it in shade as well as different sun situations. It also grows really slow compared to all the other Austins I bought at the same time. Its grafted on DH so it should be a little more vigorous than the own roots but I have other DAs on their own roots that are much more vigorous than Jude. It does smell heavenly when it blooms which is the only reason I've kept it. I am hoping it will improve with age.

I am working on a blog as well. It won't be only roses though because I grow so many other things lol.

Thanks

~SJN

On my blog there is an actual photo of the list. you can see it here

I'm with you on Jude. I have in on Fortuniana and even then its just as you say. Doesn't grow much, gets lots of black spot. Rarely blooms and even then I keep having hope for it because of that amazing scent.

I've moved it once already but haven't had any luck with the new location either. I might try potting it up next to see if I have better luck with it. If that doesn't work, I'm giving up! LOL

Id love to see your blog. Mine is mostly about roses but I do have a section on companion plants that I'm planning on expanding. I am also planning on doing a seed starting section as well as I grow alot of my annuals from seed. :)

Thanks for looking in. Be sure to put a link to your blog when you get it going.

Heres what I agree on as far as the David Austin list goes for what does well here in NE FL. Our summers are about the same as SoFL but we seem to get way more rain so really humid and muggy. The last few yrs it rained every couple days during the summer grrr. Our winters get more freezes maybe 5-6 a yr but this year its been warmer. The winter daytime temps are normally 60-80F so even if it does freeze it usually pops back up warm and sunny during the day. Less rain in the winter here than summer.

What I grow on DA's good for FL list:

Abe--love it.

Carding Mill still too young to tell..got it as a band last summer. Seems ok so far.

Jubilee Celebration--growing slowly, doesn't flower too much. Its in sun most the day.

Jude--as I said in an earlier post..slow grower, shy bloomer.

Lichfield Angel...one of my favorites. A perfect angel in my garden indeed! She and Abe Darby are next to each other and try to out bloom one another all summer! Little green tree frogs love the flowers of this rose for some reason and will hide in one until it falls apart then hop to the next open flower to hide and eat bugs lol. The large blooms start out a little blousy sometimes but then reflex back into quartered flowers sometimes. They are so pretty when they do that.

Munstead Wood...I have this in full sun and it does not burn. The flowers are more hot pink in the summer but in winter when the nights cool off, they get that real dark to die for,purple wine color. It is at least 6ft tall right now and I had cut it back in the fall. Very thorny and if you don't like really thorny roses I wouldn't get it if I were you lol. However, I don't mind the thorns.

PAT Austin--The reining QUEEN of my garden. My favorite of them all lol. She flowers a lot, even during the summer. She always is in bud or flower. She climbs to about 8ft so far. Her foliage stays nice and green. Liked her so much I bought another one. Scent is nice and fruity but not uber strong.

Princess Alexandra of Kent (PAoK) ---I have two of these and I highly recommend them for Florida or anywhere warm. They are always blooming. They do get large. About 6ft so far and not really climby types, more like big shrubs. Medium pink here in my yard. I have them in full sun.

Princess Anne---Grows tall has and has nice green leaves. Blooms with hot pink flowers but does not bloom as often as I would like. Did bloom more during the summer than it is right now for some reason lol.

Sharifa Asma--How do I love thee!! Got this as a little band early last summer. Grew to almost 3 feet and is blooming nicely. Smells AWESOME!! As good as Jude smells but she is a better bloomer. I can't wait till she gets really large. Her flowers are very light pink in summer but when the cooler temps come, she is more of a medium pink and really gorgeous.

The Alnwick Rose---grows tall and skinny. Leaves stay green and it blooms but they do blow quickly. Never seems to get that luscious cupped look like in the catalogs. Maybe they do but fall apart before I see it lol.

Young Lycidas---Staying smaller. Leaves do black spot. Seems kinda scraggly in shape. Does not bloom that often. I hope it will outgrow this because the blooms are really pretty when I get them.

I agree about Crown Princess Margarita---it is not that great here. It doesn't get too much black spot but it doesn't bloom..like hardly ever!! When it does the flowers fall apart quickly. They aren't a nice deep orange they are lighter. Just blah.. It wants to climb which is good because I like climbers but I like climbers that also bloom. I bought two to put on an arbor in the front yard because I was seduced by that photo in the DA catalog, lol, but that's not going to happen!

~SJN

Pat Austin really does love Florida as it too is my best performing Austin. Thank you so much for this info. I ordered Alnwick this year and its on its way soon. I ended up passing on Crown Princess Margarita. My PaOK has never quite taken off and I'm not sure why. I may try her again on her own roots. Do you grow yours own root or grafted? If so what root stock do you have them on?

I have the 2 PAoK on Doc Huey which I know isn't ideal but they are doing okay for now and they are in huge pots in full sun. I originally had them in afternoon shade and they didn't bloom near as much so I moved them to full sun. I have more humidity/rain when its really hot during the summer in this part of FL, so I find that I can get away with more full sun on my Austins than some in drier hot climates can.

~SJN

Ohh i forgot I was gonna ask you what conditions you have your Evelyn in? I have one grafted on DH and in a pot. It is getting afternoon shade now that the sun moved for the winter. It hardly blooms at all now grrr. I hate to move it cuz I espaliered it upon a wide piece of wire fencing I put up just for her lol.

On another note, I don't know why on earth DA wouldn't have Teasing Georgia on their recommended for FL list! I have 2 and they are just awesome. They are climbing over our garden swing. The flowers are nice and sunny yellow. The foliage stays pretty green with no black spot whatsoever! The butterflies love them, especially the Sulphur butterflies. So pretty!

~SJN

My Evelyn is on Fortuniana growing against an 8 foot wooden fence. It's not espaliered on the fence however. It's just growing like a tall shrub because it doesn't seem to grow much taller than 8 feet. I do find mine blooms best and is happiest in the hotter months than in the cooler weather. It seems to love the heat. I wouldn't move yours. I bet it will bloom more come the warm weather.

Mine looses a lot of its leaves to BS but it's so vigorous that it seems to just bounce back. I'm currently trying to decide whether or not I want to prune it back a bit, ot try growing it like a climber. So far the canes aren't quite tall enough to grow it as a climber though.

Hi, I wanted to add to my input on the roses on this list for NWFL that I grow in my 'Emerald Coast' garden. All are own roots:

CROCUS ROSE- new this season in my garden, but already bloomed a flush in APR; and after deadheading, it is putting out a lot of new growth at the base (about 6 canes forming) and at some of the bud eyes of where I deadheaded. The flowers smell good dry, but when they are wet they smell kinda like moth balls, floor cleaner or something not pleasant. No disease so far.

HERITAGE- in a really bad spot, only 4-5 hours of morning sun and still blooms, canes are thin though and nod down when the blooms open, and since its blocked by a brick wall on 2 sides it BS's more than I think it would in full sun. Might be one of the only roses I know of that is still able to still bloom in this difficult spot. Scent is a bit faint and lemony.

LICHFIELD ANGEL- new this season; bloomed nicely but the blooms and buds looked like they do not like hard rain and will slightly brown. Really light scent that smells nice. No disease so far.

MOLINEAUX- bloom machine! very upright/ strong growth. As soon as it was in the ground it wanted to push out buds and bloomed a strong flush. i deadheaded and it seems to be recharging now. blooms smelled very good. No disease so far.

A rose not on the list but I thought it was worth mentioning:

JAMES GALWAY is awesome! definitely wants to be a pillar rose. strong canes and prolific bloomer! this rose is on a pillar on my front porch and on a single stem it has eight buds! the flowers are really pretty with the ruffled edges. very light scent you can't smell unless you inhale the flower, but i love its form. Has a bit of BS on the bottom leaves but i guess thats expected since its planted a few feet from a garden fountain and a sprinkler head.

Thank you ladies for your brilliant lists and descriptions of DAs that love Florida. Got an email today from DA, saying they could ship now to my area, so, of course, me with no willpower is taking them up on it. My only iffy one is Pat Austin because she's on Dr Huey. I'm hoping my organic soil will keep away the nematodes and she won't mind little or no winter rest. Wish they'd had her on her own roots. Also, really hoping I get back into gardening mode!!!

Update on Jude...much better now that I've had it a few years. Blooms well but does get a little black spot during the rainy season (summer). Its huge now.

Crown Princess is large and blooms lot more now that she's more mature. The color is better as well is the disease resistance.

Princess Anne did turn out to be a black spot magnet.

Pat Austin is still great, as is Teasing Georgia, and PAoK.

I have a little rooted cutting of teasing Georgia so I'm so glad to hear that she does well! Especially regarding black spot. Sherry I'm glad you're feeling up to it. You deserve them.

i love DA roses.I am trying to decide to buy as well ,i live in georgia and looking for very strong old rose frangance .What would you suggest? thanks

Munstead Wood has a very strong old rose fragrance and beautiful colour. What are you looking for besides fragrance?

Great choices, Sherry! Cheering you on! :-)

I agree, Munstead Wood has great fragrance and does really well in the south.

Got three more. Have to wait until May for PAoK and Teasing Georgia. Getting excited. I already have one Darcy Bussell. Decided to take the plunge for Abe since I guess you're really not a Florida rose gardener till he's in your garden, right?

I love Abe! I have several Abes. I also got Moulineux last year. Its staying small so far (3ft) but its healthy and a good bloomer. I don't have Darcey Bussel. You will have to let us know how she does for you.

Princess Charlene de Monaco (not an Austin) is also very similar to Abe. I got 3 PCdM last year and it does well here. You can practically grow PCdM like climbing Abes lol, or just keep her trimmed like a large shrub.