I don't know Darcy Bussell. I used to grow WS2000. For me it was healthy and pretty, but it was also one of those tentacle roses Austin produces from time to time. The form of the plant reminded me a lot of Scepter'd Isle. Both pretty, but not very good as shrubs for me here. Maybe they would be okay as climbers but somehow I think they would be awkward that way too. In all fairness I have to say I could be wrong about that, since I did not actually try growing them on a structure. Instead I gave both away to good homes. Actually my WS2000 was grafted and I pretty much destroyed it digging it up, but I did root a cutting and I gave the rooted cutting to a gardener I know who gave it a good home. When I last saw WS2000 it was not yet throwing out octopus arms. It may well be that it doesn't do that when grown on its own roots. On the other hand, it was confined to a 10 gallon pot, so maybe it needs to be in the ground for that behavior to occur. Munstead Wood on the other hand is a superb rose. The color is rich, the fragrance quite good, and the form of the plant compact enough that you can put it front and center of your garden. Mine is a couple of years old and two feet high. It may get a bit taller in time but I don't think it will ever be a huge rose. Now I like big roses, too, but it is good to have some that stay small enough to plant them close to where you walk. I heartily recommend Munstead Wood to gardeners who enjoy richly colored, richly perfumed roses. Rosefolly

Hi Judy and Sylvia, First, let me state that I am by no means an expert … I did the rose pruning course because I was rather daunted by the prospect of having to prune all those QofS (plus my other 'non hedge' roses). I was really comforted by the fact that one of the 'tools' that Richard Stubbs used for showing us how to prune certain roses was a petrol driven hedge trimmer :-) His point was that you can use whatever you like to prune your roses - they're generally very forgiving - of course, he was referring to David Austin roses and I don't know that all roses would welcome a hair cut with a hedge trimmer. I don't know whether I mentioned earlier that the pruning course was held at a rose nursery at Assisi that specialises in David Austin and old garden roses at the beginning of March this year so there were plenty (hundreds) of roses that required pruning? He comes every year to help them with their pruning and to hold pruning courses for anyone who's interested and they seem to have a great turn up considering that early March is generally not the most pleasant time to be out in the garden all day. Anyhow, he basically said 'you decide the shape and size of the bush you want and then prune to get what you want'. Obviously, it's a bit more difficult to get certain roses to become more 'rounded' if their natural tendency is to grow straight up. I've found with my 'experimental' QofS that whenever I decide to prune it (I first pruned this bush in March, then again after the Spring flowering and, again now in Summer) I try to find a bud on a cane that's going to grow in the direction I want - if I have to cut down 40 or 50 cms to get to the bud I want that doesn't bother me because I also like to have the roses flowering at different heights. Also, the QofS in the photo is still only 20 months old and I don't know whether my 'technique' will be valid in the long term, however, for now it seems to be working. I just took my tape measure out and checked the bush to give you an idea of its size. There are three strong, new canes that are taller than the rest of the bush - they're just over 1 metre tall and have appeared in the past 1 - 2 weeks, however, most of the canes are around 60cms. The diameter of the bush is also 1 metre and the growth is relatively rounded and uniform. I will let the new long canes flower and then I'll cut them back so that their size matches the rest of the bush. If you would like, I can put a wider lens on my camera and take some photos and upload them to either Dropbox or Photobucket so you can check them out - just let me know. Tricia I'm attaching a link to the website of the rose nursery at Assisi where the pruning course was held - I hope it's not considered advertising - their site is in Italian only, however, the photos that scroll across the home page of the nursery and its location are quite breath taking! Here is a link that might be useful: Paola's Roseto at Assisi

In all honesty...mine is in a container at the moment. Maybe upright wasn't the best description. I grow Queen of Sweden and that rose is seriously upright....growing straight and tall. Some of the canes of QOS are at least 10 feet tall. DB is nothing like that. I have my DB placed in a bed that is rather crowded with all sorts of plants. DB is probably 3 or 4 feet tall and does have a nice shape, not quite round but rather oval in shape. It has been very happy where it is. There is milkweed growing around it which is why it really never got sprayed. I plant milkweed for the monarchs and I try to keep it as chemical free as possible. Carole

Where abouts are you located? I have Darcey Bussell in So CA, and the blooms hold up pretty well. It was nearly 100F Monday and Tuesday. I haven't kept track of how long the blooms are lasting in this heat, but I know it's longer than a day. Is she getting enough water? Is the drainage good? Do the leaves look healthy? Lisa