Some of my favorites -- and I like the irises.

Lovely roses Krista! I especially like your Gertrude Jekyll and Stanwell Perpetua! It must smell really wonderful in your garden!

Ann

Gorgeous roses Krista! Your Gertrude Jekyll is so sumptuous! I think you've convinced me that I need to grow Stanwell Perpetual somewhere... now I just need a larger garden!

Beautiful!

Thank you.

The wafting fragrance perfumes the air, June is the most special month in the garden.

Comtesse, I lightly prune Stanwell with secateurs. There is a small amount of dead wood to remove each spring. I also prune the tips of the canes to shape it. It's about 4 1/2 - 5 feet wide. It is quite thorny and can get tangled up in its neighbor roses, so it does like room to spread... I use garden stakes on occasion to prop it up.

These photos show more of the growth habit:

Eglantyne

Falstaff

Lovely roses, Krista! What annuals and perennials do you have mixed in that bed?

Your area is very different than mine, but does your 'Stanwell Perpetual' have the fall foliage and hips like the spin class? How much shade does he get in that spot? Your beds look so nicely edged! How do you do it?

I grow cranesbill, pansy, dianthus and snapdragons. There is alyssum on the other side of the concrete steps.

For edging I use the Ho-Mi, Korean Long Plow. It's an awesome multi-tasking tool. The curved blade is good for edging, weeding and even helps with pulling long rose canes forward for pruning etc. Ho-Mi Long Handle Plow

But my primary tool for edging is a border shovel. It's a small size that's easy for a woman to use. I have a heavy oak handle type, and another that is a lighter weight wood.

I bought the oak border shovel many years ago from either the New York Botanical Garden or Brooklyn Botanical Garden. I don't think they sell it anymore, but this site has it with a good photo and description: Border Shovel

I have a lot of edging to do in spring, as the weeds and grass grow so quickly!

Stanwell gets dappled morning shade until around 11 AM. This helps to preserve the pink shade in the blooms.

The hips are dark and charming in the autumn season. These photos are not the best example, as these hips got rather soggy.

Krista, I have been looking for a smaller shovel like that for my small yard. Thanks for the link!!!

I'm so glad you added these bush shots of Stanwell Perpetual, Krista. I love that rose for its combination of wildness and sumptuousness, and was sad to have to leave mine behind when I moved. Eglantyne is another rose I never tire of seeing because I feel it's one of Austin's most beautiful roses which is unfortunately not suited to my climate, and I'm always thrilled to see it in someone else's garden.

Thank you, Ingrid. Stanwell Perpetual does have a wild look to it, that's a good description for it. I, too, think Eglantyne is one of Austin's best. It was the first Austin that I planted, and still one of my favorites.

Stephanie, the other small shovel that I use is made by Union tools. It's called the Floral Shovel. It's lighter weight than the oak shovel. Here's a link to a photo and description. Union Tools Floral Shovel

The shovel head is about 8 x 6. These small shovels are handy and easy to use.

Krista, I am also taken by that stunning view of the entire Stanwell Perpetual. I must find the place for it in my garden. Unfortunately I am out of space with full sun and hope it can take part-shade, about 2-3 hours of sun. Thank you for sharing such beautiful scenes and lovely flowers from your garden.

Thank you, Vesfl. It tolerates some shade, it might be OK in that spot if the shade is dappled.

Thinking of edging tools, there are tools specifically designed for edging, such as this Brook and Hunter tool, however I have found that the border shovel cuts deeper into the turf and is more effective. However, this edger might work quite well in other settings.

Edger tool

I use a spade for the edging, but it's good to learn about these different kinds of tools that can do an even better job. Krista, thank you for all this useful information and the links. I've bookmarked it for future reference.

Brook and Hunter is the manufacturer of the border shovel that I bought many years ago from the Botanical Garden.

The border shovel is still in great condition, even after many years. That's a good brand, well made tools.

Hi Krista! Very nice photos!

Hi, Jim. Thank you. I imagine PA is having a lot of rain lately. I know last year you were soaked in rain...

Great pictures, Krista! I really enjoyed seeing them all. I always admire Eglantyne, but as Ingrid said, it’s not suited for climates without a winter. Yours looks wonderful. I like your Reine Victoria very much, as well. I’m always getting it mixed up with La Reine, and need to find a clever way to make the difference between the two stick in my mind. Absolutely love seeing all the detailed shots of Stanwell Perpetual! Just how “perpetual” is it for you during your growing season? It’s a fascinating rose. I’m fairly certain I saw Stanwell Perpetual in Cliff’s garden when we went and dug out some roses he was giving away. I know it had “Stanwell”, or something very similar in the name, and I admired it very much. The blooms were exactly the same shade you show in your first photo, so I’m almost certain it was Stanwell Perpetual. This was in late January, and it was one of the roses that was most covered in blooms. The soft pink color is just beautiful! I also really like your Siberian Iris. That dark purple goes so well with pink roses. Thanks for sharing your beautiful garden with us! Lisa

Thanks, Lisa. Stanwell forms new buds regularly after the main flush. It has scattered blooms, not as many as during June. The Siberian Iris does well here, very hardy.