Which Austin do you prefer and why? I'm in Oakland, CA, 9B

4 years ago

Hi, all.

Would like to solicit your advice. Perusing the DA website tonight and started dreaming of next year's garden. I have several DA roses which I love and seem fairly carefree here in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Some blooms that catch my eye are listed below. Wondering which you would get, and why, or all 5!

Alnwick

Pat Austin

Ancient Mariner

Geoff Hamilton

Jude the Obscure

Thanks.

Corinna

Featured Answer

Rose Lai (9b)

4 years ago

Corinna, I also live in the East Bay, in a unique microclimate in San Ramon (also 9b, in the southern part of Sunset Zone 14). Unlike many parts of the East Bay, there is strong maritime influence at where i live. We have lots of foggy, windy and cool days, sort of like San Francisco in the city. For example in July this year we still get fog in the morning, humidity in the morning exceed 90%, and the temperature hardly get over 75 F most days. Not the typical image of hot and dry inland weather. I believe Oakland is more similar to my type of climate than say Livermore, due to its proximity to the bay.

I only grow the Ancient Mariner (AM). So far it is doing really well in this climate. The flowers are packed with petals, and in my cool climate, the petals do not burn in full day of sun (+10 hours). There are reports that the flowers of AM can get deep fry in very hot climate, but my experience is really great so far. I cannot speak to disease resistance yet, because I only have it for 6 months, but so far the foliage is completely clean without the need to spray.

Compared to the Olivia Rose, which I also planted 6 months ago, I somewhat preferred the AM - I found it has more charm and elegance. But don't get me wrong, the Olivia Rose is also a fantastic rose. The rebloom is somewhat faster with the Olivia rose, but the flowers are more special with AM. I attached a copy of pictures of the first bloom of AM here - it is taken during the first flush in early May. So the bush is obviously very small at this point.

If you are interested in other roses that are doing well, I also really like Vanessa Bell, Desdemona, Poet's Wife, Charlotte (I have 3 trees), Princess Anne, Roald Dahl, Lady Emma Hamilton, Darcey Bussell, Carding Mill, PaoK and Teasing Georgia. PaoK and Teasing Georgia is in year 2 now, got big and stay healthy. For the rest, I got them this year. All are doing really well without any need to spray yet.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (21)

User
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Whilst it may turn out differently for you where you are located, and these are all good roses, I would regard The Ancient Mariner as being in a class of its own regarding those 5... taking all the usual virtues into account...

I haven't grown the others apart from Alnwick, so I'm going from what I've read or seen in gardens here...
dublinbay z6 (KS)
4 years ago
All 5, of course!

A couple of my favorites are Munstead Wood and Molineux. Do you have them?

Kate
Related Discussions
roses for low hedge, 9b CA
Q
Comments (29)
Mary, I was at Home Depot just last weekend, and they had several pots of Iceberg. This was mid-peninsula. It might be worth calling around. I was also at Regan's last Saturday and they had a lot of roses - it was the first day of their half-off sale. I don't recall seeing icebergs but I wasn't looking for them in particular. Again, definitely worth calling to check. In my small garden, iceberg is the only rose I have several plants of. They are simply spectacular in So. Cal. but aren't too shabby here in the Bay Area either. Mine get cercospora spots but are rarely out of flower. They are my workhorses. Jo
...See More
Help with front yard antique roses in Oakland, CA
Q
Comments (24)
Mary, I too, was expecting a picture that would make me feel better about the state of my own garden:) You certainly have nothing to be ashamed of. Your front yard is a work in progress. I have seen front yards that don't look half that nice, and those people considered it good(and finished). With the drought in CA, ugly front yards are almost becoming the norm around here. Yours is far from ugly, AND your working to improve it. I've found that people on this forum are very friendly and eager to help. They've been better than any book or article because my specific questions get answered, for my specific climate, rose, soil, yard, etc.... I love this place! It helps everyone give better advice when they can get a visual. I think a fence with big tea(or climbing) roses planted on the inside would be lovely. They will grow up and over the fence, cascading down on the street side. I'm betting the fence won't even be visible once the roses really grow in. Having the roses inside your fence also means more of your rose care can be done from the more private side of the fence. I'm not all that fond of being watched as I go about my gardening. I like to wear my junkiest clothes for gardening. The clarkia looked great. The good thing about them is the way they self seed and you get a ton of fresh plants next spring. I always look forward to seeing them return. Is the white flower on the right a clarkia as well? I had a beautiful white one 2 years ago, but for some reason I didn't get any white seedlings this past spring. They do make great cut flowers though, so it's possible that I didn't leave much on the plant to produce seed. How about a picture of your backyard now? We all love pictures. I have both Felicia and Cornelia. I'm debating about where to place Cornelia and its outgrowing its container. Time to make up my mind! Seeing yours might help me out:) Lisa
...See More
which do you prefer?
Q
Comments (69)
Homepro1, Salti and Dadoes, thanks for helping diagnose my problem! I wasn't even intending on investigating. I had asked the LG repair center about the drain hose a while back and they said it couldn't be the problem, that it's not made of rubber or something. The details are coming back now! I just assumed it was the rubber gasket and my own repair guy said that replacing it won't solve my problem that the machines are just designed that way. So I chalked it up to just eventually needing to replace it with a top load. But the video on the Washer Fan website and stmt by dadoes leads me to believe it isn't unique to front loads. So every three years, I'll just check on the drain hose and perhaps invest in a washer fan. Don't want to mess around with mold! And thank you I will make sure the drain pipe is vented. I wonder if that is why I didn't have a problem until moving into this house. Or it could just be that the mold is getting progressively worse as years go on ( now 5 years old). To clarify, this machine was moved from Chicago, to our rental home in CA to our permanent home in CA. I should've just left it in Chicago! Lol and sorry to OP for hijacking the thread. But hopefully you learned something from this :)
...See More
Clumping bamboo zone 9b/10a (Northern CA)
Q
Comments (2)
I did a quick rearch: The textlies get too tall The golden is invasive The karr not drought hardy Why bamboo? It can be lovely but it can look rangey and thin with a leaves that turn brown and fall everywhere all year. Not really good for privacy or wind screen IMO. 200 feet would be a lot of bamboo so consider a just few nice specimens mixed in with your other bushes. There are lots of nice plants that grow in the Bay Area. You don't explain or show any photos of why you need to plant anything...is this for decorative or functional purposes? The only bamboo I've planted I got at Coscto and it was called Pandaboo. It's lush and about 6 feet when mature. It's on a drip system and does not spread. Be sure about that!
...See More
Rockridge Rose
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks, ladies.

I do have molineux, I love the shifting hues depending on the weather. It pops out a winter bloom here and there for me. I don’t have my stead wood. Seems quite loved on this forum. Maybe I will check it out.
lynne CA Zone 9B
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Jude the Obscure is a must have for it's fragrance ， beauty and heat resistance
nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
4 years ago
I would urge you to consider Munstead Wood--this rose is favorite on the forum for a lot of good reasons. The only rose on your list I grow is Jude the Obscure, which I've grown for 15 years. The blooms are definitely gorgeous, but I don't think the rebloom is up to the speed of many other Austins. It depends on what your goals are for the rose. My best all around Austin rose is Golden Celebration, almost a tie with Munstead Wood; followed by Boscobel, Tamora. For beauty, Munstead Wood, Evelyn, Young Lycidas, Eglantyne, and Jude.

Lynee, your Jude is lovely. I haven't found my Jude very heat resistant, though I think it's our dry desert air that's the biggest culprit. Diane
lynne CA Zone 9B
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Diane， I'm in N。CA ， very hot and dry。 The pictures taken at 96F @Sacramento historic rose garden。

I notice the patel burned at 105 though
noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque)
4 years ago
In your neighbor city of San Leandro, Alnwick Castle and Abraham Darby seem to do very well. William Shakespeare 2000 seems to lack vigor there. I haven't seen or tried others, but roses in general are very easy in that climate as long as they are reasonably disease resistant.
nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
4 years ago
Lynne, that Jude is beautiful and very impressive, and it is hot in Sacramento. It's kind of dry, but not like it is here (10 inches precip is a good year; that includes rain, snow, everything). I mean desert dry. We haven't had rain in months, and that's not considered a drought--just normal. There is a difference. I lived in San Jose and then southern Cal, and San Jose, in particular is a fabulous place to grow roses. I know it's south of the area in discussion. Diane
ladybug A 9a Houston area
4 years ago
My jude does not bloom in summer...of course, its pretty hot here.
pippacovalent
4 years ago
Of your list I'm familiar with 2 from my local botanic garden. Jude has the most fantastic wonderful fragrance ever but I'm not in love with its color especially here where I'm at 5,000 ft elevation and it lightens the color more. So I actually have planned to plant it in a pot in my back yard by my seating area but not in my front rose garden where the color just wouldn't go with the color scheme I have. I simply had to order it for the amazing fragrance. I also adore the fragrance of Charles Darwin and love its ever changing colors but I also have it in the back because it changes so much I couldn't find where to place it in front either. Now Pat Austin is all over at my botanic gardens and it holds up well in the bright sun and hot, dry climate, but I don't care for the fragrance and for the color family of sort of orange there are others I prefer so it's not one I love and I have no plans to own it. It's pretty though so if fragrance isn't super important and the color is what you're looking for it seems to be a tough rose as it always looks good when I see it there.
nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
4 years ago
Pippa, good luck keeping your Jude in a pot on the patio. It may take time, but Jude gets huge in zone 7 (you're in zone 7, aren't you?). I'm talking 8+ feet tall, and at least 6 feet wide. Then, again, it might end up smaller, depending on your conditions, and how hard you prune him. But he will definitely try to get very big. Diane
pippacovalent
4 years ago
Good to know Diane!!! It's a huge pot but I do hope to find a spot in the ground by the patio when I relandscape in back eventually so hopefully it won't go too crazy before that lol :)
ladybug A 9a Houston area
4 years ago
Pippa, my jude in the ground never got big, he is own root though and in my climate, I see most roses grow backwards during summer so it may be that as well. OTOH, my MEC which is only a year old and in a large container wants to be big.
nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
4 years ago
Rekha, I think Jude needs to be grafted. Also, Pippa is in a dry climate like mine where blackspot doesn't take a toll on roses like it does in more humid areas. Those are just two just two factors that could affect the size of Jude. Diane
Oliver (SF 9A)
4 years ago
i live in San Francisco. PM can be really bad here. i grow:

lady of sharlott (no disease, blooms all the time. But maybe will do better with more shade)

the poets wife (no disease, blooms all the time. Color fade under afternoon sun. extremely fragrant. My favorite DA rose so far)

boscobel (no disease, blooms all the time. Color fade under afternoon sun. fragrant)

gentle Hermione (no disease, repeats ok. cant handle full sun. very fragrant. many hate the scent tho)

brother cadfael (gets PM all the time. Repeats slow, petals don’t fully open. Ugly bush. Extremely fragrant. Am planing to get rid of her)
Rockridge Rose
Original Author
4 years ago
Happy to see so many rosarians in the Bay Area! (And elsewhere, of course!) Thanks for the photos and sage advice. Do you belong to your local rose society? I keep meaning to, but I have a difficult work schedule and an 11 year old. We should get together and visit the various rose gardens in the area. I’ve been to the Berkeley rose garden and Morcom in Oakland, but my family gets bored and go nuts when I drag them along.

It sounds like ancient mariner and Jude are a go.
haku84_zone9
4 years ago
I also grow JTO in a pot and added another one this year. Another one of my favorites is Princess Alexandra of Kent, shes quick to rebloom for me and has a strong fragrance for me too.
R pnwz8a
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Lady Emma Hamilton
Ann9BNCalif
4 years ago
Corrina - I think noseometer is right that most DA roses will grow well where you are. But in thinking about the Oakland microclimate I remembered going to Orchard Nursery in Lafayette when I was first interested in growing fragrant roses eight years ago. The salesperson asked me "which side of the Caldecott (Tunnel) do you live?" She advised that fragrant roses were more susceptible to disease (thinner petals) and would be more vulnerable on the Oakland side of hill because the higher humidity from the Bay influence.

I'm in 9b just outside Napa so my climate is warmer - mid 80s with just a touch of morning fog sometimes in the summer. I live in a windy pocket so it's extra dry. Here are my thoughts on your list.

The Alnwick Rose did not grow for me for two years but it suddenly started growing and blooming last month in its second flush. I'm not getting much fragrance now but I hope for more after the winds stop after Labor Day and we get the that lovely Indian Summer climate.

I've had Pat Austin for a couple of years and love the fragrance. I think she blows a bit more quickly than I like. The middle photo is from Celebration of Old Roses a couple of years ago and is what I hope mine will look like one day!

I would recommend Lady Emma Hamilton which I had to baby for a couple of years because it did get some black spot initially even my dry climate when it was very small. I have two because it's compact and I have it as focal point so I needed to be sure there was enough there to fill the space.

It has great fragrance, form, color, and the leaves can be purple as well as green with brownish stems. It's probably the most unique DA rose I have. I think it may be a challenge to grow in other areas of the country because of the black spot problem which is minimal here and goes away completely by end of May.

Ancient Mariner - I don't have this rose but I've seen many great photos would get it if I had more room.

I really enjoyed the description and pics from Rose Lai. Rose - you have a fabulous collection of roses and I enjoyed hearing about your very unusual micro climate in San Ramon. I never would have guessed something like that would exist given former co-worker descriptions of SR and Danville. I also have a Charlotte tree standard which is my largest standard and a really prolific bloomer.

Geoff Hamilton - I just planted him this year so I can't say yet.

Jude the Obscure - this rose needs to be purchased grafted because own-root takes too long. But here's my OR after five years or so, my largest DA rose.

I've seen some lovely photos of newer DA roses like Emily Bronte and Eustacia Vye which I hope is offered this coming year. So I'm looking forward to some new roses. Good luck with your choices!

Ann
Rockridge Rose
Original Author
4 years ago
Beautiful photos! My favorites that I have thus far are PAOK, Royal jubilee and queen of Sweden. Lady Emily Hamilton is beautiful, but so tiny and stingy with blooms. My garden is only 2 years old, so I’m patiently waiting for everything to mature. Mildew is a problem on this side of the tunnel due to fog and cool nights.