From: jane@soave.swdc.stratus.com (Jane Beckman)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: David Austin roses in CA
Date: 1 Oct 92 22:21:59 GMT
Distribution: ca
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., San Jose, CA

The following is my own experience with the Austin (English)
roses in San Jose.  Some are own-roots, some grafted.  I've
noted which is which.  All the own-roots plants are one year
old, and were single-shoots six-inches tall when planted last
winter, but many are now larger than the grafted plants!

Wenlock: (potted in an 18 inch pot for control---folks in the
rose society tell me it grows to 18 feet in California!) in
its first year, it has grown to a 2-foot bush, with several
flushes of clusters of dark magenta flowers.  Healthy, no sign
of mildew, etc.  Own roots.

Graham Thomas: two years old, and fifteen feet tall!  Huge
trusses of golden flowers.  Extremely vigorous: prune it back,
and it just keeps growing.  Minor black spot, but not
noticable unless you get very nosy in examining your roses.
Grafted.

William Shakespeare.  Tall and skinny, hasn't bloomed this
year (one year old).  (Partial shade may be responsible.)  Own roots.

Bredon: one year old, forming a constantly-blooming compact
shrub.  Keep it dead-headed, as it is prone to mildew and the
spent petals don't fall, making ugly spent clusters.  However,
the huge trusses of flesh-pink blooms are worth it.  Short,
about two feet tall.  Grafted.

Yellow Button: My personal favorite, but hard to find. 1 year old.
Potted (12-inch).  Vigorous, bushy, with pale yellow powder-puff blooms,
about 2 feet tall.  Blooms in flushes, about 3 weeks apart, if
kept dead-headed.  Small amounts of mildew.  Own roots.

Heritage: My second favorite, although the year-old plant didn't 
start blooming until mid-August!  Not terribly vigorous,
staying a small mound with small canes off a large grafted
branch structure.  Gorgous shell-pink flowers,very cupped, but
with a tendency to shatter on day 3 after opening.  Blooms in
flushes, and takes its time between: it just finished its
second flush of this season.  Some black-spot.  Grafted.

Wife of Bath: a very obliging little rose, with good-sized
pink flowers with a baby-powder scent.  The plant has stayed
small, only a foot high, but is *never* without blossoms.  It
started blooming a month after it was planted, and hasn't
stopped!  Very healthy foliage.  I would give it an award for
dependability.  Own roots.

Charles Austin: Another one of my award-winners.  It was slow
to take off, but once it did, wow!  One year old, several
shoots have reached six feet, and it's extremely healthy and
vigorous.  Flowers are produced somewhat sparsely, though.
Keep it pruned (shorten the canes by a foot or two) to keep it
blooming, or it will stall out.  You may need to keep pruning
to control it, anyway, if your plant performs like mine!  This
one is a real *shrub* rose.  Flowers open yolky-orange, fade
to buff over about four days.  Own roots.

Gertrude Jekyll: potted (15-inch pot), 2-foot tall one year plant.  Very
lush and healthy looking, but hasn't bloomed this year.  Own roots.

All roses grown on beds with about 60/40 dirt/manure ratio, in
sun except where noted.
--
  Jilara   [jane@swdc.stratus.com]

"Don't be so open-minded your brains fall out."  --Einstein,
by way of Barry Shein on the net