Beautiful photos. The cooler temps make her darker.

THAT was the color I expected mine to have, rich and dark, instead of fire engine red. The blooms are really sumptuous.

Ingrid

Lovely photos. That is my favorite color of red on a rose. I have two virused, weak Red Fountains that have that dark, velvety coloring.

Is Dark Lady a good plant for you? I've read your posts about Prospero.

Anne

Anne, I like her blooms well enough to try, over and over, for a good plant.

So far, the jury is out.

We had two VERY virused plants from Heirloom. The fact that they grew poorly could have been attributed, also, to their identical infestations of root gall.

Then, we had a budded Star Nursery plant. That one grew vigorously, but when it bloomed, it turned out to be a probable Hybrid Tea, in a particularly loathesome shade of screaming orange. It also rusted amazingly.

Now, we have two plants grown from cuttings obtained from a friend. (Yes. I realize it is probably still patented, but consider that I have paid, properly, three times.)

These plants produce the occasional remarkably beautiful bloom, but after 2 years in the ground, they are still remarkably poor excuses for roses.

Oh, and Ingrid -- I think the color would always wash out in your heat. Even HERE, this is darker than normal -- a bud produced in our record-setting cold wave.

It's now fairly open, and I have more photos.

Jeri

Here is The same bloom of 'The Dark Lady' after some 20 hours in the vase.

Jeri

Well, you got a lovely New Year's present from The Dark Lady!

Anne

Beautiful blooms and pics!

Oh for heavens sake! That rose is so beautiful and regal. I can see why everyone is mad for it. Prettier than any actress on the red carpet in a coture gown and millions of dollars of borrowed jewels. Does this rose like warm weather or is it strictly for cooler places?

Kitty, I gather from Ingrid's remarks that the blooms are ill-suited to hot weather.

But in our often dank climate, it is slow to grow, on its own roots.

So I think, realistically, it would need a warm climate, plenty of water, and protection from extreme heat and dry wind.

If I were going to grow it in, say, Ingrid's climate, I would give it ample morning sun, and shade it from afternoon sun -- either with a structure or a large plant. SOMETHING.

Jeri

I'm trying that strategy with Eglantyne and so far, nada. But if I give up on Eglantyne then I'm putting a Dark Lady there.

Kitty -- Maybe, budded?

Jeri

Jeri, I wish your Dark Lady grew as well as mine. It was incredibly healthy, full-foliaged, bloomed like crazy and, when I took it out, the roots were stupendous for such a young rose. And yes, it was intensely fragrant. Alas, the color ruined it all for me, hater of bright red roses that I am, and even applying the product that turns hydrangeas blue did not work on this rose. For some strange reason though, it has worked on its neighbor, Sophy's Rose, which I'm thrilled about. You can't win them all, and often the only way to find out what works is to try it in your own garden.

Ingrid

Ingrid, your Dark Lady's more robust growth was probably (at least in part) a product of your much-greater heat -- which was also the reason your blooms didn't have this darker color.

"There [REALLY] Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch."

This morning, the bloom is fully open, now looking like a much darker version of "Old Town Novato." :-)

Jeri

Here it is, fully-open.

Jeri

Gorgeous! Everything I read about Austin's long cane end of cane bloomers seems to encourage pillaring of those long octopus canes. Does that usually force laterals?
Gorgeous even if you only get one bloom.
Susan

Well, I wouldn't be doing it with The Dark Lady. These plants are 12-14 INCHES tall.

But, for the ones that DO grow like Octopi -- Yes. I believe that would work. I can't answer for sure, because I haven't done it, but I think it might help.

When we were experimenting with Austins (late '80's - early '90's) we believed the descriptions, and planted appropriately. (Say, 4-5-ft., for Graham Thomas -- etc.)

When the purported 4-footers shot out 15-ft canes, we had no where to spread them out, laterally. We tried Self-Pegging. That worked with some of them, but it was a helluva lot of work for roses that mildewed, even when sprayed religiously.

As a result, most of the Austins are long-gone. We have 6-8 of 'Golden Celebration,' 2 of 'Cymbaline,' and 3 of 'Prospero.' (And two own-root Dark Ladies.)

I hate to think about the money we spent -- but I suppose it bought us lessons-learned.

Jeri

It might work. I have most of my tall DAs in my bourbon/HP area and they all behave about the same. I get a big spring bloom and a small repeat around fall. As they get older, I get a few in late spring & summer here and there. When my Othello blooms, I feel like it's a real treat. He's beautiful but Dark Lady is Magnificent.

Kitty, I agree. The Dark Lady is a beautiful rose -- Austin or not. I think, all things being equal, it's a rose I'd prefer to grow budded.

Jeri

Although The Dark Lady was wider than tall, it showed no propensity to be an octopus. I have to admit that for me the flowers and the bush somehow looked too modern, in addition to the bright red color, but if you have a warm, dry climate and don't mind the brighter red this rose seems to be a winner. I'm happy to say that just yesterday I planted Young Lycidas which I'm expecting to be more purple, and I'll hopefully have nothing to complain about with THAT rose.

Ingrid

That is gorgeous!!!