Wondering - the pic you posted shows FB growing in a pot - have you grown her in the ground? How cold hardy is she?

Jackie

I love mine too. Whenever she blooms, it's a real treat. Sometimes a cane will start to die back and if you don't get ahead of it, it will die back to the base. But another cane grows to replace it later. It's not a big plant but the pure white perfectly arranged petals are poetry. This rose prefers not to be pruned and the most I usually do is snap off the old blooms.

I'm sold.

Molineux, I am fond her, too, as I am of a number of the small Austins. She resides in several former clients' gardens at my recommendation. These clients were craving just the rose you described. Other small Austins that I grow/have grown and enjoy/ed are Tamora, The Prince, (the dreaded) Glamis Castle, and Sharifa Asma. They are all earlier releases like Bianca. Lovely photos of a charming rose! Carol

I think it's nice that there are some smaller Austins. Fair Bianca is slow to build. I found that mine was happier when I started giving it more water than it's neighbors.

Phooey. Shoveled and gone after 12 years of TLC. 12 years of looking like this 90% of the time:
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She be maligned for a reason. 'Bolero' (Meidelweis) is 100x better.

Hoov, I wish I had gotten that kind of growth from the various plants of 'Fair Bianca' I have attempted over the years.

To those of you who have found it possible to grow this cultivar well with a "reasonable" investment of effort and attention; kudos to you. When it does what its supposed to, its very beautiful and an olfactory joy. However, I have grown it three times in three different gardens over the years, grafted onto R. multiflora, and the result has been the same every time: year one it grows reasonably well and adds some size beyond the original wood. Year two finds a number of the canes died back by at least half, and vigor is poor in spite of the best of care (feeding, fungicide to protect the HIGHLY disease prone foliage). Year three sees further decline in both size and performance. Year four? Gone. Dead. Removed from its site and replaced by something that has some will power to thrive.

As pretty as it may be, it will never find a home in my garden again. If it seems to be unfairly maligned, it is because many people have the same experience as I have.

Bolero doesn't have the pretty contrast of pink buds.

Another example of a rose that shows this trait is the Pemberton musk, Penelope, whose semi-double white blooms open from apricot buds. V. Sackville West wrote that this gave the "effect of white without being white" which she thought could add much-needed interest and variety to a white garden (the concept she was most responsible for popularizing).

Plant geeks simply go wild over small variations like this.

The plant of Fair Bianca is also unique in having "stance", which I think refers to the pleasing way the leaves and buds are displayed on the bush.

Other exquisite whites opening from colorful buds that come immediately to mind are Leda, Louise Bugnet (seemingly unobtainable in the US), and the Portland, Marie de Saint Jean, which like Fair Bianca seems to lack vigor. My specimen died a week or so after its arrival as a puny twig from Vintage.

Maybe these miffy specimens need to be grown as "only plants", to be cosseted and fussed over, the way they sometimes do in Japan. Of like the rose of Le petit prince.

Here is a link that might be useful: Marie de Saint Jean

Bolero doesn't have the pretty contrast of pink buds.

Doesn't have the unexplained dieback, bare stems, and months with no flowers, either.

My Fair Bianca was a fair weather friend. As soon as the transition from greenhouse to garden was difficult and it so longed to return to the greenhouse atmosphere, that it pined itself to death.

Fair Bianca in these pictures is gorgeous, and I prefer its shape to that of Bolero, but after having read the negative comments I'm convinced this rose would quickly commit suicide in my harsh environment. A pity, since it's quite beautiful when it's happy.

Ingrid

I do hope there will always be enough rose aficionados to keep Fair Bianca from extinction. I once hankered after Bianca, but I confess I, too, was really scared off by the bad reports. At least now I know that some people at least can grow and cherish it so others will have the option of trying it, one hopes.

As for me, I am trying (and have been trying for years) to grow another Austin rarity, "The Nun", which I thought would look nice next to my beloved Golden Wings. But so far, the one I've managed to keep growing for four years (I mostly don't spray) hasn't bloomed for me. It's alive and wants to live, though (touch wood -- this winter!) I probably have too many other plants crammed into my tiny postage stamp.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Nun another Austin rarity

Is this rose equally bad grafted and own root?

Some people really love Grey Pearl but insist it can only be grown grafted.

I find it interesting that I've seen her growing at two public gardens in New Hampshire, looking pretty darned good. There's a nursery nearby that specializes in hardy plants who has her listed for 2104. So, does she prefer the cold?

I've had my Fair Bianca about 6 years now. She does quite well. The only problem I have is that she gets thrips which ruin the first flush. I had a bunch of late fall buds on her (and many of my roses) but they were zapped by an early frost. This winter has been brutal.

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Hello all! I have grown Fair Bianca for many years now and I love her especially for her licorice fragrance. She seems to perform well for me. I was surprised by her size after I had planted it in a row with Othello, Mary Rose, Graham Thomas, and Heritage. I moved her into a different bed where she fit much better.

Perhaps grafted on fortuniana? Huey was bad, own-root was hopeless.

My FAIR BIANCA was purchased as a container grown plant on sale for next to nothing from a local hardware store. The rose is grafted on Dr. Huey and is planted in the very front of a flower bed. The foliage gets regularly sprayed for black spot. Pruning has been strictly limited to the removal of dead wood and the occasional bloom for the vase. Otherwise I leave her be. She bloomed profusely this spring and has set new buds. As for vigor she is better than THE PRINCE growing next to her. A very beautiful and reliable little rose.

I had her years ago, in the ground, and on her own roots. One day, I want to grow her again, perhaps budded, and in a container.

Her blooms are, IMHO, immaculately beautiful.

I think she looks beautiful and I don't think I am deterred by the negative comments. I pretty much have the attitude that anything I plant in the ground or in a pot is going to grow the way it's supposed until of course it proves me wrong and doesn't lol. I'm not trying to be arrogant about my gardening skills because not everything I plant is not successful and I am far from being an expert, just very optimistic :). I hope I have the chance to see how I would fair with Fair Bianca one day.

Another "phooey" from over here. I grow and love the petite Austins 'Pretty Jessica' and 'Prospero', but they are vigorous and free blooming compared to 'Fair Bianca' in my garden. Mine was on Dr. Huey.

Also, a group of FB planted in a public garden and not sprayed froze out in their first zone 7 winter, having been weakened by defoliation from blackspot.

'Bolero'
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Sad news for my Bianca. She lost two of her best canes and I couldn't stop the dieback. Down to two smaller canes. This is my best bed. I don't know if she's going to make it. For 5 years she was great but 3 of those she lived in a pot growing on her own roots ( she was rescued from another bed ) If I lose this plant I'm trying another grafted one in a pot.

My FB is down to one cane too. However, she still blooms. I won a blue ribbon with one bloom at the Greater Atlanta Show this year.

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It isn't the first time she died back and then grew new basals. I am going to try some fish and kelp and see if she will make some. If she is still 2 canes by the end of summer then she goes back into a pot again. She liked the pampered potted life.

Update, I am taking out 'The Nun', it has been producing blooms now, but the bush has just gotten too big and gangly for its space and is crowding out other plants, specifically Excellenz von Schubert, which I just love. I will plant it up and try to give it away.

I have just bought Fair Bianca and I am not sure what to think now. My daughter , a florist uses the blooms in wedding bouquets and the romance of that inspired me. I think I will put it in a container on my terrace after reading the comments.

I accidentally "liked" my own comment, having forgotten I had written it. Can't unlike. I have to move 'The Nun' because it seems to need more room than I can provide, other roses having grown too big. Sigh.

@Ann9BNCalif

Where did you buy your plant from? I had two many years ago and miss them so much and I am looking to replace them but can't find them anywhere. I am in the San Francisco bay area.

Hi - I got mine from Hortico several years ago. I just saw it listed from Peter Schneider under the Custom Propagation section.

http://www.combinedroselist.com/freedom-gardens.html

I know that Palatine Roses in Canada offered Fair Bianca a few weeks ago when it had a special sale of discontinued David Austin roses. You might contact them to find out when their next sale is. I believe their FB is grafted on multiflora rootstock which does well for me in 9b.

Ann

I got one last year from Roses Unlimited. It's very pretty and smells great.

Thank you so much for the information, @Ann9BNCalif and @User. I have contacted both the leads that you provided. I hope they continue to breed this rare gem. Do you plant yours in full sun? I wish I can get a hold of a couple of these cuttings. @Ann9BNCalif what are those blue roses that you pared them with. They go nicely. I have two spots for these next to my hidcote lavender plants.

My Fair Bianca gets morning sun and afternoon shade. The lavender roses planted nearby are Fragrant Lavender Simplicity, a nice choice in terms of color but the growth habit is too tall for that spot.

Ann

I am looking for a Fair Bianca rose for my elderly mother. Hers died this last year and I tried to save it in spring but failed. It was extremely meaningful to her as she had sought it out for having her daughters name sake. If you know of anyone who can sell me the one please let me know. Ayendaliss@gmail.com

I got mine from Hortico. You could give them a call.

I see that Cattail Creek has Fair Bianca in a 3 gallon container, but it is crazy expensive. I have never ordered from them, but their website came up in a google search for Fair Bianca.