I have ordered from DA in TX a number of times and have had no particular problems with any roses they sent me.

My understanding is that modern roses almost everywhere have a good chance of being virused unless the nursery has gone to extraordinary measures to get non-virused roses. And most nurseries have not done that--which means you're playing a game of roulette with most nurseries you order from.

I ordered again this year from DA in TX.

Kate

Kate,

I have seen pictures on this forum of your DAs, and oh my! If you order from DA Texas, then I am convinced!

Jill

I have a follow-up question, please. What are the differences in performance (vigor, health, etc.) of own-root versus grafted in the DAs? Anyone noticed one or the other performing better?

I've ordered from David Austin and haven't had any RMV. Love my LEH and Jude both!
The local nursery here gets their Austins from D. Austin, so sometimes it's all just the same.

lola-lemon: So good to know! I have place my order with DA and am eagerly anticipating my plants next month!

I had some other Austins previously, which I got from Pickering - Golden Celebration did not survive one season, Glamis Castle and Tradescant, which I gave plenty of opportunity to perform but each insisted on one cane per year, and Redoute, which was beautiful but blackspotted a bit. She died when I attempted to relocate her to a better location.

LEH and Jude are supposedly more disease resistant, stay manageable in size, and have wonderful fragrance. We are re-working our front beds into a "cottage" garden style (as opposed to a nothing-in-them style - LOL!), and these two will be anchors, along with a hydrangea, and my Zephie rose (the only Pickering to survive!).

I hope you enjoy your new roses. I love Jude, but he does get VERY large for some people. I don't mind this, but plan ahead for a big rose in your future. Diane

I had RMV show up in many of my DA grafted roses that I bought 2 years ago. In alkaline soil, some of the grafted roses perform better. William Shakespeare 2000 and Mary Rose both grew better in my soil grafted than own root for me. I bought own root WS 2000 as a band and grew it up to a nice 5 gallon size plant. In the ground, it started to decline so I decided to move it back to a pot with some azalea mix. Now it's recovering nicely. The grafted one never had any setbacks at all. So I think some of the DA own roots prefer acid soil.

Roses Unlimited seems to have both these roses listed, but you would have to call to determine whether or not they are in stock for spring. I am placing my first order with them this spring, and although I have no personal experience with them, they seem to be highly rated by other users.

I ordered my Lady Emma from Regan Nursery. They were very helpful and the roses arrived in good shape! They are sold out now...but maybe next year!

Do visit Roses Unlimited web site. They carry some great roses. I have several DA roses on their own root and they have grown and bloomed non stop for me. I just GREATLY amend their planting hole, 24"x24". My red GA clay turns into a solid block by summers end. Roses aren't to wild about trying to grow in that stuff.