Munstead Wood beautiful rose great fragrance compact for some reason the blooms don't burn the way the prince does but the prince is beautiful in Spring & fall. I don't grow tradescant so I can't speak about it.

how is Munstead Wood about balling?

Vissara, I can't speak to your climate zone, but here in zone 5, even with a fair amount of rain, I haven't had any balling with Munstead Wood or William Shakespeare 2000, two of my favorite Austin Reds.

I'm in 9/Sunset 16. Despite a wetter than usual spring, I saw no balling on Munstead Wood. It has become my favorite red Austin. I also like Prospero, a pretty rose and reasonably healthy, though not vigorous. The Prince does very well in some climates (mine) but poorly in others, according to reports I have seen on this forum over the years. I tried Tradescant once, briefly, but it died.

In my judgment, Munstead Wood is the finest of them all. Most of my favorite Austin roses were developed early in his career, or perhaps mid-career; but this one rose is proof positive that his breeding program is still vibrant and creative.

Rosefolly

Munstead Wood. I have a new bush this year and have been loving the dark, rich, wonderful flowers. It's a fantastic rose.

There are several pictures on my site, linked below.

I like The Prince too, but would take Munstead Wood any day. Same for WS2000. I've never grown Tradescant, or ever seen it in bloom.

Good luck!
robert

Here is a link that might be useful: Some pictures of Munstead Wood and other roses from my garden this year

Blendguy, your pics are amazing...

Rosefolly, I've seen the Prince in some display gardens here and it seems to do well without becoming an out of control monster, which can be an issue Austins tend to get MUCH larger here than the catalog says they will.
Also good to know that Tradescant went belly up on you lord knows I don't need to commit to another rose I cant keep alice (RIP Sterling SIlver lol)

Blendguy - what stunning pictures! My two very favorite Austins this year are Munstead Wood and Princess Alexandra of Kent - both fairly new and both outstanding!

The Prince is a winner for me, lovely blooms, and it repeats well. In the autumn the blooms can look even more velvety. It does have a compact growth habit. It has a strong fragrance.

This pic shows The Prince as a young plant, as a mature plant the growth habit is similar.

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Tradescant is a lovely rose as well, very elegant.

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I have The Prince and Munstead Wood. The Prince is several years old and has gotten on the tall side, about 6 ft. The flowers will burn in our high heat if they are not under some shading leaves. Best flower quality is in spring and fall.

This is the second year for my Munstead Woods. One plant sees a little more shade than the other one. The one seeing more shade has sent up a long cane with flower buds on the ends. It is about 6 ft tall also. The other one is running about 4 ft tall, but I am going to keep my eye on it. The flowers are wonderful, but they don't last in the heat, not that any of the other roses last very long for that matter. I have several of the Austin reds, and Munstead Wood is a good one. Below is a picture of what mine looked like this past spring.

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Rosefolly, STRICTLY from my own experience here, Prospero needs some time to mature. It also resents pruning, in the way you'd expect from a Pernetiana -- which it is, in part.

It struggled here for years until we stopped pruning it, and switched to "bend and snap" deadheading. Then it took off like a shot.
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The Prince has never been wonderful here. Maybe he wants some winter. His blooms tolerate neither foggy conditions or hot East winds, so you rarely get much of note from him.

Tradescant produced lovely blooms, but the plant we had suckered so badly that all the energy went into Dr. Huey, and it is long-gone. It WAS disease-resistant, on the part of it that was Tradescant.

The Dark Lady isn't quick to mature on its own roots, but I think my two little plants are going to be fine. It's a generous bloomer.
The first two DLs we had were incredibly virused -- I think the only plants we've ever removed for that reason. They came from Heirloom, whose mother plant came directly from Austin in England, which doesn't bode well for ANY of this cultivar being virus-free. But the two I have now are growing well, so I'm not going to worry about it.
I do wonder, tho, how it would grow if it weren't virused.

Jeri

Jeri, I have had my Prospero for about ten years, though I did move it about six years ago. Moving a rose can be thought of as a kind of reset button, but still it has had time to mature. I do prune it. It has a fair amount of twiggy dieback, and I prune to clean wood a couple of times a year. I don't think I prune it hard; it has never grown large enough to call for hard pruning. I will be careful though to go as lightly as possible on it, based on your advice. I have never been especially attracted to the Pernetianas, and don't have any experience growing them. I did not know Prospero had that strain in its ancestry.

Rosefolly

I wouldn't give up on Tradescant too quickly. It seems like a survivor here in less than ideal spots. Rebloom is good. What a gorgeous color it has! Burns a bit in too much sun.

The Prince is a nice plant here, shrubby, compact, and sturdy with good rebloom. Can be very purple.

Prospero is fairly new to me but this year is a fantastic bloomer and has decent health.

L.D. Braithwaite is compact and blooms a lot but I am not crazy about the color, which is a light bright red. A group of them can be stunning though. I plan on getting Munstead Wood. My Tess of the d'Urbervilles is very new to me, but it blooms a lot and is a pretty color. The Dark Lady is a slow grower here but does well in a nearby friend's garden.
Othello might be my favorite but it is not compact.

Robert, what gorgeous photos of your Austins. I was happy to see The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild, the only rose I grow of the ones you've shown. I love the rich lilac pink and can't wait for my baby plant to start blooming.

Ingrid

Of the three you mentioned I have grown The Prince and Tradescant. The Prince never grew well as a plant and Tradescant is the best red Austin I have grown. I am very drawn to Munstead Wood and will probably add it down the road.

You might also consider Braveheart, a non-Austin English style rose. It is actually half Austin in pedigree. It is not as dark as Tradescant (I would call it a true red) but is a prolific bloomer and very healthy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Braveheart

I've actually seen Braveheart, but it's a little too hot a red for me. I agree it's a lovely rose, however

I have a four year old William Shakespeare, which is the only Austin left standing after decimation by gophers (now we plant in baskets). It is deep velvety red, blooms profusely and the blooms last a long time. Fragrant. I wish I had more.

My favorite red austin is The Squier but it may get too big for you. Needs some spraying for BS but it seems most Austins do anyway.

I tried for several years to like The Dark Lady but in the heat of summer it's a rather ugly magenta. It's also a BS magnet.

Robert, Your photos are gorgeous!

Bustopher, I know I'm in a colder zone but, what are your feelings on winter hardiness of Munstead Wood and The Prince?

Thanks,
Kitty

I was hoping someone would mention Darcy Bussell. I just bought this one a few weeks ago, and have only seen one bloom (which was very pretty and had good fragrance), but I'd love to hear more about Darcy -- what sort of growth it puts on in our mild west coast, how healthy it is, and so on.

I bought it as a substitute for 'the Prince' which I have had for a number of years. I LOVE the flower, and it has fragrance to die for, but struggle with how to find the perfect spot for it where its blooms don't burn out in too much sun, and I'd also wish for a prettier shrub.

Kitty, with respect to winter-hardiness of Munstead Wood and The Prince, I would guess that they would be fairly sturdy. If a rose is in reasonably healthy condition, hardened off (as in unfed/no nitrogen fertilizer after Aug. 15, here), and allowed to set hips as in stopping blooming, it should go through winter if properly protected without too many problems. Even my most troublesome varieties show healthy green canes in February. Our problem here is the late winter to early spring transition in March and April with the multiple freeze and thaw cycles. When unseasonable warm weather causes the plant to come out of dormancy which causes the sap to start flowing which in turn activates the growth cycle, the damage potential is set up. I have noticed that many of my Austin roses are less susceptible to the freeze-thaw damage than many of my other ones. They aren't immune, but they hang in there usually quite well.

I grow the Prince and like it a lot. It lives still in a container, but it seems to be one of the smaller, more upright Austins. In our wet spring it got a little bit of powdery mildew, but not too bad. The blooms are the darkest ones in my garden (the buds start almost out black) and are totally adorable. I don't want to be without this Austin! Oh I forgot, it needs to be protected from the hottest afternoon sun, but if this is a given the blooms don't fry for me!

Robert your pictures are absolutely stunning!

Sooner or later I need to order Munstead Wood. I think with this rose David Austin proved again that he is a first class rose breeder!

Christina

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Garden Dreams

I just saw Darcy Bussell at Otto and Sons nursery in Fillmore, and it looked fantastic: numerous blooms, no burning, good foliage and nice shape. It was one of the few Austins that looked good. I think you made a wise choice, echolane.
I have two Munstead Woods that I just bought bare-root in June, and they have survived despite my best efforts to kill them. One bloomed, and the flower was exactly what I was expecting- magenta on the outside when it was in bud, dark red when full blown.
Renee

Thank you, Bustopher. That sounds encouraging. I have the Prince but, I've buried the whole plant every winter. I will try less extensive winter protection this year and see how it goes. I'd like to try Munstead Wood too. My Mary roses came through the winter with little to no damage and I gave them zero protection. Although, apparently they are hardier than many of the other Austins. Anyway, thank you for your help.
Kitty

Vissara,
Did you decide?
I'm in Florida's zone 9a. I don't pamper my roses. I only add compost, composted manure, and mulch. They only get "chemical" fertilizer if they steal some from the marigolds. And I have not heretofore commented on them in these forums because of their youth (less than or equal to 3 years). All are own root with the exception of Ebb Tide and Don Juan. The latter was intended as a gift for a friend who notified me she was moving before I gave it and so it ended up with me. With that background information I would like to tell you about my Tradescant. I wish I had documentary evidence to share. Unfortunately Florida weather limits good photographic opportunities and I probably forgot to pic it when opportunity presented itself. Tradescant has been and continues to be an exciting adventure. First year blooms were a ratty red, shabby, and nearly single. Second year blooms were semi double and still an unremarkable red. The Spring flush this year completely covered/obscured the foliage and was a semi double fire engine red. The neighbor on that side who is normally very quiet and had never commented on any of my flowers lost all control admiring it. It is too soon for the autumn flush, but it produced one teaser blossom last week of an incredibly double fully reflexed medium blue red that left me weak. This was also the first bloom to produce fragrance even though I had to be nosy to find it. It has been the most vigorous, disease resistant, and generally happiest rose I grow. In accordance with the Austin recommendations, it gets afternoon shade. It's growth is, for lack of a better image, like a sprawling dwarf climber. Its growth and vigor have garnered my pet name for it - 'Wild Thing' and the lyrics work. I'd been thinking of suggesting it to Jeri because her photos seem to reveal adequate landscape space to allow her roses to do as they please. I was saddened to read that she didn't try it own root. Even with my very limited space, I'm trying to prune it as little as possible and instead allowing the new growth to get long enough while yet tender enough to be entwined with older growth. So far so good for about a 3ft deep by 5ft spread. Obviously I cannot predict its future performance, but I have great expectations (thank you Dickens) that it will just get better and better.
I share this with you because I buy roses almost exclusively with "compact" growth habits due to space constraints as well as appropriate sizing for mixed border use. I'm glad I made an exception for Tradescant. Similarly, I'm prejudiced for doubles and against singles but I'm planting a single which I hope like Tradescant will be exceptional proof.

I hadn't decided for sure yet, I am assembling my 2012 list now, I think I may go with both Tradescant and The Prince

If you care about disease resistance, then I would avoid both Tradescant and The Prince (at least in this climate). They both were runty and blackspot prone and eventually died.

I am having good success growing both Munstead Woods and WS2000 no-spray. Also Prospero, but that one is runty. I would say Munstead Woods is my favorite red Austin.

I am currently also growing Darcey Bussell, but this one suffers from blackspot and defoliation and may be leaving my garden soon...

Like lori elf, I had problems with blackspot with The Prince (haven't grown Tradescant). But even with the wet spring and humid summer this year, Munstead Wood and William Shakespeare 2000 are really clean. Munstead Wood stays more compact than WS - both have a wonderful fragrance, and both are good about re-bloom, Munstead Wood even better than WS.

You guys have definitely convinced me on Munstead Wood. Absolutely gorgeous! How does the color compare to Young Lycidas? I've only seen the roses in pictures, and sometimes they both look dark purple. I'm hoping Munstead Wood is more on the red side and Young Lycidas on the magenta/purple side. Wanting to add both to my garden in the spring. :)

Munstead Wood is considered the best of the newer red Austins over here as well, in Sweden. I am getting one in spring and hope it will look well with my blander pink roses and not grow too tall.

Just for the record, in case anyone is interested in Braveheart (mentioned above), it is not that red red in the garden. That link shows it nearly what I'd call a "hot" red--that's the camera causing it to look that way. In reality, Braveheart is a deeper, darker red. What it doesn't do is turn real purple as it ages. It pretty much stays a deep red.

Kate

What do you think the best Austin is for a normal red that doesn't turn to a dark purple or pink? (If there is one). I would love to have an Austin that has the typical old rose look while having a color that matches my Chrysler Imperial.

ocbrian--that is why I bought Braveheart about 6 years ago. Couldn't find an Austin red that doesn't turn purple or pink at times. Being half-Austin, Braveheart possesses many of the austin traits, but it stays red--and matches my Chrysler Imperial. Actually, now that I think of it, Chrysler Imperial can get just a bit pinkish red in the middle of a HOT summer. But Braveheart stays deep red even then.

This is the only picture in which I got Braveheart and Chrysler Imperial both showing. You can barely see Braveheart on the left down by the curve in the path; go to the end of that path, on the right side--that is Chrysler Imperial.
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Hope that helps.

Kate

Thanks Kate, I forgot how my Imperial does change to pink toward the end of the flower life. I will have to check out Braveheart then, thanks. Great picture btw.

If anyone is looking for a true bright modern red Austin, that would be L. D. Braithwaite.

michaelg beat me to it lol - braithwaite every time for a true red with a nice formal flower shape.

Of the Austin reds I've grown THE PRINCE, TRADESCANT, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, and WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 2000.

THE PRINCE (grafted on Dr. Huey) has at times been an aggravating rose but I continue to grow it because of the gorgeous blooms. It is the most "purple" of the roses on my list. The flower form is sheer perfection and the fragrance is very strong and consistent. Good strong stems too, which hold the sumptuous blossoms bolt upright. At their best the color is a true shade of imperial purple that must be seen to believed. This is why I put up with the rose. Now the negative. The upright bush is unattractive and on the short side; i.e. the large flowers look downright weird shooting off such a skinny looking plant. The foliage is also prone to black spot. I have it planted next to Fair Bianca, another runty English Rose that I grow strictly for cut flowers.

TRADESCANT lacked vigor growing on its own roots in my garden, but I have seen specimens that were AMAZING: tall, gracefully arching shrubs covered with intensely fragrant dark velvety red quartered rosettes tinged a true coal-black. I want to try it again in a different garden location.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (own root) was disappointing. It too lacked vigor and the remontancy (repeat bloom) was poor. I shovel pruned it.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 2000 (grafted on Dr. Huey) is a very beautiful rose that has given me years of pleasure. It is an improvement on the original WS in every way. I rate this rose high on several things. First the sumptuous flowers are perfectly formed like crushed red velvet pincushions. Never is there a petal out of placement. I'm not kidding here, this rose rivals the classic Gallica CHARLES DE MILLS for consistent symmetrical Old Garden Rose flower form. Fragrance, which varies from moderate to strong is very complex and sweet (believe it or not Tradescant's fragrance is stronger but I like WS2000's perfume better because it isn't as "harsh"; if you've ever grown the Hybrid Tea FRAGRANT CLOUD then you'll know what I'm writing about - some roses are TOO fragrant). The color is crimson red at first then "purples" to a lovely burgundy that I just love. The growth habit is also a winner. I lot of rosarians complain about the spreading growth habit, but I like it because it resembles the growth habit of once blooming Gallicas which look better in a cottage garden design than the upright growth habit of many modern roses. In fact, I consider WS2000 a repeat blooming Gallica, but also one that doesn't sucker. Speaking of repeat bloom, as long as you keep him well fed WS2000 pumps out blossoms all season long (IMHO it is one of the better repeaters among all the English Roses). David Austin places it with his "Old Rose Hybrids" and I completely agree on his designation. Fabulous rose.

Given all the rave reviews I'm very interested in trying MUNSTEAD WOODS. In particular I'd like to see how it does own root next to WS2000.

Folly, HONESTLY -- every few years, we remove any dead growth. We do "bend and snap" deadheading.

Treated in that manner, budded Prospero plants are almost never out of bloom, and have no disease problems.

You have to think of it as a China.
What it REALLY is -- is something of a Pernetiana. In a warmer climate, maybe it tolerates pruning, but we were going to dig it up and toss it, it was so bad.

It simply thrives on BEING LEFT ALONE.

Jeri

Jeri, what makes you think 'Prospero' is a Pernetiana? I've been on HMF looking up the ancestry of roses I ordered (ok, a little obsessive until Spring....), and I don't see anything related to the Pernetianas. Is there something DA didn't report? Is there something missing on the HMF ancestry? I am confused....please educate me.

:-/

~Christopher

One of Prospero's parents is Chateau de Clos Vougeot, which is more or less out of the Pernet stable.

One of the early lessons we learned here was that nothing in that family group would tolerate much pruning in our cool, humid climate.

Jeri

Ah, I understand. I was thinking that "Pernetiana" equaled "bred from R. foetida" while you're saying it merely refers to being bred by Pernet. Thanks for the clarification.

:-)

~Christopher

Well, given Pernet, and the fact that the parentage isn't recorded, who knows what's behind Vougeot?

Jeri

@Rosefolly and @Jerijenn... I love to read your advice since we are in the same zone. I am 9-10 Zone. I grow all three of the roses. I LOVE ALL THREE. If there were one rose I could NOT do without it would be Tradescant. My Tradescant came from Regans Nursery in 2002. It blooms and blooms (on into December). I am NO Spray. It is leggy and stiff caned, and the leaves really get beat up, but those blooms!!! I love bouquets and they make such fine bouquets. The next rose I could not live without is William Shakespeare 2000. Again it is all about the blooms for me. It is a vigorous, large plant and I prune it mercilessly. My Munstead Wood is almost 2 and has gorgeous blooms. I love it, but it is small. Thanks for telling me about Prospero. I need a new deep magenta rose. Any suggestions? It has to be Highly disease resistant... HEALTHY!

I recently planted Tradescant and Darcey Bussell. Tradescant got rave reviews from our newsletter editor who grows 900+ roses, and DB got raves from a Sarasota rosarian for his heavy summer blooming, that's Florida humid heat. That's why I got them. And there's no shade in their gardens. Can't wait for the flowers.

Munstead Wood is sounding very tempting.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

@Sherryocala... Hi and Thanks! That makes me feel good, because I ordered Darcey Bussell this morning from David Austin. BTW, I found an online coupon from retailmenot.com for 10% off my purchase! I think the coupon code was something like MK11. Check the retailmenot website to make sure. Great to hear someone else loves Tradescant like I do. I have around 200 roses. Munstead Wood is small but has beautiful blooms too. XOXOX