Thank you for detail. It seems Shropshire Lad, Leander and William Morris is poor reblooming rose that why I am not seeing much picture of them. I think Abraham Darby is the best one to choose. So is your Abraham Darby having strong fruity scent?

I have a new William Morris (Well, he has been here for 2 summers and I am going to have to move him because he wants a whole fence to run along. He has also had lots of fragrant peachy pink roses, smaller then Abe but with a nice fragrance. My first Abe was a flower machine, but I had to move and I have not been nearly as happy with him in our new place. I get some nice roses but they do not last long. However, I will keep it because the fragrance is so wonderful! My first one was one of a set of

Austins I got from Wayside about 1991. I think that was my first purchase from them. That rose grew up to 6 feet then climbed up into a crab apple tree with blossoms that would make you weep with joy! I tried own root at my new place and it has not exceeded 6 feet and has never put a show on like the old one. THis past year I orderd a grafted one from David Austin Roses, and have planted it along side the other in the hopes that it will like growing up the trellis more like the first one I had. Voles ate the roots off of my Shropshire Lad and I now have it rerooted in a pot so will need to find a better site for it. I Am looking forward to seeing the blooms. I have not tried Leander.

William Morris has much nicer foliage at my house then Abraham Darby has. I am glad I have both of them but maybe I should move Abe to a more private area...a "sniffing garden?"

Nattaporn-
My Abe Darby has a VERY strong, VERY fruity scent. Mostly quite good but sometimes a memory of spoilt melon. The first time i smelled it i was suprised that a rose could smell so fruity. He is growing on me.

Have you seen Catus_joe pics of A Shropshire Lad? Looks really impressive. I've got this rose recently. It repeats well. An early bloomer for me. Originally started off with a few buds (5 I think), then it took a break for about 2 weeks, and now it's repeating with about 10 + buds! Also a fast grower. I've potted this rose in September (I think) in a 45cm pot and now, looks like I'll have to buy a much BIGGER pot.
David Austin trained this rose (ASL) as a climber. Take a look at the DA website.
Has this rose fragrance - very strong - depending on the condition, the scent tends to waft.

I haven't tried growing AD. I agree with you that the colours look the same. Since I've already got ASL I don't think I'll be getting AD. But AD is a very popular rose. If you take a look at Helpmefind rose, it's rated highly for its fragrance.

So Liza is William Morris much more cup shape than Abraham Darby? Yes! Jimmy the first time that I have saw Shropshire Lad I think she look pretty than Abraham Darby. I think I should try to grow too.

I used to study art in England about five or six year I love roses but never interesting much since I was young. After I am back to my country I just start to fancy English rose for about 3 year ago. When I think it back is so funny for now I would like to visit David Austin Roses nursery and Chelsea Flower show very much. And I hope one day I will be there.
So have anyone use to go to David Austin Roses nursery? Please tell me about how beautiful of roses there. I think on July England is the best time for roses. I used to live nearby Regent Park in London and one part side of Regent Park call Queen Mary garden are surrounded with many kind of beautiful roses extremely fragrances too. I very love this garden is so wonderful to have roses garden in the city. If you are going to London on summer donÂt forget to visit Regent Park garden.

nattaporn

This year in England the roses were early, before mid-June.
I am going to London at the end of next week. We are traveling with a friend who will be staying near Regent's Park with his friends while we will be staying on Sandwich Street. No roses! But we'll have fun.

I think the you I would say yes, to Wiliam Morris being more cup shaped. It has been 2 months since I have seen most of my roses in bloom(I spent a 3 week holiday in Europe in October) but the flowers are smaller, last longer and the bush is healthier.

I have heard Abraham Darby described as smelling like Pink Grapefruit and I agree with that description.

It was nearly 20 years ago that we lived in ENgland for a year, but we did visit most of the famous gardens...never got to Austins though and was just beginning to hear about him...Sure would love to go now! I think most of our garden viewing was done over spring holidays with our 2 youngest kids in tow. Hubby would go off to look at the houses, and the kids and I would head for the gardens where they could play hide and seek and I could wander at my leisure. I got lots of gardening ideas there and came home and started rearranging my whole yard!

Nattaporn, I think Abraham Darby is a parent for William Morris and A Shropshire lad, thus why they are so similar.

How hot does it get there? I have read that a lot of austins do not do well in the heat so I have to be careful which ones I order.

Liza I love cup shape rose a lot. So is your William Morris good reblooming?
I used to smell Abraham Darby here is like spicy fruity lemon but not very strong as I aspect.

You do have such a very happy time in England. Make me remember my first high school there stay up on the hill at Kent very old school about 170 -180 year ago I think it like Harry Potter movie. When I had first arrived there on autumn very scary place for me window in my bedroom like in the chapel but after freezing winter and turn to spring and summer I have seen many of daffodils is blooming oh! Yellow and white everywhere follow by blue bell, butter cup, daisy many kind of bulb, roses, tulip, wisteria, peony and a lot of cherry blossom. I feel like living in Victorian garden. I became loving flowers after that.

Hi! Sunnishine

Temperature here summer about 28c  38c and winter 20c- 30c. I have quite many David Austin roses here and my last order I had order 2 bare root of Brother Cadfael.
Because I very like peony but here cannot grow them that why I always looking for the rose shape like peony. Brother Cadfael is quite good repeating here but flower cannot stand on the heat always get burn then I move it near mango tree is well now. Austin roses doing well here are Jude the Obscure, Falstaff, Golden Celebration, Claire Rose, Crown Princess Margareta, Heritage, Geoff Hamilton, Charles Darwin, Jayne Austin and also Abraham Darby but Eglantyne, St Cecilia, The Pilgrim, Heather Austin and Spirit of Freedom not doing well in heat here.

Nattaporn

All these descriptions of Austins make me want to swoon for pictures!! :)

I would like to send my Austin roses picture as well but I am still waiting for new season here with good picture for full blooming of roses. I hope next month will be the best time for rose here.

Nattaporn

Wow.. you have most of my roses. I've got:
Heritage
Falstaff
Jude the Obscure.

I also have:
-Sharifa Asma
-A Shropshire Lad.

Next year I'll be adding:
- Comtes De Champagne
- Gertrude Jekyll
- William shakesphere 2000
- and 2 new releases whatever they are for 2008.

I forgot to ask about Scepter'd Isle, Radio Times, Alnwick Castle and Wisley.
Are they also good and fast reblooming? So if I plant them here do you think their color is will be too pale or pinker? Which one is your favorite strongest scent?
nattaporn

There's a thread posted by Cupshaped_rose on Wisley. It's a shame he got rid of the photos. The photos of Wisley look nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cupshaped_rose review on Wisley

Jimmy! I also like Sharifa Asma but do you think it will work in my hot climate?
Is Sharifa Asma scent strong or not? I have just order Gertrude Jekyll this year and still waiting for them to come and I just knew about Gertrude Jekyll is not good rebloom in hot climate is that true? So I will order Princess Alexandra of Kent and Claire Austin for 2008. I think they are very charming roses that have ever see.
I want to smell Claire Austin they said is like vanilla. Wisley look pretty pink cup shape too.
nattaporn

Sharifa Asma does have a very strong, sweet scent.

I love the fragrance of The Alnwick Rose. It has a wonderful fragrance, strong, sweet and fruity.

Can someone here please tell me your experience with the Alnwick rose?

I was thinking of getting this rose, because the catalogues says its a beautiful rose.

I see a lot of talk about Heritage, Sharifa Asma etc. But hardly anyone mentioned anything about this pink Alnwick rose.

Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Jumbojimmy, The Alnwick Rose is relatively new to my garden, (planted last spring), so I don't have much info on it.

I love the apricot pink color to the blooms. It looks wonderful with the lavender toned pink roses. The blooms are very charming.

The fragrance is outstanding.

Definitely a thumbs up for the quality of the bloom.

Here's a pic of Alwick. Alnwick is the rose in front.

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Krista - thanks for the pic. That's interesting. I mean, according to helpmefind rose, it says "a rich pink rose". I thought that means a darker/medium pink rose.

The colour of your Alnwick rose looks very similar to Heritage and Sharifa Asma. What's that darker pink rose to your right? It looks good, and that's the colour I'm after.

Jumbojimmy, the darker pink rose is Mme Souveton, a Damask Perpetual.

It's a rare rose; Gertrude Jekyll has similar color in a more readily available rose.

Nattaporn, Sharifa Asma is one of my most fragrant roses with many, many blooms. I love this rose. Not cupped though, like Brother Cadfael. But a smaller rose, Pretty Jessica is also both cupped and very fragrant and abundance of blooms. Clear medium pink colour.
Trust me on the fragrance of these two - Very Fragrant! :) Also both these Austin roses are upright which is another reason why they are such good all rounders.

Sharifa Asma
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Pretty Jessica
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I hope I am enabling you into believing that you cannot live without these roses. teehee!!

Pauline - Vancouver Island

wow! that's a gorgeous Sharifa Asma you've got there. I wish mine was as healthy as yours.

I've received a dud. Hopefully she survives, because SA is really a beautiful rose. I'm not good at describing the scent - but the scent is much stronger than Heritage. The blooms are much bigger and "woman-ly" than Heritage. Both of them are like siblings, with Sharifa Asma being the eldest, and Heritage being the youngest.

Also, the flowers last longer than Heritage and JtO. Maybe 1-2 days more depending on the condition.

If mine fails, I'll replace it next year - I'll probably get 2 more and use them as cuttings for my study room.

Your Alnwick Rose is look pretty peachy pink but I saw on David Austin catalog color is salmon pink and soft to pale pink on HMF maybe it depend on climate.
I plan to order Alnwick Rose for next year but I cannot imagine what color will be in my hot climate. I think Alnwick Rose not look pretty if pale pink rose but they have very pretty cup shape. Do you think which color of Alnwick Rose will be in my climate?

Sharifa Asma very charming prefect soft pink I will put one more on my list for next year. Actually this year I plan to order Pretty Jessica but when I ask to order they said Pretty Jessica not for sale in this season so I have to wait for next year. I love your Pretty Jessica a lot she very beautiful pink nice cup shape. Is she good and fast reblooming and strong scent rose?

nattaporn

Nattaporn, many of the light pink Austin roses can have their color fade in hot, sunny weather.

The color of Alnwick at the Austin site is not accurate IMHO. It's paler than their pic.

Sharifa Asma can fade, and I suspect that Alnwick might look paler pink than my pic shows, in your climate.

I donÂt know why St Cecilia is very pink color here but Claire Rose is pale pink?

nattaporn

Here's a pic of Alnwick in August, when the weather is cooler. (The first pic I posted is from June.)

The color here does more resemble the Austin site pic.

But the bloom can fade in the earlier, hotter summer weather.

I think Claire Rose is a light pink.

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Hi krista

I love this pretty pink tone very much. I think Alnwick Rose form and petal look like water lily. Color will be very light pink here. So thank you for your beautiful picture.

I don't see the photos by cupshaped either.

A. Darby has wonderful fruity smell and it is a good bloomer. However, it does ball a lot in humid climate so you should be prepared to spray the buds of this rose regularly with some kind of calcium solution.

Finally I decided to order A Shropshire Lad and Abraham Darby for this year. Thank you very much for every detail.

Rose's lover
nattaporn

Can someone tell me about James Galway is he good repeating and strong scent or not?

nattaporn

I have MANY David Austin Roses in my Texas Zone of 8B and they do wonderful..don't know why they wouldn't in hotter zones?!?!..I concur that "Sharifa Asma" has a VERY STRONG SCENT to her (I have two of her)...Abraham Darby is scented as well but not as strong smelling as SA ( as a matter of fact Abraham Darby is being treated like a climber here..he is 8 feet tall!)..One thing about David Austin Roses in warmer zones is they get much taller and wider than what his website says...Jeanne

@nattaporn did you end up getting A Shropshire Lad? Did you like it?