Hello Heather,

I just ordered James L. Austin after being told by Marlorena that if I liked my Princess Anne, I would LOVE James. I hope you get some answers from people like Marlorena as James just became available in the US there won’t be many here who have mature plants. I did notice princess Anne is rated to zone 4 at the David Austin website while James is only zone 5.

I also hope to hear from those who grow James. When I received my new Austin catalog I noticed the similarity between the 2 roses and would enjoy hearing a comparison of them. Are the blooms larger on James? Any color difference? Size of plant, frequency of blooms, etc.

I also want to add that the new Austin catalog is VERY beautiful...they have changed the format quite a bit from other years, and it is almost like a little book of information now.

I was going to plant Princess Anne and then the catalogue arrived with James Austin. I decided to wait on both of them to see which one was in any way superior to the other because they are both beautiful but they looked similar.

Anxious for reviews.

I don't know if this helps anybody out here, but I had both of these but no longer have Princess Anne... I found it defoliated after the first flush although that may have improved with age... and I didn't like the way the blooms faded to mauve and became rather messy looking.... Krista's pictures are very nice... mine are messier...

James fades too but seems to hold the blooms together better,, more gracefully... PA's foliage is rounded, James's is more elongated and I find it a healthier bush... thorny though...

Another plus for James was that it held up better in our long hot summer this year, 3 months of drought and 90's temps... it never dropped a leaf...

Thanks for the response Marlorena. I was waiting for you to chime in. Is James a "must have" or is it just ok in your eyes?

hcarnevale…. I'm going to reserve judgement on that as this will be year 3 for me coming up and you know what they say about that with Austins, so let me see on that one.. so maybe not a must-have at this stage... if I'm perfectly honest... but it does produce such lovely blooms, I just wish there were a few more, but it was a hellish summer for us this year, this rose would have known nothing like it since its birth and | thought it stood up to it better than most...

…. I prefer it to Princess Anne, but there is also Princess Alexandra of Kent which may be similar, but I don't know that one... I've seen some fine photos of it though..

Krista's photos are so beautiful that I'd be inclined to choose Princess Anne (just about my least favorite royal, right after the odious Princess Michael), but then I've never even heard of James L. Austin. Sometimes I wish they would quit churning out new roses for a while and let the dust settle. Of course that's not how you make more money, as I say with just a touch of sarcasm.

There will be another 3 along very shortly Ingrid... and yes I'm waiting to see them but I shall be quits after this bunch because I'm full, so I shall just have to enjoy what I've got... [as if...]

Princess Anne is one of my favorite David Austin roses. I have had my eye on James L Austin, awaiting the day it becomes available here. Why not select both?

I like Princess Anne's color and all but she does get blackspot here more than my other DA's and not great on the repeat. I don't know if I would replace her if I lost this one.

Just when I thought I would put Princess Anne on my PA rose list...blackspot prone... maybe not. I wonder how it would perform in SE WI?

I don't spray at all so maybe she would behave better for others.Just thought I would mention that lol.

I have PA, and have JA for delivery this spring. PA has been great in my garden. Also bought from a local nursery, loaded with blooms. It repeated surprisingly quick and fast, and was healthy. I do not spray for fungal diseases. I definitely stay small, well, at least last year. I will be shovel pruning Tamora and give that prime spot to PA. A little concerned about what Marlorena said about blackspot, but we will see.

hcarneval: Thank you for asking this question regarding Princess Anne vs. James L. Austin. I had exactly the same question. Do you have any updates? Which rose did you buy??? I live in Southern California about 6 miles from the coast, and wondering which one will do better for me. I’ve seen James L. Austin in person, but have not seen a blooming Princess Anne in person. I just bought a Princess Anne, and now I’m wondering if I made the right choice... or if I should have gotten James L. Austin. Here are some photos of the James L. Austin I recently saw a Rogers Gardens.

A few more pics of James L. Austin...

I’ve seen some really Gorgeous Photos of Princess Anne Rose from other gardeners on here... which is what inspired me to purchase Princess Anne. I’m really hoping my Princess Anne will be as beautiful as the photos I’ve seen other their Princess Anne’s. I just got mine... and there were no blooms on it... just a couple of flower buds.

Ann - stunning photos!!! I hope they do really well for you! :)

I'm hoping PA does well for you as it's such a gorgeous rose. @User, why are you SPing your Tamora? I'e always heard such great things about it and have long considered it.

I am thinking of moving the, slow to do a darn thing, Buxom Beauty into a pot and replace with Princess Anne but also kind of holding out for Gabriel Oak.

What's the verdict on Princess Ann vs. James L. Austin? I'm in the slow process of picking a new rose, both strong contenders for me.