Molineux:

Young Lycidas: (so frustratingly difficult to photograph; pics do it little justice but I wanted to share nonetheless)

Belle Story:

Princess Anne:

Wow! They look gorgeous! I’m loving your Molineux, and hope mine will grow up to look like yours. Nice Orlaya with Molineux:-) Your Wedgwood Rose is just stunning. Somehow, I’ve never paid it much attention before. It’s beautiful, and definitely my favorite color. I’ve wanted YL, but ran out of room. Yours doesn‘t even look floppy, like I hear YL is. They’re all just gorgeous, Jo.

Did your Orlaya self sow with wild abandon? Mine sure did. I pulled out about 20 plants yesterday, and there are still far too many! Lisa

Jo, your photos blow me away. I really like how you show bush shots and then closer-up pictures of the roses, and each one is magnificent. I don't think the Austins can ever get too much water; they just seem to revel in it. I'd love to see wider views of your garden; it must be gorgeous. Your Princess Anne showed up while I was typing, and that is almost my favorite one of all. The frilly flowers are just enchanting.

So gorgeous!! My favs are Strawberry Hill & of course, Belle Storey! BUT- yeah, all of them lol. I also have a hard time getting those dark red purpley pinks to photograph true.

And, finally, Princess Alexandra of Kent:

Thanks so much for looking.

Jo

I love the Austins, and your photos of them are wonderful. I can almost smell the fragrance.

Princess Alexandra of Kent is relatively new to my garden, planted two years ago. I love the sumptuous blooms and fragrance.

Lisa - thank you for your comments. Yes, the Orlaya self-seeds and is on the verge of getting to be invasive. But the white does such a good job of bringing different parts of the garden together that I don’t mind it - yet. What really is driving me crazy reseeding all over is Geranium Bill Wallis. There is such a thing as too much purple!

Ingrid - thank you. Your garden is so beautiful and serene; I am reluctant to show wide views of my garden as they would reveal how bad I am at garden design. But I may gather courage some day!

Sultry - I was thinking of you when posting pics of Belle Story! She really is gorgeous this year.

Jo

Oh my goodness! I was impressed with the first batch of pictures, and now there’s even more! I‘m enchanted with your Princess Ann. That geranium goes with her so well. Strawberry Hill is beyond beautiful. I love seeing SH trained along your fence. Every single one l like it belongs in the DA catalogue. They really are that perfect. Thanks for showing us how DA’s look at their best. Lisa

Krista - your Austins are amazingly beautiful. Your pics have been inspirational and the info you have shared over the years has been very helpful though we garden in different parts of the country.

Oh, Lisa - about Young Lycidas. He was floppy early on but thankfully outgrew that habit after a few years.

Jo

PAoK needs to be nicknamed Miss Cupcakes lol.

I agree with Lisa, you could advertise for DA some of your photos look better than theirs.

Thank you, Jo, for the kind words. The Austins are interesting roses to grow, and it's delightful to share photos and info. I enjoy the camaraderie of the Forum.

Jo, my mouth drop. Strawberry Hill looks beautiful across the fence, Princess Ann looks so stunning. Her colour is pink which I love and the companion plants with her brings the contrast.
Wedgwood rose looks out of this world. Love the way it blooms. So romantic with all those nods. WOW !!
Miss Cupcakes ( PAoK) , looks so yummy. oh, my goodness, I can't get enough of your blooms. So gorgeous. Jasmin, I love the name :)
Bella Story absolutely beautiful.
Jo, you have quite a collection of David Austin Roses. It sure looks better than their catalogs.
I bet it must be so fragrant in your garden and I am just going Wow here. Beautiful :)
jin

Jo, love all your roses. Every time you share pics of your garden is a feast for the eyes. Helen

Jo - your Austins are fabulous! I love your photos too! I have all the Austins you do but most of mine are two to three years in the ground and haven't grown nearly as much as your beautiful roses. I live near Napa and while the rain has stopped, the roses are still a couple of weeks behind. They aren't getting quite as much sun and warm temperatures that they need. On the positive side, I've had the fewest aphids, thrips, and other nasty insects. I haven't seen a single cucumber beetle so far and they love Belle Story's stamens. Most of my blooms aren't damaged at all which is great.

Ann

I'm showing these pictures to all my roses not just the Austin's. They obviously have a lot to learn over here. That is just an astounding display of beauty. It's like a birthday cake a New Years rolled into one. Just gorgeous. Don't be shy about posting any part of your garden. I think with the Roses like those the garden designs itself!

Jo, Austin roses must love your soil and garden! Wow, I have never seen so many blooms on each rose bush. Every bloom is perfect and the whole bush shots of them are just mind blowing. They are very happy and healthy roses. You did a wonderful job in caring for them. I also love the companion plants that you plant with some of your roses.

Sigh. So beautiful. I'm taken by Wedgewood Rose and Princess Alexandra of Kent, which are not in my garden. Maybe if a spot opens up.

Jo, no one here compares one garden to another; they each have their own beauty. This incredible display of blooms is wowing everyone here, and I don't have a single rose to compare to yours. It's truly exciting to see so many Austin roses, each one more beautiful than the one before it. I wouldn't know how to pick one favorite in this wonderful group.

Amazing! Wedgewood is new to me this year. How long have you had yours?

Do you mind sharing what you feed your roses and how often? Do you spray? Thanks.

OMG! I already covet Molineux, but now!? Oh my gosh! I simply MUST see this in person. Your roses must bring joy and loveliness to every one of your neighbors and people must drive down your street on their way to and from places, just for the pleasure of catching a glimpse and whiff of fragrance filling the air around your home!

This is very encouraging and inspiring for Austin rose lovers Jo! You also redefined impression of Strawberry Hill in my mind. All your roses are breathtaking. Having so many healthy mature Austin bushes is such a treasure! Happy for you!

I cannot get over Wedgewood!! Mine never did much . I must try again!! Your garden is stunning!!

Yes, stunning is the only word to come to mind right now - what a garden, Jo! Your Wedgwood is so pretty- I lost mine to RRD last year but hope to grow it again in the future. They all look so perfect. Well done!

What wonderful roses, Jo. Absolutely stupendous. I certainly haven't Ingrid's design skills, but I'm hoping to refine my garden fillers over the years and work toward the serenity we see in her photos. I love how some natural beauties can get better with age. Your garden is beautiful.

Thank you - I treasure everyone’s comments. I haven’t posted much these past few years but I am on the forums every night and know what great roses you grow.

Sultry - Miss Cupcakes is a great name for PAoK to describe the blooms! But PAoK no softie - thorny and a thug!!

Jin - you are so sweet and I always love to read your comments.

Helen - right back at you! Oh, how I envy you your James Galway!!

Ann - I have drooled over your Austin pics. You have so many! Yes, hasn’t this spring been amazing? Rain is so magical! My roses were late this year. The few days of warm weather we had last week jump-started them but I still have many that aren’t even showing color in their buds.

Vap - too funny. I should also show the bands that remain 6 inches tall 6 years later <sigh>.

Karen - most of the roses certainly love the weather here: cool summers, mild winters. But not my soil which is sandy and I have to amend heavily. I also have some of the roses in raised beds.

Noseometer - I know what you mean. I ran out of space a few years ago.

Ingrid - yes, everyone here is so supportive and I know that I won’t be judged too harshly even though I have no eye for color. A few years ago my then-new neighbor asked if she could see my backyard. I was delighted at her interest and invited her in. Her first comment was “Oh, it’s so messy”. Truly I wasn’t offended and instead analyzed what was making the garden appear chaotic and have been working to remedy things. I made mistakes like focusing only on plants and not defining paths and beds. My garden is in its 6th year and I feel it’s finally coming together but is not there yet.

Totoro - the roses I have shown are all at least 6 years old. Wedgwood is 7 or 8 and is grafted. It grows as a climber. I showed one part of it.

My feeding regimen is to give the roses a shot of liquid fertilizer when they are in peak bloom. I then feed them with chelated iron in July along with a balanced fertilizer - this is because nitrogen gets depleted quickly in my sandy soil. I feed once more in September if I feel like I need to do something or if the roses looked peaked. I don’t spray.

Kimberly - Molineux is my favorite Austin. It was my first Austin and for that reason alone would be special to me but it’s a workhorse- the first and last to bloom.

Zz - thank you. There’s always so much to learn and be inspired by on these forums.

Jen - I nearly gave up on Wedgwood. I am so glad I stuck with it. A good rebloomer and fantastic d resistance in my garden.

Dave - my heart cringes whenever I read that someone has lost a rose to RRD. So sorry to hear about your Wedgwood.

Sheila - I hope one day that my garden can be called serene! I used the word “chaotic” and my neighbor used “messy” to describe it so I have way to go!

Jo

They’re all just gorgeous Jo, love the way you separated each variety, an excellent way to display their individual beauty.

..just fabulous... even from this distance, one can learn so much from your photos.. I think they epitomise all that we love about these roses..

Glorious photography Jo.. Thanks for posting

Amazing blooms Jo! Thanks for sharing with us.

Wow, just wow!

There are not enough adjectives to express what I feel about your blooms. I tried to pick a favorite, but I could not. Your Belle Story bush is amazing. I am so jealous of your Strawberry Hill. I want that one so bad and I really can't find a place for anything that gets that big. Truly you have posted some gorgeous roses. WOW !

So how do you ever leave them and go inside? I wouldn't get anything done for a few weeks--just set up a table and chair outside and bask in their presence!

Jo, I keep going to your thread. I had a huge order of Austin's last year from Cool Roses and not even half came in when he came here.
I remembered Strawberry Hill was one of them.
I have some issues with some of my DA which was having BS issues now as second year, they are doing well. Great blooms, healthy leaves ( no spray so far).
Then , there is a group of DA which was opposite of the above paragraph. Did really well first year now they are showing tantrums ( terrible 2's) . Leaves are BS and what not. ( this are spray )
. My Molineux was doing great than it shrank in size almost a dwarf but finally it is growing a little. Thank goodness :)
I have only one good child that is Sophy's.
So, when I see your Austin's, it makes me happy. Your garden is beautiful and really enjoy DA roses. So, I am kinda studying my own roses before I buy more DA but I cannot resist their beauty or fragrance.
jin

That's so funny how you describe your roses ch.in

Thank you, Sara-Ann, Marlorena, Ingrida, Ben, Deborah, Suebelle, Subk3!

And, yes it’s so hard to leave for work. I wish one could take sick leave for Spring Fever!

Strawberry Hill would make a lovely pillared rose, taking up less space that way. Hint, hint, Suebelle :-). It is very thorny but the canes are very flexible.

Jin - I have had my share of disappointment with various Austins. I have found that grafted Austins do much better for me than own-root. I hope Molineux does well for you!

Here’s the first bloom on Lady Emma Hamilton (she always later than others: dead-last is always Royal Jubilee whose buds are just beginning to show some color) -

Jo

Truely fantastic roses you have! Love them all, they look amazing. I'm so jealous of the size of your plants & the number of blooms!

Jo, one more question. How do you prune your Austins? I assume you get minimal die back after winter, but do you prune them down anyway to shape the bushes or stimulate new growth? I am a bit of a minimalist pruner and I wonder if that is why my Austins don't get as many blooms (even as the bush gets larger) as other people on the forum seem to get. Or maybe it just my shady yard or fertilizing regimen. Thanks!

I have only just seen this, they are so beautiful! I absolutely love that Wedgewood Rose!

Hi Joe. I’m looking for some cuttings of Belle Story. Would you be interested in doing a cuttings exchange ? I have about 75 varieties to exchange

Thanks for the comments, HalloBlondie and Altorama!

Totoro - Yes, no winter die-back to deal with here. All the roses you see are at least 7 or 8 years old. All except Molineux are grafted. (Grafted Austins do much much better for me than own-roots, with a few exceptions). My practice generally is to prune minimally and I never touch young roses giving them a chance to grow how they want to and so I can understand their growth habits. With older roses, it depends. Every few years I will prune harder than usual - I did so this winter for Mary Rose as I felt she needed some rejuvenating. Princess Alexandra of Kent (I have two) are the only ones I prune really hard to control their size - down to 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide otherwise the pair would take over my small yard. I also summer-prune them hard - they still get over 5 feet tall and 10 feet wide <sigh>. I have never pruned Young Lycidas except a few years ago to remove some older twiggy growth. I wish I could be more helpful.

I find the Austins do really well their first year, slow down a bit for a few years and then seem to get going once they have settled in. They do like their water and in the drought years I diverted water from other plants so I could keep up with watering them and they got all the saved water from the kitchen.

Shade could certainly be a factor, Totoro. How many hours of sun do your roses get?

SoFl - would be very happy to share Belle Story cuttings provided she is off-patent and if state regulations allow plant material to be sent. Please PM me.

Jo

And bear with me. I can’t resist sharing a few mor pics (I have no friends who can understand the joy and excitement.)

Molineux

Lady Emma Hamilton

Belle Story

Princess Alexandra of Kent

Jo

Your additional photos are fantastic too! I love the saturated colours on your blooms. And I completely understand not having a friend locally that feels excitement about plants. Some of my friends think it's weird that I love my flowers this much! Or think I'm crazy to ask for potted roses & fertilizer for gifts instead of a spa day!

Jo, you can't possibly show too many pictures of your roses or garden. I love that tantalizing glimpse of your garden behind Belle Story. Of all the beautiful roses you've shown, I find that I'm most captivated by the unstudied charm of Belle Story who looks as though she could be part wild rose with those delicate petals that look wind-blown. It's such a treat to see so many of the Austin roses together, and yours are all so perfectly wonderful. Your garden could easily be featured in an Austin catalog.

Gorgeous! I planted Stawberry Hill this year and it already blooming for me.

Thanks for the pruning advice. I think it is a bit of trial and error. I think perhaps one way to go is minimal pruning until the cane does not produce blooms anymore and then cut it down hard. I think I am seeing that with my 4 year old Lady of Shallot.

Nowhere in garden gets more than 6 hours and most less due to the shadows cast by house and fence and even other plants, except perhaps Alchymist which is almost taller than the fence.