Thank you, Lily. Your stunning pictures of the tree Roald Dahl were what prompted me to consider him in the first place! I did think the flowers would be more peachy though... Maybe I’ll get the standard one and have him in a pot instead!

Do you have experience growing Sweet Juliet? That one looks nice in the catalogue too... Ah I’m so bad at deciding!!

Lilyfinch - you grow that rose very, very well!! Oh my!! and Swoon!!!

I am thinking of buying Abe this year. However i heard he is prone to rust. Please show this section of your garden Minshen. I miss your old garden, Lilyfinch. It was a dream for us who only have a postage stamp garden.

I grow Abe Darby and Carding Mill. Both are more pink than the apricot pictures that I see online. I don't know why. I think it may be the heat in Florida. Carding Mill is very "upright" while Abe tends to arch.

Thanks for the input!

jjpeace — I got two Abes mirror-planted in a circular bed. One of them is doing better than the other, but both are just starting to bloom. For me they are certainly not the healthiest roses in my garden, or even in that bed in particular. I’ve had quite some leaf problems, but mostly BS, not rust. I don’t ever spray though. But my oh my the flowers!!! Very big, full, and fragrant.

They’re own root and only in their second year so while each has about half a dozen buds, they’re not yet big prolific bloomers for me like they said in this forum, not yet anyways. Teasing Georgia and Olivia are much better at that IMO but for prettiness of individual flower Abe is a clear winner.

Glenn — i don’t know about carding mill but I agree Abe is much more pink in person than apricot/orange-y. Mine are more like soft warm coral pink, although I live in a fairly cool summer climate. So I think maybe theyre just like that?

Anyone grow Sweet Juliet? How’s she doing?

I grow both Carding Mill and Roald Dahl. They are both in their second year, in a location with lots of shade. Roald Dahl is grafted on Dr. Huey, but Carding Mill is own root from David Austin website.

As an own root, Carding Mill is among my most compact rose in the garden. After 1 full season, it only grow to 3 x 3 feet and did not have octopus canes. It is very disease resistant in California; I don't spray it at all. However, in British Columbia it is hard to say given the higher humidity. It is definitely an apricot color tend towards orange, and is more consistently apricot than Roald Dahl, which can appear to be more pale, yellowish apricot - a bit like the color of Julia Child in certain temperature and exposure. Rolad Dahl gets bigger for me, probably about 4 x 4 now, though still consider quite compact here in California. Both are quite floriferous, despite their location in heavy shade. Here is Carding Mill:

Here is Roald Dahl note the difference in color:

OMG Rose Lai your CM and RD look SO good in only their second year!!! Beautiful and healthy too. Thank you so much for the info and the pics.

Well, shoot. I've tried posting twice! Houzz...grrr....

I grow Carding Mill. It is super healthy for me (I don't spray except for dormant copper spray after the hard prune before spring), and a good bloomer. Fragrant. Upright. No "nodding" canes that point downward or octopus arms. I live in CA and we get both dry heat/wind sometimes, but also the May Gray and June Gloom marine layers...sometimes humid. I've not had any trouble with disease on CM. Quite healthy. The first spring flush and the last autumn flush are just spectacular. I've even planned garden parties/happy hours just because these roses MUST be enjoyed by others! These photos show range of colors -- though I think it's just the lighting in the first photo that made them look so pink. While they did trend pink-ish for the first flush, they were not *this* pink in real life. Bottom photo is how it looks most of the year.

I have grown Abe Darby for many years in Victoria and though he gets black spot his amazing scent and gorgeous blooms make me forgive him. Another apricot DA that does well for me to consider is Crown Princess Margareta. No blackspot, nice scent and form.

I don’t grow Roald Dahl and I’ve never seen it in person. If it makes any difference to you, Abe has a delicious fruity fragrance and Carding Mill has a bubblegum - like fragrance, not very rose like to my nose. Abe’s flowers are horribly disfigured by thrips if that is a problem in your area. I can’t tell you about foliage disease since we don’t get that here.

Abe from today:

Thanks everyone!

Deborah — WOW! That first picture, although probably more pink than in real life, shows a beautiful beautiful plant. I really like how upright CM seems. I think I’ll go with it! What a beauty.

Roserobin — We have the exact same experience with AD, though you must have had him much longer than I have. I hated him when he’s not flowering as his foliage is never clean for me, but his flowers are just too perfect. I’m definitely keeping mine. Crown Princess Margarita is beautiful too! I already bought an own root one this year and planted her alongside our backyard fence. Heard she’s a good climber! Is yours kept as a shrub or also a climber?

nosemeter — yes unfortunately we also get quite some thrips here. My initial few Abe buds were in fact also disfigured so bad that I had to just snap them off. I did spray some Trounce on him afterwards and the thrips seem to be under control for now... Your Abe bloom is absolutely perfect! So rounded. I love it.

My Abe from today

Wow, Minshen, that’s huge!

It is! Very big!!!

I do have blackspot problems with my roses so I probably will skip Abe then.

I love the look of AD! But I will likely get a Roald Dahl next year when they become available in the nurseries again for it's healthy growth....I'm a lazy gardener and it would pain me to see a lot of damage on my rose :P

Thank you jj , that was very sweet. I really miss it too , so much .