My Alnwick Castles (I have two), are own-root. They are plenty vigorous on their own roots and do not need to be grafted for vigor. They do take a few years to achieve size, as do all roses. I prefer to have own-root roses since battling Dr. Huey rootstock in my old garden for years, and if a rose does not do well own-root, I don't want it. I've had this rose since 2014, and it has gotten bigger every year. This year it was 6+ feet tall, and I don't think it got bigger than 2-3 feet for the first few years although my second one, in a better location was 3 feet tall in its first year. I think that Alnwick Castle is better as own root because it is not shy about making new basals. Last year I think I counted something like 35 basals on my older plant, but it is not a runner.

Congratulations on getting this rose. I love it and hope you will also. This photo is from this year.

Oh that’s so good to hear! Thank you!
But oh man oh wow I’m surprised it’s gotten to 6 feet! I’ve chosen it because it seems to be compact and it’s going in a walkway near my house. I’d hate to have to constantly fight it, if it truly wants to be that tall?
That’s why I had to opt out of brother cadfael even though David Austin claims it to be 4x4, I’ve heard it grows huge!

Waaahhhhhh that photo makes me melt! Thank you so much for sharing it.

Of course it will depend on your growing conditions. My first one is planted next to a walkway also (about 2 feet away, planted in my early rose growing days when I didn't know better), and it does encroach on the walkway a bit, but it is mostly an upright growing rose. It's actually a great rose to plant near a walkway because it is mostly an upright grower, and the flowers are where you can easily get your nose into them. I prune my rose to about 2-1/2 feet every year and thin out all those basals. You might want to plant it a bit more than 2 feet away from a walkway to allow for growth (3 feet would be perfect for the size of my rose now), and for the first few years you might think you made a mistake, but then it will grow...

From 3 days ago:

Here's a photo from earlier this year to show you how it grows. By the middle of summer, branches are growing about 6" over the walk.

Sarena where are you located? your zone may not be even remotely like noseo’s. Roses do not grow the same everywhere. Here in zone7b my Alnwicks are 3 years old and with early spring prunning to around 2 1/2 feet they stay at 3 1/3-4feet tall the rest of the season. Their size will vary depending on how much winter kill they get every year and other factors.

I’m zone 7a! Sorry I just changed my name to make things easier. :) When I get home I am going to snap a photo of the plot that I plan to place it! I worry it is actually too small so fingers crossed. I can always make it bigger. I appreciate this help so so much

Okay please excuse the awful mess. I missed the rose planting cut off and decided to throw a tomato there temporarily. The only thing permanent here is a Sarah Bernhardt peony. It’s only aboit 4x4 feet because that’s what the handbook said! But now I worry it’s not the best place.

Sarena, my comment is exactly the same as Noseometer's, even to the age of the plant, with one exception - the size. Mine is not quite 5' tall and not as wide. Dianela is absolutely right that roses perform differently in different zones. My roses are usually shorter than those grown in warmer climates. Dianela's Alnwick is younger, and will soon pass mine up. Alnwick Castle is worth waiting for it to gain a little maturity during those first years. Most Austins are like that.

@dianela7analabama @noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque) what do you guys think? if i make the plot bigger do I stand a chance of it not making this walkway impossible?

Flowers- that’s gorgeous!

Sarena- where are you? How a rose grows is not just based on zone, but is much more regional. Zone 7a in the desert southwest is very different than zone 7a in say New Jersey, in terms of rose growing. Your photos look like you are in a moist climate. It also looks like you already have a shrub that is starting to grow over your walkway. I’d suggest that you plant your rose at least 3 feet away from that edge of the walkway or that walkway won‘t be usable (it already looks tight).

Thank you noseometer, I appreciate that. I wasn't getting as big or full blooms until I started flooding it with water. Austins take so much more than my other roses, probably because this climate is so dry compared to where they're bred. It responds more to water than to fertilizer.

Flowers-your photos are breath taking. I am inspired. To see own roots doing so well makes me feel much better.
Noseometer-I am in Rockvale Tennessee! It definitely rains here quite a bit so I hope I don’t just die from black spot. I’ve tried to pick Roses that could maybe handle it. You’re right, I think I will make it bigger and make sure to plant 3 feet away. That big holly that is encroaching is from the original landscape and it is turning in to a monster after ten years.

That's very nice of you, Sarena. I'm sure you will love it. I do wish mine grew in more of a shrub shape like noseometer's, but the grass is always greener......

Sarena I’m very close to rockvale and have quite a few Austins.

My own roots in part shade (planted spring 2019) are pathetic, but i have 2 Chianti own roots planted in full sun and they are doing well.

i have Chianti, Evelyn, and Teasing Georgia on either side along my driveway and they are already sprawling onto it.

each is several feet wide and challenging to contain.

Id give Alnwick space- it will look really great in the spot youve picked

That was my worry about own roots, that I know some aren’t strong enough to take it. But from what noseometer said Alnwick can take it! :) I’m sorry to hear your own roots are struggling though. Ahhhh you have Evelyn! I’m so jealous. Such a beautiful rose, I wish they hadn’t discontinued it. So How much space would you suggest I give Alnwick?Should I make my bed much bigger? If you could plant your driveway roses again would you respace them?

I will probably be forced to move mine, yes.

Teasing Georgia is the biggest and i should have planted 4ft away from driveway.

i know it looks strange to plant a tiny stick in an empty space but they fill out quickly and have a sprawling growth habit.

EDIT: my own roots are in part shade and dont have great air circulation. i dont believe them being own root is the problem.

@jc_7a_MiddleTN thank you for your info it really helped. I see now that the extra work to make the plot bigger and the rose farther from the driveway will be worth it in the long run! Its great to know someone close to Rockvale has had success with Austins! :) Do you have to spray for disease?

@noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque) I forgot to ask! Do you have to spray your beautiful Alnwick? And do you have any tips to make it such a beautiful big bush shape? Thank you!

@Sarena Altman (7a Middle TN) - The main "tip" I have for this bush shape, is to give it time. At first it will be a bit thin and scraggly, but it will fill out in a few years, especially as it grows so many basals. I don't spray any of my roses, but spraying is not necessary in this dry desert climate, so my experience is not a good example for those of you in wet climates.

This is what it looked like in year 2.

And here it is in year 3, to give you an idea. Keep in mind what Dianela said: your climate is very different, so your experience will be different.

And to give you an idea of how many basals it produces. This might have been after pruning this year (I don't strip leaves).

They definitely require spraying in our climate if you want them to look even close to some of the great photos that are shared on this site.

It might be ok without if it gets enough air circulation in that spot.

Do whatever dianela says!

she is close enough and experienced enough that you can follow her advice without worry.

I planted 5 Alnwick in May, and I love, loVE, LOVE them!!! They are also own root and are doing terrific! I did spray them once over the summer. Here are a few pics…

@Sarena Altman (7a Middle TN) I don't think it is true when DA said Alnwick is the only rose they sell bare root own root. I just ordered Abraham Darby bare root and in my email confirmation, it shows bare root (own root) as well. AD is also not even listed under own root section. I was confused, I thought they sell Abraham Darby as grafted. Not sure what is going on.

Hi all I am so sorry for such a late reply. I’ve been preparing for major surgery and life has been wildly hectic.

@dianela7analabama @jc_7a_MiddleTN

Have you tried natural sprays for black spot? Could I stand a chance doing that with Alnwick? I have several health conditions so I really want to keep it organic. D:

I’ve heard of using Neem oil, Sulfur, or Copper? Any luck with those?

I’ve even heard of doing a mixture of baking soda and water. And also milk and water!

If there’s anyway I can go this natural route it would be a life saver.

I’m now finding myself thinking I should have gone the kordes or delbard route. But besides earth angel I just couldn’t find a pink rose bush with that incredible cupped form that wasn’t an Austin!! What can I say I’m a sucker for the peony form. @Monica5bWI those picrures are beautiful!!!! thank you so much for sharing. inspires me to work hard!

@santosob - Zone9B I thought something strange was going on! I just hope this new bareroot ownroot is healthy. I would have just gone with Heirloom had I known.

@Sarena Altman (7a Middle TN) I am not worried about it being unhealthy, they have 5 year guarantee for their roses. Heirloom is more expensive and to me, their plants are so tiny.

I did email DA asking how do we know the bare root is grafted or own root. They said that if the plants are listed under own root section then they are own root. If they are listed under bare root roses then they are grafted. That's definitely not true though since both Alnwick and Abraham Darby are not listed under own root, but they said they are looking into it further. Anyways, I am planning to order Alnwick from DA soon, I don't mind it being own root.

Sarena I am sorry for not seeing your questions earlier. For some reason this website randomly give me notifications of the threads and some times none. I think wether you can grow the alnwick rose woth only organic sprays depends on your expectations of what you wants her foliage to look like. if you are ok with some defoliation I am sure it can be done. If you want nice looking foliage throughout the seasons then no i do not think it can be done with our high blackspot pressure. A rose that can be grown that way without ANY spraying is earth angel by Kordes. I do not know what health conditions you are dealing with but antifugal sprays are just usually “azoles” like the ones humans take and I wouldnt think they would cause particular injury to humans. They are not like pesticide sprays that i know off. If being completly organic is a priority however there are better roses you can pick like Earth angel. she is glubular, fragrant and HEALTHY even here.

here she is on December 24 with great foliage. this plant has never been sprayed. Forgive the weeds I havent worked in the garden this year.

By now i hope you already had your surgery and are doing wellSarena

I work in my gardens Dianela and they still look like that. Before I retired I had a great excuse.

Sheila your garden always looks amaizing to me 🥰. I have promized myself next time I make a garden I am going to invest time on killing the weeds several times with round up first and preparing the ground well. Maybe that will help with managing the weeds better (one can only hope). I once saw that someone here had her beds dugged up with a mini-excavator and made with soft soil instead of the original clay and they just looked perfect. I have been dreaming on making beds like those.

Dianela, I don't want to use roundup here. I think I needed professional edging and inches deep wood chip mulch around all the roses. Instead, I planted roses along my fence essentially in grass so I am getting what I deserve. OTOH, William Robinson wrote "The Wild Garden" and did plant roses in grass so we will see.

@dianella7bnorthal Oh no it’s me who needs to apologize for responding late! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I decided to steer clear of alnwick for now and start off with one with more black spot resistance! I strongly considered earth angel but I ended up going with Saint Cecilia! I thought she was lost forever but I found her on long ago roses! She’s got that beautiful peony bloom and I’ve heard she’s much healthier! Your earth angel is absolutely beautiful and your garden looks enchanting. I’m not a stickler for weeds myself, as long as it’s not strangling anything they look natural! Thank you again for sharing your wisdom. I think I’ll be much happier starting off with a rose with more black spot resistance:) And my surgery was a success and I am doing much better thank you! I can’t believe it’s finally almost time to start planting!