Mine reblooms in midsummer when many other roses aren't blooming, and it has a moderate fall flush. ( zone 7a, NC)

I would love her too but I heard she Black Spots easily. Is that true?

Ingrid, I have to coddle mine a bit to get the best re-bloom, but for me, here in (usually) wet E. TN, she will have a few regardless. How she would behave in your environment might be (and probably would be) entirely different. I seem to recall GJ is prone to octopus arms in Cali. I think @jerijen Jeri used to grow GJ, but shovel pruned her?

But in case you want to know how I encourage re-bloom: when Gertie is 90% done with her first flush, I cut her back by up to 1/3, then fertilize her. Be wary of fertilizer with a high N component, though. I also don't use organic or time-release fert when I'm trying to encourage a new flush (you're looking to jolt her out of her complacence, lol). The reason I cut her back before the first flush is *quite* done is that I've found that sacrificing the last few blooms seems to help her jump start new growth, which equals more blooms...eventually. I never get more than three flushes, and the last one is usually meager, as with our winters I don't want to force new growth too late in Autumn. You wouldn't have that issue, so I assume you could cut her back a second time. You're growing season is so much longer than mine, and your conditions so different, I'd take my experience with a shaker full of salt. But yes, I do get two good flushes if I remember to prune/fertilize her in time.

I've read where some people gets good results from self-pegging GJ, where you loop the longest canes and tie them back on themselves. But I'm not so much a masochist that I'd want to try that with thorny Gertie, lol.

John

I imagine she very well could in your location, Artist. In my almost-high desert environment that fortunately wouldn't be a concern.

Eats up a lot of garden space for a once-bloomer.

..the Beauty and the Beast..

For me here, and I think this is the usual pattern, it has a magnificent flush from mid May to mid June.. then a 6 week gap, then another fabulous flush early August to mid September.. equally as good as the first one.. At those times there was nothing to compete with it for me.. but that 6 week gap it turned into the Beast... ugly, thorny, wayward growth that wanted to climb.. and not a bloom in sight.. some growers see some rebloom during this period, but I did not..

That high summer gap proved its undoing, so it's long gone.. I do miss the Beauty, but not the Beast.. I've often thought I want it back again though.. 2 great flushes of bloom should be worthwhile..

No idea how it will operate in your conditions Ingrid, so best of luck with it..

My plant is young, but it gave me 2 flushes this spring. Then instead of a 3rd flush, it produced all long blind shoots. If I get one more flush, I’ll consider her a keeper. A very good repeater like Bolero or Twilight Zone will flush at least 5 times here.

I do agree her thorns are especially wicked, I cannot imagine any animal taking a bite out of them.

erasm;us, your first photo practically had me gasping. That is why I want this rose, for those utterly beautiful, antique-looking blooms. If my rose would look even remotely like that I'd be thrilled.

Ben, I'm already plotting how to handle those long blind shoots by either winding them around a post several times or doing as Erasmus suggested, training them laterally and hope that new shoots spring up along its length. It's a challenging rose, but hopefully it will challenge the squirrels. as well. Wild Edric is very thornyl, but I've seen the squirrels hanging precariously from the adjoining juniper like acrobats, and reaching across to eat the leaves and blooms of Wild Edric without getting near the thorns. Yes, I can see them inheriting the earth after we're all long gone.

A better rebloomer when well established, and not the only rose I would say that about. I am very happy with mine.

We had a forum member some years ago who grew it in one of the Scandinavian countries. He believed that the trick was to keep it pruned after each flush, so that is what I do. It's probably not the only way to grow it successfully.

Rosefolly

Its parentage, with one grandparent being a climber, Cl. Caroline Testout, might explain those wayward long canes that sprout out if they're not pruned. Gertrude may be confused about what she wants to do, and it may be up to us as to which tendencies we want to encourage. I really can't see anything wrong with how Erasmus trains hers since it seems to have many more blooms if grown that way.

Since I'm presently trying to grow Cl. Caroline Testout near my back door it would be rather nice to also have her offspring nearby. They're both very thorny, which is all to the good.

How long does each bloom last on your Gertrudes? I’m a novice when it comes to roses but wanted to try this year and planted three climbers this spring. They are all currently on their second flush since I’ve planted them but each bloom only looks good for a day, which feels too short? (Also google’ed it but found conficting timing or confirmed my suspicion that each bloom should stay healthy looking for longer than 1 day) The first flush had a pretty bad aphid problem which I figured was the cause of the short blooms but this go around there’s only been minimal pests.

Are their any other common problems that cause decreased bloom life?

Zone 7a, planted facing south and gets sun from at-least 10am-till sunset.
Thanks !

'Gertrude Jekyll' can rebloom??! I had no idea! LOL

Paul, is that a slight tinge of sarcasm I detect? He he, it's obviously not a rose that's universally loved, and who knows, I may not be a fan when/if I ever grow it. You can't judge a rose until you grow it in your own garden and they often surprise you, one way or the other, when you do.

My Gertrude J is about 10 years old and it is the slowest to repeat (about 6-7 weeks). Even the purple growth from stem buds takes well over a month.

The scent is intoxicating, the blooms are simply stunning and the first flush is very floriferous (which is the only reason I can fathom why Austin lists it as ’best for flowering’ on their website). It looks so beautiful climbing our hazel fence. For these reasons I would never get rid of it.

Missed a few posts. @erasmus_gw those pictures are breathtaking. @Marlorena what beautiful (and accurate for me) account of Gertrude.

Kayla, it is not an outstanding cutting rose. Many of the early Austin roses are not. I personally don't care, since I strongly prefer roses in the garden, not in the house. But if your goal is cutting roses, you would probably be happier with Hybrid Teas.

You are not alone in this preference. I understand that some of the later Austin roses have been developed with vase life as a criterion. I don't know which ones (since I don't pay attention to this) but you could check their website for that information.

@Ingrid_vc zone 9b, San Diego Co. inland Yes, a bit sarcastic. I grew it years ago and it basically bloomed in the spring with half a dozen blooms in September.

Paul, with water becoming an ever scarcer commodity, the amount of bloom that any rose can produce is definitely worth thinking about. I'm now planting oleanders in quite a few areas because they bloom for most of the year, need little water once mature and that is the one plant, understandably, that the ground squirrels haven't touched.

Well Paul, you got more blooms out of Gertie than I did. In 10 years of growing mine, grafted from David Austin roses, I got one bloom cycle. Not one per year, one total in 10 years. It wasn't in great sun but other Austins in that area did very well, notably Olivia Rose Austin. It's not a rose I'm remotely tempted to grow again, though I agree Erasmus' photos look delicious.

Cynthia

I know a lot of people really don't like this rose, but for me, Gertrude has always been a good one. I get a beautiful flush in late May through about mid-June. Then she takes a rest. Now, my Gertrudes are all budded up again. I suspect this flush won't last too long, since we are supposed to have temperatures in the 90s later this week. Then, she'll rest again, and give me another nice flush sometime in September. To me, this is a pretty good record (particularly since I'm pretty cheap with the fertilizer - my roses only get it once, organics in the spring). Not continuous bloom, but as good or better than many roses. And I think she is very beautiful, too. However, perhaps it makes a big difference where you are growing her. We do usually (not always, but usually) get good rainfall here. My Gertrudes are all grafted.

For many years DA promoted Gertrude as England’s favorite rose. Do the British prefer wild wicked thorny canes to blooms? Or perhaps it needs that mild wet climate.

Cynthia,

Once every 10 years, that’s awful. In Dallas, apricot trees set fruit once every 7 or so years, I was glad I read that before I planted a tree.

Just shows that one person's experience with a rose is not universal. You can't assume Gertrude is lousy for everyone or good for everyone. When it's good, it seems to be loved. My Gertrude on the fence is grafted. I have an own root one in another spot and it has good vigor and health but is not as big as my grafted one. I'd say it's good own-root com;pared to some other old Austins.

Rosefolly, thanks for the response! I actually just meant how long the blooms last while still attached to the plant itself. Mine have only looked good for one day after opening up and then appear like they need to be deadheaded/ drops petals if I touch them. I’m more into roses in the garden as well vs in a vase.

I have a real weakness for having roses in the house, but having them last for only a day or two would be a downer. Right now I have Wild Edric nearby, and it still looks pretty on day three. Four days in a vase would be a good measure, and perversely if a rose lasts for longer than a week I tend to get bored with it. There's no pleasing me.

@Kayla Harding I will keep a close eye for you on my second flush but the flowers definitely last a reasonable time on the plant. Mine personally don’t last all that long if the heat is intense but then again a lot don’t. In standard weather I want to guess at least 4-5 days.

I have never paid much attention to how long the individual roses last on the Gertrude Jeckyll, more how long the flush lasts, so I cannot answer your question. I don't think it is ridiculously short though. I think that would have caught my eye. Early in my rose career I grew Scentimental, a beautiful rose bred by Tom Carruth. It is a lovely rose, healthy and richly fragrant and gorgeoully striped. (I have a weakness for striped roses.) Most unfortunately, the roses only lasted a scant few hours on the plant.

Rosefolly, I was curious and looked up Scentimental on HMF. On Member's Comments most of the responders panned the flowers for balling, frying, not lasting, you name it. I was surprised since it's a Carruth rose.

I have Gertrude in a pot for 10 years in Seattle. She is blooming right now. She is probably my best performer out of 15 roses because of her exceptional fragrance. I have tried to kill this rise so many times. She has survived and thrived despite all kinds of neglect and abuse. I regularly water her and fertilize her a couple of times.

Gertrude Jeykll is a standout in the hot, (not as hot as Ingrid's place), South Okanagan Valley here in Canada. She reblooms in flushes, not continuous, but frequent enough to be a choice cultivar. She is also the rose variety that we have the most demand for, now that we are propagating her to raise funds for the Summerland Ornamental Gardens. She is a rose, that in my opinion, does well in many different climates; I have grown her in three;

and will become a classic for decades, or centuries to come.

Cheers, Rick

Resident Rosarian, Summerland Ornamental Gardens.

Rick, very beautiful blooms and clean leaves!

Thank you, Rick, for the tour of the Gardens. Most enjoyable. Trish

Gertrude looks lovely in your garden, Rick, and I have a suspicion that if she does well for you she might be equally happy here.

John, thank you for mentioning how you get GJ to rebloom, and it's a technique that I've never seen mentioned anywhere. I wasn't certain after all that I'd grow this rose as I wanted to grow another shy bloomer, Quatre Saisons, but all the comments here are tempting me greatly. That she's a thorny beast is a plus for me, and I must be just about the only one who would feel that way, but if that deters the ground squirrels I'm all in. In spite of Kim's warning about Conrad Ferdinand Meyer being a rust bucket for him I've ordered it because I really like the flowers and it is a super thorny plant from what I understand. If it doesn't do well it will be experience gained.

My Gertie is only two years old, so not a mature plant. But she blooms hard in the spring....several weeks of dozens and dozens of blooms. Now, I do train her long branches out laterally to produce more flowers, and I feed her with bloom boost every 5 weeks or so. But so far, she's been completely disease free in my PNW garden (which is saying something). After her main bloom, she gets a smattering of blooms here and there throughout the season. I am hoping for a nice fall flush as well (too far away yet to know). Her fragrance is astounding, and the flowers are gorgeous. The thorns don't bother me at all. I love that people can't steal the blooms without getting lacerated. :)

If you have room for only a few roses, however, I could understand wanting a rose that blooms more often. Gertie definitely takes a rest in my garden.

Robert, your experience is valuable, and the lateral training is something I will surely keep in mind. Everything on the earth plane seems constructed to have its pluses and minuses, and this rose is no different. Since many roses in the heat of summer don't look their best (Wild Edric right now is a perfect example) a lack of blooms at that time would certainly be offset by a nice fall flush if that should occur. I choose to think that it would in the many months of great weather here until December.

my gertrude is in almost complete shade for the most of the day and she does have a break in between flushes for about 5-6 weeks but she produces tons of flowers each flush (3 flushes here is the UK). No octopus canes on mine ( sandy soil, shady spot) which Is I guess is a plus..