I love them both. My climate is different than yours but they are both tough roses here.

I know nothing about Bishop's Castle, but Mary Rose has significant blackspot issues here.

Mary is gorgeous and extremely fragrant but a huge blackspotter. she has a great spring flush and the loses her foliage.

Mary in my old garden (my favorite scent)

Bishop's Castle here.

My goodness....these pictures are heavenly!! And I didn't think that Mary Rose was fragrant. Now I know. :)

One sifference for me in habit is that BC is more drapey than Mary

Thanks, all! I really appreciate the bush shots.

Good to know re: Mary Rose having black spot issues. That seems like a dealbreaker.

I don't grow Mary but I do grow Bishop's Castle. I am in the N FL Panhandle with plenty of heat & humidity in the summer. BC is great here. I wasn't sure if it would be since I had admired it in many of the West Coast gardens and I figured maybe it liked it drier than my climate. It gets quite large here.

Wow, noseometer, your Bishop's Castle is gorgeous. It reminds me of Boscobel. Thanks for all of these details. I'm really leaning towards BC over Mary Rose.

Caroline, I hope you can find Bishops Castle Rose. I’ve been on waitlists for probably two years now and still haven’t received any. Please let me know if you find a source.

Judi, you're probably already on this waitlist, but I have an email notification for a restock of Bishop's Castle on Heirloom Roses. On their website they say that they are currently growing this rose: https://heirloomroses.com/products/bishops-castle

Otherwise, I haven't found a source!

Noseometer - incredible blooming bushes!! Sooo many beautiful blooms!!

Yes, Caroline. I’m on Heirloom’s waitlist for a long time now. It’s taking them a looong time to grow this one. ;)

Were you able to find a Bishop's Castle?

I was not. It looks like Heirloom is officially no longer growing it, unfortunately.

I've noticed that BC does not want to grow in a pot for me, but grows quickly once planted in the ground. That's what happened with my friend who lives in Southern Pines, NC. I wonder if that was the problem that Heirloom Roses was having.

Something I'm realizing with BC vs. Mary Rose, is that BC is a much bigger bush, with very thick basals (like 1-1/4" or thicker canes) vs. WC/MR whose basals are not even 1/2 inch (in my garden). I suspect that in NC, BC will get quite large (much larger than the description). WC spreads very slowly as the growth of new basals underground expands the plant, BC does not do this at all. WC wants to make new basals, whereas BC doesn't make new basals easily (it will make new basals from the stump when an old cane is pruned down). Thorns of BC are quite large compared to the small needle-like thorns of WC. BC is much more rambunctious in growth compared to the rather well-mannered Boscobel that you mentioned (although Boscobel's thorns are actually larger and backward curving), and Boscobel's blooms are more refined than BC.

I've tried to DM you Caroline, but couldn't figure out how to do it, if you still want one.

Bishop's Castle has very variable thorns:

Winchester Cathedral is consistent

Boscobel, just for comparison

Wow, what a cane. Thanks for all of these details. I think that I DM'd you, nose. Let me know if you don't see anything.