Your rose is looking great Elestrial 7a!

I myself have tried some of Straws advice in the past and they worked!

Going try some of her advice next season on my roses to see what happens!

Wonderful photos Straw of your Evelyn! I really like how it turns peachy! awesome!

Elestrial 7a Your Tess is looking good, and yours is much bigger than my Tess in only 4 hours of sun, zone 5. I give sulfate of potash to all roses, except for vigorous roots like Evelyn and Kordes roses (always healthy).

jim1961 Central Pennsylvania Zone 6b I like orange and peachy roses like your Double Orange .. your soil gives the best orange color. I have at least 10 small rootings of Evelyn now and I'm growing to band-size in late fall. Will send you one Evelyn so you can winterize it along with Roxanne Geranium. Evelyn makes good cut-blooms to gift to your neighbors & girlfriend.

Z10Socal Do you want a small Evelyn rooting this Dec. in case David Austin is slow to send you an Evelyn to replace St. Swithun that was sent as Evelyn? I donate 100% of the money received to charities, as documented in my Facebook: Facebook

I sold my Evelyn rootings cheap for $10 to $20 back in 2022 to donate 100% to charities. I get tired of folks accusing my version #1 (open stamen) Evelyn of being Abraham Darby.

Here's the difference between Evelyn and Abraham Darby.

The minute I planted Noseometer's Abraham Darby rooting in my soaking wet heavy clay (sticky magnesium), it went downhill with blackspots and sawfly. I spent 2 hours digging that hole for fast drainage but Abraham's roots hate my sticky clay. Abraham Darby barely survived my zone 5 winter. Rabbits here love to eat Abe. down to 4 inch in spring. I have to cage Abe. with chicken wire, see Abe. below:

In contrast, Evelyn (a rain-hog) LOVES my high rain climate and soaking wet clay. Evelyn is the HEALTHIEST rose among my 160 fragrant own root roses, along with Kordes roses. Never see blackspots, rust, mildew, RMV, nor proliferation in my open-stamen Evelyn. Below pic. is my 12th-year own root Evelyn this spring 2024:

Below pics. was taken July 24 with Evelyn's 2nd flush. Note Evelyn's perfect leaves in hot & humid July:

Below pic. was taken mid-August at 80% humidity, at the start of Evelyn's 3rd flush: Note 100% healthy leaves with fast repeat, after I pruned it down to 1 foot this August 2024:

Evelyn's scent is wonderful old rose and sweet peaches as stated in David Austin handbook, a few blooms can perfume the entire room.

In contrast, Abraham Darby reeks of SHARP grapefruit and rotten melon in my heavy clay, and I rarely cut Abraham Darby for the vase: doesn't last long in the vase like Evelyn, and Abe. stinks up in the vase. I'm addicted to Evelyn's old rose and sweet peaches scent and I can stick my nose into Evelyn's blooms 24/7.

For beauty of bloom: Evelyn beats Abraham Darby with more petals (100 petals as stated in David Austin's handbook, versus 70 petals with Abraham Darby). Below pic. was Evelyn's first bloom in 2012 at near 100 F heat, both rabbits and deer don't eat Evelyn (thick and bitter leaves):

Below is Evelyn in cooler temp, still retain its 100 petals and old rose/sweet peaches scent:

No blooms can be as big as Evelyn. Behind orange is Sweet Mademoiselle and beige is Princess Charlene de Monaco, both lose out to Evelyn in bloom size. I like Evelyn's sweet peaches & old rose more than Princess Charlene de Monaco pear-nectar scent.

Abraham beats Evelyn in drought-tolerance: I never water Abraham Darby, but I have to water Evelyn (a rain-hog). Below is Abraham Darby bloom: it's wimpy as own root in my heavy clay, zone 5 with less petals at 70, note blackspots and sawfly damage in Abraham Darby:

Below is 12th-year-own root Evelyn with 100 petals, to compare with above Abraham Darby: Below Evelyn has better scent and more petals:

CONCLUSION: Evelyn is the perfect OWN ROOT rose for my high-rain climate & zone 5 with heavy & soaking wet clay infested with rabbits. Evelyn and Kordes are perfect own root roses for my clay & zone 5 since rabbits don't eat them (except for stingy Kiss me Kate).

I killed my Knock-out and Belinda Dream since they cannot measure up to Evelyn in beauty and scent. Version #1 Evelyn (open stamens as pictured in below David Austin 2011 handbook) is very healthy in my heavy clay. Evelyn helps me to lose weight by sniffing it: like a sweet Danish pastry with peaches jam. The old rose note shows more with acidic rain. Click on below picture to enlarge:

Back in 2022 I rooted Evelyn, Abraham Darby, Radio Times, James Galway, Mary Magdalene, W.S. 2000, the Dark Lady, the Squire, Christopher Marlowe, Carding Mill, Spirit of Freedom & others.

I sold rootings cheap for $10 to $20 and donated 100% to charities, listed on my Facebook: Facebook

My success rate with Evelyn was 80% compared to 10% with Abraham Darby. Evelyn was always the FIRST one to take root in humid box, and always stay 100% healthy in humid rooting box, compared to blackspotted Abraham Darby and Gertrude in the humid box.

Abraham Darby is MUCH HARDER to root than Evelyn since it likes fast-draining medium and no humidity.

This past winter 2023 I rooted 6 Evelyns and only 1 Abraham to gallon-size. They look nearly identical as babies. I can identify them by their scents: Evelyn smells like old rose and sweet peaches (as stated in David Austin website). Abraham Darby has a SHARP fruity scent (as stated in Austin website). Abraham Darby smells like SHARP grapefruit and melon, and NOT old rose like Evelyn.

Evelyn lasts longer in the vase, up to 5 days, and its fabulous scent lingers on my fingers when I strip off its petals. Evelyn is best in full sun. Below is a typical bloom of Evelyn in my heavy clay, zone 5 with LIGHTER OUTER petals as noted by Noseometer:

Below is a page from 2011 David Austin handbook, stating that Evelyn has 100 petals and old rose scent with fresh peaches note:

Below is my Evelyn bloom with 100 petals with INTENSE old rose and peaches scent, looking very peachy like above David Austin's picture, and LESS exposed stamens:

Below is a peachy Evelyn bloom, note the glossy healthy leaves, and thorns are more REDDISH:

Abraham DOES NOT last long in the vase, and stinks up in the vase like rotten melon and SHARP citrus. One sniff of Abe. is enough (too harsh), but I can stick my nose into Evleyn 24/7. Abraham can take partial shade and more drought-tolerant than Evelyn. Below is my Abraham Darby with LESS petals (70 as stated in David Austin Handbook), plus MORE exposed stamens:

Below is page on Abraham Darby from 2011 David Austin handbook:

Below is Abraham Darby (prone to blackspot and sawfly damage) after blooming, despite in a fast draining air pot:

In contrast, my 12th-year own root Evelyn is always healthy for the past 12 years: NEVER see blackspots, mildew, rust, RMV (rose mosaic virus), nor proliferation. See Evelyn below in July with 80% humidity (red Munstead Wood is also healthy):

Below pic. to show DARKER green leaf of Abraham Darby on left, and PALER leaves of Evelyn on right. I have tons of acidic rain and Evelyn young leaves are always pale.

Below middle PALE leaf is Evelyn, the left & right leaves are Abraham Darby. Evelyn leaves are paler and smaller on LONG and fast growing octopus canes. I prune Evelyn down to 1 foot after each flush, and it grows long octopus canes with buds .. the repeat is very fast. I get the most cut blooms from Evelyn among my 160 own root fragrant roses:

Below are the young leaves on Abraham Darby infested with blackspots with shorter cane, pic. taken 8/18/24:

Below are the young leaves on Evelyn: 100% healthy, much paler, reddish thorns, and on LONG octopus cane due to its vigor as own root:

The best way to identify Evelyn versus Abraham Darby as tiny rootings is TO TASTE THE LEAVES. Deer and rabbits never eat my Evelyn for the past 12 years, but they devour my 3rd-year own root Abraham Darby.

Leaves of Evelyn are bitter, but leaves of Abraham Darby tastes like fresh collard greens: succulent, mild, and juicy. During drought animals love to eat Abraham Darby for its juicy & succulent leaves (hold more water, thus prone to blackspots and sawfly damage). I have to put chicken wire around Abraham Darby to protect it from rabbits:

With regard to another poster's question of WHY David Austin has 2 options of Evelyn as a climber OR a shrub. Evelyn was bred in 1991, that's 33 years for sporting to occur.

Sporting of roses is a result of decades of being grafted on Dr.Huey (a climber), such as climbing version of Crimson Glory (a mutation of hybrid tea Crimson Glory), or climbing Tropicana (a mutation of hybrid Tropicana), or climbing Clothilde Soupert (a mutation of tiny Clothilde Soupert polyantha), or Marie Daly (pink) as a mutation of Marie Pavie (white), or Lady Ashe (peach) is a sport, or mutation of Aloha (pink).

My climbing Crimson Glory is slow to repeat (cannot be pruned short), versus my HYBRID TEA short Crimson Glory has fast repeat. I wanted climbing Clothilde Soupert and a nursery told me that it DOES NOT repeat as well as Clothilde Soupert short polyantha.

Since version #1 Evelyn (pic. below) is much easier to root than Abraham Darby, nurseries sold version #1 Evelyn as Abraham Darby by mistake. Version #1 Evelyn has such vigor that it's always healthy plus can be pruned short down to 1 foot, with fast repeat. Below is version #1 Evelyn shown in 2011 David Austin handbook:

The mutated sport of Evelyn (climber version #2) as pictured in 2016 David Austin Catalog below is sold as Evelyn with buttonhole but with slower repeat (from being a climber), and less scent (due to less exposed stamens). Plus it's much harder to keep a climber healthy:

Which version of Evelyn will be sent out from GRF this year, and would it be more yellow & peach or more of a pink & peach?

I look through several David Austin handbooks since 2011 and there's ZERO PIC. of leaves, nor bush-shot, nor growth habit of Evelyn. Evelyn changes the shape of leaves and color of blooms since I grow Evelyn as tiny rootings in different medium.

I had seen buttonhole Evelyn as TALL CLIMBER with light pink blooms in Facebook, very different from my short & fast repeat Evelyn under 2.5 feet tall as 12th-year own root.

The #2 version of Evelyn (2016 Austin handbook) is a buttonhole light pink climber as shown in Grace Rose Farm .. it produces a massive spring flush. Evelyn is more pink, as shown in GRF website. Some of the Evelyn blooms in GRF website look like BOTH my Evelyn and Abraham Darby.

There's a 3rd version (latest mutation) of Evelyn that is VERY peachy/yellow, bought by a friend as own root this year. Evelyn changes color/form so much that I'm NOT surprised with 3 mutations through its being bred since 1991. Evelyn® – Grace Rose Farm (Rose Bushes)

Below is peachy/yellow Evelyn bought by a friend as own root this year:

Below pics are grafted Evelyn bought by another friend from David Austin in 2022. She informed me that it's 40 inch tall, which is a climber.

Below are my 12th-year own root Evelyn to show change in bloom color:

Below is my 12th-year own root Evelyn changing its color to more peachy & buttonhole in hot & dry. Note the PALER and shiny young leaves:

Below is under the leaves of my Evelyn, note the thorns are MORE red than Abraham Darby. Evelyn's leaves taste VERY bitter and more glossy. I never see sawfly damage and deer & rabbits never eat Evelyn for the past 12 years due to its bitter leaves. Orchid Romance next to it has leaves eaten by Japanese beetles.

Below are under the leaves of my Abraham Darby. Leaves are succulent, mild and taste like collard greens, and insects love it, see the sawfly damage as well as leaf-cutter bee damage. Rabbits love to eat Abe, but rabbits and deer never eat Evelyn. Abe's leaves are darker green & bigger than Evelyn.

Maybe the one GRF has on their website is this 2nd version you describe, and the one that GRF will be sending out. I'm not sure who is growing it for them. DA announced they'll be re-releasing Evelyn this year so maybe they've got a grower who is supplying them to GRF? I guess I'll plan on it being this 2nd version you describe - a climber who is pinkish

I have seen version #2 Evelyn (shown below 2016 Austin handbook) as buttonhole & light-pink CLIMBER in Facebook prone to proliferation (green & long stamen) plus mildew and rust. There's a old rose book that showed the buttonhole Evelyn with a description that it's prone to mildew & blackspots and should NOT be hard-pruned due to die-back.

Another Facebook user told me that her climber Evelyn also died back when pruned hard. I pruned my version #1 Evelyn (short shrub with exposed stamens) down to 1 foot after each flush and it repeats FAST with many blooms for 2nd and 3rd flush. See below version #1 Evelyn with more petals (100) and open-stamens. Click on pic. to enlarge:

My climbing Crimson Glory got pruned frequently by rabbits and it gave me ZERO blooms for 2022 & 2023 (and only bloomed during week-long fall rain in 2021). So I dug up climbing Crimson Glory early spring 2024 and put in a big pot, and ZERO blooms as of 8/19/24 .. it's growing tall as a climber but zero blooms.

In contrast, my short hybrid tea Crimson Glory was a constant bloomer (at least 3 flushes per year) back in 2012 (despite being invaded by tree roots). It died after I moved it in 2014. Below is my short hybrid Crimson Glory with 4 bloom/buds as a 2 months tiny rooting from Burlington nursery in 2012. A short constant bloomer just like my version #1 Evelyn.

Below CLIMBING Crimson Gllory bought as gallon-size from Roses Unlimited gave only 2 blooms for spring flush, a LONG pause, then a few blooms in late fall with tons of rain. I water it daily so there's no excuse for long pause after spring flush:

Because of this post I found out my two year old DA Evelyn is not Evelyn. DA will be sending me out another plant. My free GRF membership will be giving me Evelyn. I just hope at least one of these Evelyns are the true Evelyn, like Strawschicagos 😔.

Menagerie Farm has a good bush shot pic. of own-root Evelyn, looking identical to my own-root Evelyn: reddish thorns, pale and reddish young leaves, lanky growth with leaflets spaced apart. The leaves are larger & rounder with my Evelyn below since it's well fertilized & watered daily.
Evelyn David Austin® Potted Rose - Menagerie Farm & Flower (menagerieflower.com)

Evelyn blooms ON TOP of a long cane, rather than on short stems like Abraham Darby, below is Abraham Darby blooming from a short stem, and the growth is well-rounded as stated in David Austin handbook. Blooms have more ruffled petals, scent is sharp grapefruit/melon that one sniff is enough.

Below is Abraham Darby rooting, note DARKER GREEN leaves and buds are formed on weak & short stems, blooms always face down. If you can chew on the leaves and it's mild enough to swallow, then it's Abe. If the leaves are so bitter that you have to spit out, it's Evelyn .. .deer and rabbits never care to eat Evelyn, but they devour Abe.

Straw,

Do you think my Moonlight Romanticas will respond well with good repeat all season following your pruning of Evelyn method....which would be for me, if I am correct: after their first flush in spring, being pruned down then to 8-12", and then to 12" after every flush (as you do to your Evelyn), all summer long thereafter? Will I deplete my one and only spring feeding of Osmocote Plus, 6 mo. feed, applied at spring pruning, come August-September?

After their nice, tame height first flush, octopus canes come, and are the norm 'til fall. Even laterals. Waiting for a bud to form means a wait of about 5+ feet of growth before that bud is seen. They're in full sun and get well watered.

The oldest of the two MRs is about 6 yrs., the youngest, 3 yrs. and their growth habits are identical.

Moses

Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z5 Osmocote Plus is VERY good in forcing blooms thanks to high trace elements. I topped my tiny rootings with Osmocote Plus on September 26 and they broke out in fat flower buds right now Oct. 14, 2024.

I prune my vigorous roses (Moonlight Romantica) down to 1.5 foot, then sprinkle Osmocote Plus, plus top with bagged cow manure (high in phosphorus) .. this enable blooming within one month. Blooming takes HIGH PHOSPHORUS (cow manure), plus TRACE ELEMENTS (in Osmocote and cow manure).

Right now my best bloomer is Prairieville Prince (with at least 20 blooms) as of Oct 14, 2024 since I pruned it a month ago, then topped with a bag of cow manure, then top with a thick wad of leaves/grass clippings. The acid from organic matter on top helps to break down the cow manure.

I topped Dee-lish, Purple Lodge, Royal Jubilee, Sweet Juliet with cow manure, but I DID NOT top them with a wad of leaves/grass clippings ... and they are still tall & stingy with 2 blooms max in this dry month & watering once a week with tap water.

So the trace elements in the cow manure (for blooming) are tied up unless there's tons of acidic rain, or microbes in fermented organic matter on top (leaves & grass clippings) plus watering.

In contrast, the chemical trace elements in OSMOCOTE PLUS are released easily, and prompt blooming in tiny rootings in pots in 3 weeks (no need to top them with organic matter).

I have both these roses grafted on Fortuniana rootstock and will only say that both are very worthy roses but can be leggy. I actually just moved them into a triangle shape so they will look like one rose. I have 2 Evelyn and 1 Abraham Darby which posseses a much stronger Old rose scent which is intoxicating and fruity. AD also has a deeper color which lasts and holds up slightly better in the intense heat of zone 10 Southwest Fl. Evelyns scent is peachy like many mention, and not as intense as AD. My 3 roses are only about 2.5 years old so things may change in time. I only use Harrells fertilizer which is a Polyon coated fertilizer and is a step up over typical Osmocote fertilizer.

@chuckurso1 You might have the CLIMBER Evelyn which has paler leaves & button eye & and less scent than my open stamens & SHORT SHRUB Evelyn. Below was my short shrub Evelyn bought as own root in 2012, note many short & thin and spreading canes with buds:

Below is gallon size rooting of Evelyn which I rooted to donate 100% of the proceeds to charities. Short shrub Evelyn has constant blooming & perfect health and many thin canes:

Below was own root Abraham Darby bought by a friend from K & M nursery, she said her own root Abe. is much taller than the Evelyn rooting that I gave her. Her Abe. is much taller and prone to blackspots:

My short shrub Evelyn is a constant bloomer, versus my tall Abraham Darby is stingy with longer pause between flushes. Both are own roots (Evelyn was bought in 2012, and Abe. was grown since 2021).

My 1993 form Evelyn is very healthy: no rust, blackspots nor mildew, but my own root Abraham Darby is prone to blackspots. Rabbits devour Abraham Darby but NOT Evelyn. I had to cage my blackspot own root Abraham Darby with sticks:

Shrub form blooms more than its climber sport form. My Crimson Glory short hybrid tea was a constant bloomer, versus climbing Crimson Glory is stingy & mainly one spring flush and less scent. My short Clothilde Soupert is a constant bloomer, and the nursery told me NOT to buy the climbing Clothilde Soupert since it doesn't bloom as often.

The Abe. I got from 2021 has more vibrant color than my 1993 short shrub Evelyn. Both blooms can look similar, but different growth habit and leaves. Abe. is taller at 5 feet tall, versus my short shrub Evelyn is less than 3 feet.

Abe. refuses to bloom when I prune it short like Evelyn. Abe is tall & lanky and stingy as own root (now only 2 canes), giving less than 15 blooms per year in my zone 5. My short Evelyn is a constant bloomer at 100+ blooms, very healthy since 2012 as own root in my zone 5, see below:

Abe. was bred from Aloha and Yellow Cushion in 1985. That was the OLD ABE. that I saw at rose park in 2011 with apricot blooms, upright & dense & thick bush about 4 feet tall. Those old abe. had HUGE TRUNK, but blooms were small & apricot and shaped like a dahlia, with VERY SHARP and harsh citrus scent.

That old abe was DIFFERENT from my 2021 own root Abe being lanky & tall at 5 feet and LARGER bloom with many petals. OLD Abe.'s parent was Yellow Cushion ... a short floribunda and NOT zone 5 winter hardy, and NOT healthy like Graham Thomas.

Evelyn was bred in 1991 from Graham Thomas and Tamora. I have the short shrub Evelyn as stated in below 1993 David Austin book at 3' x 3' and blooms more than grows.

Evelyn is a cross between Graham Thomas and Tamora. I saw short & prickly Tamora at nearby rose park. Below 1993 David Austin book "Old Roses and English Roses" states that Evelyn is at 3' x 3' and producing more flowers and less growth.

The confusion starts when David Austin bred Graham Thomas climber with Aloha to create new Abraham Darby. The top of picture with "orange blob" and less petals Abe. was from David Austin 2011 catalog. The bottom half of picture with MORE petals Abe. at the leftmost (looking like the 1993 form Evelyn) is from 2018 David Austin catalog .. that's when Evelyn was removed from the catalog.

Graham Thomas is healthier as a parent than its former parent Yellow Cushion.

New Abe. improves in health, plus more petals, and with blooms similar to Evelyn since it also has Graham Thomas as its parent. New Abe. still differs from my short shrub Evelyn. New Abe. has rounder leaves and darker green leaves (from its parent Ahola), versus my Evelyn is more prickly (from its prickly parent Tamora).

I got poked by Evelyn when I took below pic (left is Evelyn with paler leaves and very shallow cup as stated in 1993 David Austin book). Right is Abraham Darby with deeper color & more cup shaped, round & dark green leaves like its parent Aloha. Abe. has Aloha's habit of opening its blooms slowly in misshapened bud form.

I grow Aloha and it's tiny in zone 5 at 2' x 1.5'. It has glossy leaves like Abe. and green apple & citrus scent. My own root Aloha bought in 2012 is slender & only two canes with a long pause between 3 flushes.

Using Graham Thomas instead of Yellow Cushion Floribunda is what makes NEW ABE looking like Evelyn in bloom form. I still see Aloha's traits of glossy leaves & upright growth in Abe, and NEW ABE is still lanky & a few canes as own root. Below is Aloha in my garden, very dark green and round leaves just like its offspring Abraham Darby.

Below is my own root Abraham Darby (2021) with dark green and rounder leaves than Evelyn. Plus less petals at 70 as stated in David Austin 2011 catalog. Scent is sharp citrus and more like its parent Aloha when soaked in my tap water at pH 9. Abe. is prone to blackspots in my high rain climate.

Below is my Evelyn bloom with 100 petals as stated in David Austin 2011 catalog:

Below was David Austin 2011 catalog stating that Evelyn has 100 petals with peaches scent:

The confusion between Evelyn and Abraham Darby get worse when nurseries mistakenly sell the 1993 short shrub Evelyn as Abraham Darby. 1993 short shrub Evelyn is MUCH EASIER TO ROOT and much healthier than Abraham Darby. Evelyn was bred in 1991, and 1993 David Austin book described Evelyn as 3' x 3' with more blooming and less growth.

Abraham Darby was bred in 1985. The older Abraham Darby is more apricot with less petals and sharp cirtrus scent. The new Abraham Darby has more petals and look like Evelyn thanks to replacing its older parent Yellow Cushion floribunda with Graham Thomas.

Starting in 2016, David took out the 1993 Evelyn completely, and replaced with the climber Evelyn (button eye, pale color and less petals) to distinguish that from the new Abe. But the climber Evelyn is less winter hardy at zone 6 to 9, see below:

Below is a friend's pale Evelyn blooms with button eye (circled). Hers is the climber Evelyn, grafted on Dr.Huey-roostock from David Austin: