David Austin began breeding roses about 50 years ago. His roses are also referred to as English roses. What sets his roses apart is the fact that David Austin makes scent a priority, in roses filled with petals. You could say he put the romance back into roses.
Last week, I took pictures of almost all the Austins in my garden. And I'll tell you my favorite, but don't let the other roses know! They each think they are my favorite!
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| James Galway |
James Galway was my first Austin rose. I'd heard about David Austin and just had to have one of these roses. But James and I have had a rocky relationship. I've moved him around quite a bit, and he's not been too happy about that. He has quite the pretty face, but he's not my favorite. I think he may suspect that, too.
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| Heritage |
Every time I post a picture of 'Heritage', people ask me its name. Heritage does have a lovely form. And a lovely fragrance. And I don't know why I'm not more taken with this rose. She certainly tries hard to be my favorite. But she's not.
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| Pat Austin, from August |
Pat Austin eats dirt! I've heard others tell of Pat's tendency to have her blooms end up face down in the dirt, but still it's quite disconcerting to see. After a year or two, her stems become strong enough to hold up her blooms. She had just started holding up her blooms when I transplanted her. Life as a rose around here is not easy! She was in too much shade, so I'm now expecting much more from her. Go, Pat, go!
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| Abraham Darby |
I have several other Austins that are fairly new. Abraham Darby (above) is small and lost behind some other roses. Honestly, I often forget he's back there. Grow, Abe, boy!
I probably shouldn't have bought Glamis Castle (below) at all! I've heard it gets blackspot quite often. Like a fool in love, I chose to ignore that information when I saw its pure white blooms. Don't let me down, Glamis!
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| Glamis Castle |
Recently, I've seen a picture of Sister Elizabeth. Wow! Just the picture took my breath away! If I remember to get Sister Elizabeth, and her blooms are as pretty in real life as in her photos, she may easily become my favorite Austin. I'm writing her name down here so I won't forget her name.
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| Tamora |
So, which rose is my favorite Austin? Tamora. She has enchanted me from day one. Her blooms stay upright on the bush. She stays small, and she blooms quite well. I love the color. And I love the form.
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| Tamora |
I've heard others brag about Tamora, too. She seems to be universally loved. I guess you could say she blooms where she's planted.
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| Tamora |
Tamora stays around 3 ft tall, is disease resistant, fragrant, and grows in zone 5 through 10. I definitely recommend her. Give Tamora a try. She just may end up being your favorite Austin, too. Of course, I won't tell your other roses!
Do you have a favorite Austin rose? I'd love to know its name. If not, which rose above do you think is the prettiest?
Your roses are always so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHi Holley, all your David Austin roses are incredible beautiful, but I can see why 'Tamora' is your favorite. Since a lot of David Austin roses are getting out of hand size-wise it is good to know that Tamora stays relatively small. I grow a few David Austin roses myself, but I am truly incapable to pick a favorite. I just love them all! Therefore I will go back to your photos and say that 'Abraham Darby' would be my favorite from the rose pictures that you have featured. The subtle, sophisticated coloration of this rose is just to die for and I know by my own experience that it has a killer fragrance.
ReplyDeleteChristina
Holly I so love roses but don't seem to have much luck with them since I moved to this house 7 years ago. I am in a tough zone for them to begin with but I raised them at out other home. I so enjoy seeing yours and I do love roses that are fragrant. So many have been bred without fragrance to me they are missing an important part of carrying the name rose.
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing lots of Austins at our recent rose show I've really gone gaga over them - not that I can do anything about it. But I am trying to root some cuttings from the bouquets I collected. We'll see how that goes. Yours are just lovely.
ReplyDeleteWe don't grow Austin Roses ---but I agree that Tamora would be a favorite of mine also. As you know, we grow Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras. We love the scented roses also.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos, Holley.
Hugs,
Betsy
I'm with you - Tamora.
ReplyDeleteI love David Austin roses and have a few in the garden but Abraham Darby is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteTamora is my favourite, no question!
ReplyDeleteRomance in a rose is good! So many varieties no longer smell like I remember roses smelling when I was a kid. Your house must smell wonderful when you gather these into a vase!
ReplyDeleteLoved this post! I am totally making a wish list for David Austin roses this spring!
ReplyDeleteAhhhhhh, they are absolutely gorgeous! I would love to plant them all in my garden :)
ReplyDeleteCarolyn - They get more beautiful to me every year!
ReplyDeleteChristina - About size - interestingly, Heritage is quite large (although still young), and is on Dr. Huey rootstock. Most of my other Austins (but not all) are own-root. I think the own-root take a few extra years to get really going. It'd be interesting to know if this really makes a difference, or if it's just my imagination.
wilderness - I agree that a rose with a fragrance is a delight. Sorry you're not having much luck with roses there. Location is so important.
sherry - Oh, how exciting! I hope all your cuttings take root! How fun!
Betsy - I think all roses are fabulous. I usually just pick them out by color!
Cynthia - She's a sweetheart!
leavesnbloom - I've always loved every picture of Abe that I've ever seen, so I'm waiting anxiously for mine to get a little larger so I can see him!
Gardening Blog - I just love her sweet little cup-shaped form.
Cat - I rarely bring roses inside - I need to start doing that. But they fragrance the air as I walk by, and I love that!
Kelsley - My wish list keeps getting longer and longer, too!
Dewi - That's the hard part. Not having room for all!
ReplyDeletei always fall totally in love with austin roses when i see them, and especially when i smell them. i have too much shade for most roses and maybe i shouldn't plant them at all. but tamora is so gorgeous! and i've wanted abraham darby for quite some time. have you ever grown any of them in pots? i'm thinking of trying it that way.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who is growing Tamora in a pot and I can't remember if it's a standard or not but it is pretty. I have 3 David Austins: Heritage, Graham Thomas, and Mary Rose. Mary Rose is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThose are excellent collection of Austin! I like Tamora!
ReplyDeleteJames Galway is my favorite one from your photos - but in my garden Abraham Darby is my first love when it comes to David Austin roses.
ReplyDeleteDaricia - I think Tamora would work beautifully in a pot. She stays small, and would be the perfect size for a container rose. Abe is a bit bigger - he's a climber, so I'm not sure how many years he would stay happy in a container. Of course, you might grow him for a couple of years in a pot, then be able to find a spot in your garden where he can grow tall enough to find some sun. Good luck. I hope you do try Tamora in a pot at least!
ReplyDeletedorothy - Thanks for your information on Mary Rose. I'll have to check her out!
Malar - I love Austins. Of course, I just love roses! :)
Cottage Dome - Abraham Darby seems to be very popular with those that have him. That's a great sign! He must be a very good boy indeed!
I love Austin roses and old English looking roses - they are so pretty! Your Tamora is lovely! I really like the Heritage as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't have many roses yet (thorns are a drawback in my garden with the kids) but someday I'd love to have an Austin!
Hope your Glamis Castle works out for you. Sometimes, I ignore popular plant wisdom with unexpectedly good results and other times I suffer the consequences.
ReplyDeleteIndie - You're in luck! David Austin has a page on his website that lists many thornless roses (not all are Austins). James Galway is listed, and I can attest to him having very long, smooth canes. I would suggest you purchase them in person, though, as some "thornless" roses have more prickles than others!
ReplyDeleteGirlSprout - It's so hot here, too hot for blackspot in the summer, so hopefully I'll luck out. It was just too pretty to pass up!
ReplyDeleteI can see why Tamora is your favorite! But if you could mix the form of Tamora with the color of Heritage, that might be my favorite. Or maybe Heritage is my favorite, afterall, because it's not too perfect. I bet they all smell amazing!
ReplyDeleteI just love all of them, but I don't grow but 2 total, because I am worried about the BS issues. If you don't have it, I have Sharifa Asma, which looks a lot different then those above but is also charming and 99% bs free, no spray, and stays a reasonable size, at least so far. So that one and I just bought a Heritage because I finally saw one in real life and nearly fell over. I. DON'T. CARE. if I'm going to regret it, I'm in love!
ReplyDeleteI have seen Heritage, love Abraham Darby, the Tamora has a lovely color. You will have to tell me about your source for roses in your area.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Tamora is lovely, I think my vote goes to James Galway. His old-fashioned pink ruffles win me over every time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my little blog project and commenting on the amaryllis experiment - you should get one.
I love Austin's! Tamora is a lovely rose, my heart is set on Glamis Castle! Something about white Austins....... Awesome post!
ReplyDeletePlantPostings - A mix of Tamora and Heritage, I agree, would be heavenly! Maybe you should breed roses!
ReplyDeleteJess - That's exactly how I felt when I saw Glamis Castle. I knew in advance it might have problems, but I didn't care! Isn't it nice to find a rose you absolutely fall in love with? And isn't it funny how roses can evoke such strong emotions from us!
Tufa Girl - I usually go to Chamblee's here in Tyler. They have a good assortment of modern, antique, and Austin roses. Worth a drive to see the Tyler Rose Gardens and then stop by Chamblees to get a few.
Heather - James's ruffles are beautiful. Since his blooms have become a bit larger for me, I'm loving them more and more. I just wish he bloomed more often! I think I may pick up an amaryllis (or two) the next time I find them for sale.
redneckrosarian - Yes, Glamis Castle was a rose I just couldn't seem to pass up. Such a pure white.
I have been reluctant to grow Austins here because of the clay soil and the the way it stays so wet. But I have found a spot where my roses seem to be happy so I may give this one a try...love that it grows in my zone and is disease resistant...
ReplyDeleteDonna - I hope you love her as much as I do!
ReplyDeleteI have shied away from Austin roses, too expensive for me, and I thought too large. But I do admire them when we visit large open gardens. The fragrance, the form, the colour, Yes!
ReplyDeleteDiana - They do seem to get quite large in warm climates. Thankfully, there are a few that remain small. And I agree that he has a way with all three points - fragrance, form, and beautiful color.
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with Heritage when we saw it in all its glory in England, but I don't have one. I have Graham Thomas, which I love, and Eglantyne, which I've only had for 18 months. She droops her large blooms quite a bit, but I'm hoping she will get stronger in time. I would really like some of the darker Austins, if I had room, like L D Braithwaite, Falstaff and Prospero.
ReplyDeleteLyn - It's easy to fall in love with the Austins, isn't it? I don't have any of the darker Austins, either. Although they are absolutely gorgeous in photos. I think your Eglantyne will get stronger, just give her a year or two.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing some research on roses that grow well in Texas. I'm glad I read this post about David Austin since I've read elsewhere that these roses won't survive in Texas. You blew that theory out of the water. Tamora is beautiful and look at that mass of petals! Wow.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any Austin roses (yet) but there is always room for more! I put three new roses in last winter - Queen Elizabeth, Sexy Rexy and Claire Rose. I also have Cecile Brunner. Looking forward to seeing how my new ladies do! The pictures above are all stunning - but I think Tamora is my favourite too!
ReplyDeleteStoBlogger - I think Austins do very well here - in fact, DA has an office in Tyler. In fact, many Austins do a little too well here, and get much larger than the stated sizes in England.
ReplyDeleteRuth - Oh, I hope your ladies do fabulously! I don't grow any of those, but they are very pretty ones. Glad you have room for more! It's a sad day when the garden gets so full there is no more room for another rose!
my favorite Austin rose is
ReplyDeletehttps://picasaweb.google.com/106977486730357049095/2011#5616487908719981538
i have few roses from D. Austin and i'inlove
eldanyro - Your link went to your entire album, not just a specific rose. I agree that David Austin has some beautiful, beguiling roses!
ReplyDeleteI think 'Tamora' is waaaaaaay up there on my list, if not at the top. Maybe it is at the top--it has been reliably beautiful here for more than a decade now. I can't forget 'Golden Celebration', though. And 'Prospero', and 'Bishop's Castle', and 'Molineux', and... :)
ReplyDeleteHoover Boo - I do think it's hard to decide on just one Austin favorite. Although, Tamora seems to be at the top or close to it for just about everyone I know that grows her! Golden Celebration is one I've wanted to get for a while. Just need to find a place!
ReplyDelete