Where to Buy David Austin Fisherman's Friend

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

Any suggestions for where to buy this rose since it is sold out here:
http://www.heirloomroses.com/roses/david-austin-english-roses/fisherman-s-friend-tm.html

Thanks in advance for any help.

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Fisherman's Friend is difficult to find in any case, although I understand it to be a very good and desirable rose. It's a relatively old red, and David Austin has introduced so many good red ones (I think this is where he excels, since good red roses are rare and he has quite a few) that the older ones tend to be pushed aside. Even David Austin's U.S. website does not have it, nor Chamblees, Pickering or Roses Unlimited. When roses are in heavy demand or rare (it took me quite some time to get The Dark Lady) they will be sold out, as at Heirloom roses, very early in the season.

The best approach would be to wait for the next season and then order early. I actually ordered some of my more unusual roses last fall for delivery this month.

I wish I had better news.

Donna

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

Thanks Donna very informative, I didn't know that it was an old rose. I'll look
into some of the newer ones. Any suggestions for something similar and
perhaps better?

Found L-D-Braithwaite, anything I should know about it:
http://www.chambleeroses.com/order/David-Austin%AE-Roses/L-D-Braithwaite-%28Auscrim%29/239

Super Hero also looks good:
http://www.chambleeroses.com/order.php?id=439

This message was edited Apr 25, 2014 12:12 PM

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Austin's early roses often had problems with health. William Shakespeare was replaced by WS2000, an equally beautiful but much stronger rose. The original was a disease magnet. But he got better and better.

In looking at Austin's red roses. It's tough. Good red roses are notoriously difficult to breed. He's great at this, but look for pitfalls. There are red roses that fade to unattractive colors. There are roses that do better in afternoon shade.

LD is Mary Rose (very strong, healthy plant) crossed with The Squire (a very old red). I seriously considered it. It is a gorgeous rose. It starts out with very little scent, I read, but the scent strenghthens as it ages. My finalists were LD, Sophie's Rose (described as dark red) as is the Dark Lady, William Shakespeare (described as crimson red).

Just as a note. One of the reasons I chose The Dark Lady is that I went to the Chicago Botanic Garden one August to look at roses. They don't prune, or treat their roses much. Many looked pretty bad, but The Dark Lady and Benjamin Britten (strong orange cast) looked fabulous.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles, which I have grown and am growing, is spectacular - but it's really a climber. Note that when Austin says that a rose grows 3-4 feet, or 6-8 as a climber, he is talking about a rose that does BOTH. I happen to love it, but I definitely put it on a trellis.

When looking at red roses, just cross reference everything you read for scent, flower shape, leafiness (I avoid sparsely leafed roses) true color, color fading (some red roses fade to truly ugly colors), size and repeat ability. Do remember that when someone says recurrent, that can mean it blooms once in spring and then in fall. Or some people use it to mean every 6-8 weeks with pruning. What I like is a rose that claims, truly, to be in essentially continual bloom (and it can be true, as the Marie Pavie and Sea Foam in my yard attest).

But he has also come out with 2-3 new roses in the last couple of years, and he does this so well you should have a look. A lot of people are looking at Darcey Bussell and Munstead Wood. You have to wait till next season anyway. Take your time and pick the one that gives

As to the floribunda you mention - and this is just my opinion - I think you will find it comparatively skimpy when compared to the lusciousness of Austins. And every floribunda I have put into my yard has died, whereas a shrub rose (Like most Austins are) is tougher.

Chamblees shipped me a Glamis Castle two years ago that rocked the world. I have two roses on order with them this season. They are very, very good.

Have fun! It can be fun.

Donna

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

Thanks Donna lots of great info there!

I've come across Braveheart and will look into it more.

I'm not looking for a climber just shrub type for now.

Found L.D. on ebay in a 2 gal container, am I asking for trouble on ebay?

This message was edited Apr 26, 2014 8:58 AM

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Some ebay vendors are terrific. Some are really awful. Look carefully at their reviews, ratings and guarantees. Look VERY carefully.

Is this the one?:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/L-D-Braithwaite-Auscrim-Deep-Red-Rose-2-Gal-Bush-Large-Flower-Plant-Roses-/330695422805

Great reviews. Lots of satisfied customers. Large size.

Looking at the price and inventory, the person is getting them straight from David Austin and marking them up. Nothing wrong with that. A containerized rose can be planted at any time.

I think it's worth investigating.

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

That's it, thank you again for looking!

While I'd like to get a bargain, I don't mind paying 10 to $20 more to
have them more established in the larger container since they are
going in a highly visible front bed. It is worth it to me, especially since
I think they look so much better than what I can get locally.

Just noticed that they have Dark Lady, but that the growth is spreading,
I want more of a shrub type that doesn't need a lot of pruning, maybe L D
is better? Also, these are in 1 gal containers at a better price:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Dark-Lady-Deep-Red-Rose-1-Gal-Live-Shrub-Plant-Fragrant-Landscape-Roses-Now-/330698790381


They have WS2000 also! :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/William-Shakespeare-2000-Rose-2-Gal-Shrub-Live-Bush-Crimson-Shrubs-Plant-Roses-/330698790707

Decisions, decisions ....

This message was edited Apr 26, 2014 1:08 PM

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

I have actually looked at all three of these roses and they are all great. It has to do with your preferences.

The Dark Lady, I have read, prefers afternoon shade. The two that I bought will be on the east side of my property; the east side becomes shady in the afternoon.

You know, that William Shakespeare 2000 looks great. Isn't that the same great seller? I think (well because I have The Dark Lady), I'd go with that one. I still may acquire it one day. But if you want it, be quick like a bunny. She only has one left!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/William-Shakespeare-2000-Rose-2-Gal-Shrub-Live-Bush-Crimson-Shrubs-Plant-Roses-/330698790707

Do note that it is sent with ONLY expedited shipping, which adds $10.

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Oh, and thank you for the thank you. I spent weeks researching red roses when I was looking for a mannerly climber. I went to two libraries and checked out any book I thought might help. A little obsessive, but it paid off, and I acquired three different red roses for three different purposes and they were each just right. Why not give someone else a little help? Besides, my onssessiveness may as well have a useful purpose!

If you can't get a red now, you may be able to research Austin's new reds.

Oh, I just found somet6hing you might want to look at. Austin has roses by use. And by the way, I forgot to mention Sophy's Rose. She was a contender for me, and she is smaller.

https://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/Advanced.asp?PageId=2062

You might check out the new ones if you can't order now: Darcy Bussell and Healthcliff (did he REALLY name a rose Heathcliff?!) There will be more information later in the year about them.

Richmond, TX

So many lovely roses...!

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Aren't they fantastic. I think red roses is where David Austin truly distinguishes himself. I had a very difficult time choosing a red that was not a climber.

Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

It's that time of year, and I have awaken from a deep hibernation!
Have you guys ever checked the list of retailers in your state posted at David Austin's website? Their list keeps growing longer and longer every year.
4 years ago, nurseries here in NJ seemed to be clueless as to what David Austin roses are.
Now all my favorite independent nurseries carry them and are officially posted at DA's website.
Just last year, my favorite specialized supermarket that happened to have a large garden center as well and just about a 15 min drive, to my surprise, became all of a sudden a Premier Partner for David Austin. They never carried DA roses before. I went there to buy some tomato plants and I was greeted with a giant David Austin banner announcing their premier partnership. Imagine the reaction on my face.
So before ordering your DA roses at Ebay or the likes, check the list of those retailers first. There might be one within a driving distance to you. And if you find one, you can ask for a list of the varieties they will carry. Then you might get lucky! Also watch out for those mid or end season sale where they'll slash the prices to half or more.

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Well said, Tex68. You are on the money about end of season sales too! I have never purchased a rose directly from David Austin.

Way back in 2005, I walked in to Milaegers in Racine Wisconsin. They had gotten their Austins through Star Roses and Bailey Nursery and Glamis Castle, which had been priced at $27.99, and Heritage, which had bee priced at $24.99, sat there in August, unsold. They were both marked down to $9.99. Can I say gimme? Very large plants, but more importantly, by August, in my climate, roses show their every weakness. Yes, they had a number of Austins, some that I had coveted, but (remember, this is 2005) DA was still working on disease resistance. Some of his roses looked awful - blackspotted, almost leafless. These two looked fabulous.

PeteB7, if you cab resist (and trust me, I have very little willpower) Tez68's idea is great.

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

I was surprised to find that a garden center 5 miles from our house is a dealer, thanks for the tip!
They did not have WS 2000 and in reds they had:
Darcy Bussell but it only grows to 3 X 2'
Munstead Wood which looks more burgundy in color and also only grows to 3 X 2.5
Falstaff but this is a climber
all were in pots, looked like 1.5 gal for $39.99 making them more
expensive than from ebay even shipped.
The 1.3 gal are 24.99 + $10 shipping on ebay

The second dealer, about 30 minutes away, said they'd be getting their David Austin roses in this week but did not know what was coming.

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Those prices are ridiculous! The standard overpricing of garden centers puts them at about $25-$27. The garden center I used to get my Austins from is selling, TODAY, Munstead Wood - a three foot high specimen in a container (marked NEW!) for $27.99. The interesting thing is that the retail price of a 5 foot Heritage (that's what I bought years ago) is $27.99. Mine was 3 feet high for about that original price before it was knocked down to $9.99. Years ago he did have WS2000. I remember.

The reason your garden center is trying to charge them is that despite the fat that they have actually been in commerce in Britain since 2007 and 2008, they are newer and hotter in the US and most overpriced. Munstead is quite dark, and Falstaff is another very old rose (1999 - they should be ashamed.)

If you were interested, which you most sensibly are not, the strategy would be to go back when he finds he has trouble selling them at that price.

Truly, I would bypass these clowns, wait till next year, and get it from Pickering Nurseries in Canada. Their roses mature VERY quickly, and they are $16.50 each. You would order in fall to make sure you get your choices. That's what I do. You have to buy three, but they have sold out of WS2000, Darcey Bussell, Othello, The Dark Lady, and Falstaff. These roses would be larger than Chamblees or Roses Unlimited (nice sizes) and I would not recommend Heirloom (roses that take a long time to mature - and they have a new owner.)

At $16.50 each and $18.00 shipping for three or four, you would do much better financially. Heck, you could buy three WS2000, considering that you would get two of them for $39.00.

I would be very interested in what the second guy says, but a lot of the problem is that you are working with DA dealers. You would actually be better off purchasing directly from Austin. He has WS2000 now at $26.95 each. If you really want it, I think that's your best bet of getting what you really want at a somewhat reasonable price.

https://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/showrose.asp?showr=3651

This message was edited Apr 27, 2014 2:38 PM

Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

I don't know about the 1.5 gal size. Here in Jersey it's pretty much standard of about 2.5 - 3 gal DA's green containers (I know for sure it's more than 2 gal) and the average price is $35.
I don't mind paying $35 for a well established, healthy, blooming DA rose.
Oh wait, I recall now, about 3 yrs ago, I did bought a couple of DA rose from Whole Foods in a much smaller container, so yeah I think it was about 1.5 gal. But now in all garden centers here they do come in 2.5 or 3 gal. Some carries 5 gal as well. You just have to pay the price.
Some of the DA dealers are notable well established independent garden centers, usually the ones that really caters to and promote organic gardening. I find their prices fair and they usually have good selections with excellent return policy and magnificent customer service. These are the garden centers I go to. These are the ones you can ask to order a specific garden product for you (fertilizers, plants, etc.) and they will go the distance to get it for you and won't charge you extra for the special order.
Then there are the smaller type garden center dealers (who usually do landscaping as well) they're the one that usually overprice their products. There's one around the corner from my house. Been there twice just to check their stuff and never went back.

Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

Just to give you a quick look on what the above mentioned roses will look like in the garden.
This is Benjamen Britten, a stunning bloody red-orange. Got sturdy stems, perfect as a shrub, but I'm growing as a climber.Shown here with Golden Celebration.

Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68
Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

Next is Darcey Bussell, a red blend shrub, short - but excellent repeat bloomer.
Last photo - near left and far right are Darcey bushes, middle is B. Britten.

Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68
Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

Next is LD Braithwaite. It says it can grow to 6ft tall. Had it for about 4 yrs now and still short, slow grower, but rewards you with a gorgeous deep red blooms. My favorite red Austin.

Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68
Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

The Dark Lady. Description is dark red, but it seems to be more of a deep fushia for me.

Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68
Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

First 2 - The Prince
Last 2 - Tradescant
Both dark red DA roses. The Prince or both of them actually turns purple as the bloom gets older.

Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68
Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

Tess of D'Urbervilles(sp?). One of my favorite red Austins. I'm growing as a climber, but can be grown as a shrub as well. Shown here with Hannah Gordon (not an Austin).

This message was edited Apr 27, 2014 7:02 PM

Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68
Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

Here's a good true red. Not an Austin, but a floribunda from Germany - Erfordia.
Last 2 photos - left is Erfordia, and right is Tess of D'Urbervilles.

Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68
Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Since you too are in the same zone, the colors Tex shows would probably be close to what you would experience. These same roses take on different color casts in my more northern light and heat. In the Midwest the Dark Lady is more crimson, and BB more orange. Placement is important too.

The reds that turn purple tend to be the earlier roses with Gallica blood. I got my fix by purchasing Charles de Mills, which in my climate, and in a semi-shade spot, doesn't become dark purple.

My favorite red Austin Is Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but it's really a climber. If you tried to contain it as a shrub you would only go nuts pruning.

Pete, Tex has roses that go back to the early days of Austin. Many are wonderful, but require a great deal of care and nurturing, like the Prince. Even Austin says so. I enjoy doing it. I don't mind a rose or two amongst many that rewards care with sumptuous flowers. The newer ones are easier for people who are not eager to spend a lot of time on their roses. The extreme of this is Knockouts. But it's funny. The ones I see never look like the ones in the ads. They look quite tired. Maybe the KO people give their roses more care than they encourage.

Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

Ignore the first photo on the above post. That's Tess not Erfordia. Here's the one I meant to post: Shown here with Brass Band.

Thumbnail by Tex68
Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

Donna, all what you said are true and correct! I don't mind pruning my roses. I find them therapeutic.
But I did cut down on some of my less desirable roses. Only to make way for more dahlias (LOL).

Lastly, here another good red. Not an Austin, it's still a good shrub though.
I got this from Paletine (north of the border). Ascot.

Thumbnail by Tex68 Thumbnail by Tex68
Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

To give you an idea of how Tess grows, here it is in my garden before bursting in to bloom. Not what you are looking for, but great!

This message was edited Apr 27, 2014 6:22 PM

Thumbnail by DonnaMack
Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

That's exactly the way I want my Tess to grow like. I have it against a trellis shared with The Generous Gardener. But for whatever reason, healthy as it is, not really growing a lot of longer canes I can fan.

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

Thanks everyone for all the excellent advice!
I did ask if they go on sale, he said not often, and I told him that I could get a better price on ebay since I did think it was a high price. They looked healthy but they were not tall less than 2 feet but I think that they were cut down not sure. They were not as full as the Home Runs that I ordered online.

They also had a hard to find 2 step lawn fertilizer that I already ordered online, I have to check the price but I think it is more than I paid shipped direct. I told them that also.

I'm going to check in there and see if the David Austins move or not or if they go on sale at some point. I might want to buy more for another bed.

I am going to go to the other garden center and see what they have.

Enjoying the pictures, thank you both again!

I am a complete novice at this but here is a picture of our Dr. Huey that I think I'm finally
pruning reasonably well - the flowers are gorgeous but it only blooms once:
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2013/08/11/PeteB7/ada057.jpg

I have to confess that I did some crazy fertilizing during the fall before that picture was taken
and I could not believe the growth and number of flowers. That picture was early, I think it
produced about 3 times as many flowers as shown.

This message was edited Apr 27, 2014 7:58 PM

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

What a pretty Dr.H. I have a garden client who put in a Golden Showers Climber, and when the flowers "turned red" they thought it was a miracle!

I tried not to laugh when I explained to them that the only miracle was that their Golden Showers was grafted onto Dr. Huey understock and no one told them. That puppy was HUGE! Yours is lovely as a shrub.

Tess gets quite rampant, and it has lovely luscious leaves. As you can see, it moves all over the place. Mine decided it liked the back deck, and grew beautifully with the feverfew and nepeta on the ground.

My you both get as much pleasure from your roses as I get from mine!

Thumbnail by DonnaMack Thumbnail by DonnaMack Thumbnail by DonnaMack Thumbnail by DonnaMack
Long Branch, NJ(Zone 7a)

Kind of off-topic, but was just reading the list of one of my favorite nurseries on the roses they're going to carry this year. They got Boscobel and Tranquility listed (2014 DA roses). I sooo wanted those roses. I was going to order bare roots from DA, but just don't have the patience for them. Now I'm so excited I can get them potted.
Falstaff is also listed. Another red-crimson I may be able to add to my collection,

This message was edited Apr 27, 2014 10:28 PM

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

I'm very fond of my Austins but don't find myself purchasing many of the new ones because I'm not a DA collector. In total I have mostly older ones: Heritage, Rose Marie, Glamis Castle, Constance Spry, Jude the Obscure (mistake in order), The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild (recommendation) Tess and now The Dark Lady will do it for me. Of those, my favorite is a toss up between Glamis Castle and the extraordinary Constance Spry. I don't care that it blooms once. That once will blow you away.

When I started I assumed I'd buy all Austins but then I started looking at the roses he used for breeding, and I was also looking at the combination of floral repeat, scent, health, beauty and track record. Once I did that, my first roses were all reblooming old garden roses; two of the three portlands, and once I discovered those I started looking for roses like them. At that time DA roses were unpredictable. He would state that they would do x in one climate but they would do y. A lot of them were kind of spindly, so he suggested buying three to get a fuller look. He was marketing so heavily that his predictions were not yet sorted out. His roses perform differently in the different places he markets them. He withdrew roses after introducing them. The said that Glamis was his best white, then he disavowed it, then he recommended it again. It was confusing. That was when I started using the Chicago Botanic Garden to evaluate Austins.

I've been ordering a mix of rose types and hybridizers. Austin is inspired by the old, and so am I. Gruss an Aachen, Stanwell Perpetual, Sea Foam, Morden Blush, Marchesa Bocchella, Rose du Rescht, Zephirine Drouhin, Kathleen Harrop, Charles de Mills, Enfant du France, Marie Pavie, Madame Hardy, Jacquelyn DuPres. I love a mix of polyanthas, hybrid perpetuals, portlands, damasks, bourbons, hybrid spinossisimas and shrubs. It's partly because I started with open pollinated heirloom seeds, and I'm a history buff.

The other thing is that I am also a peony person, and peonies have much the same flower form as some of the fuller Austin roses. So I can get an additional fix that way.

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

I Pete.

I just received 2 of the The Dark Lady and a Dublin Bay from Roses Unlimited. They both had mature blooms on the (such a thrill when you open the box!!) as well as buds, and I can definitely tell you that if you are seeking the kind of dark red of Tess, Dublin Bay or (as I perceive it) LD, do not go with The Dark Lady. It definitely, at least when open, has fuschia overtones. The one at the Botanic Garden looked darker, and these were from South Carolina, but I still think the tone would show. That's why they tell you the plant likes afternoon shade - the color probably goes fuschia very fast in sun.

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

Very interesting Donna, I'm learning a lot.

I am realizing that I have a strong preference for a certain shape in roses.
Looking here it seems that I like the "high centered" type, the red one in
the center really looks like a rose to me and I think our Dr. Huey has this
shape:
http://allthingsplants.com/ideas/view/Calif_Sue/1187/An-Explanation-of-Rose-Shapes-and-Types/

Our Home Run roses have a flat bloom as described in that link that I really do not like at all.
Interesting that I recently saw some Knock Out roses that had more of a high centered
look.

Are they using the correct terminology on that page?

I don't think the WS2000 will have the shape I'm looking for but they are far better
than the Home Run that we have now.

You mentioned shape and Peonies and I think that many of the DA roses have a shape more
like Peonies than traditional roses.

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

I visited the second garden center 45 minutes away and the DA roses were not in yet. They told me over the phone, second time I called, that "the roses" were in and they were Knockouts not DA as I was expecting, lol! I told them I can get those at HD. They said the DAs ($39.99) were delayed probably until around Mother's day so I think I'm going to buy the WS2000s on ebay. I think I might prefer the shape of L.D. Braithwaite and the ebay seller has them in the smaller pot for $24.95.

I'm also thinking about some white roses or very light pink, noticed Winchester Cathedral but it is only a double bloomer. I have a side bed that needs to be replanted and I probably have room for 4 plants there.

This message was edited May 2, 2014 6:58 PM

Richmond, TX

If you like the high centered rose the best, Hybrid Teas might be the roses for you. Most garden centers stock them - perhaps not Home Depot, though.

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

It is just what I think of for roses and I DO like them more but I'm willing to give it up for less effort.
Lowes in my area has Jackson & Perkins 2.25-Gallon Veterans Honor Rose for about $22 not bad but I've read that they are not disease resistant at all.
They need to be reasonably low maintenance. I'll water, fertilize and prune them once or
twice a season but that is about it.

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

I ended up buying Knock Outs at the local Lowes here and they hardly did anything
last summer. We're having a lot of rain and most plants are growing strong but these
do not have many leaves and either they nearly died in the drought last summer or
an animal might be eating them.
I'm back to looking at David Austin roses and read that bare root are grafted to Dr. Huey root stock whereas in pots they are own root - which is better?:
"2 Quart - Planted in a carefully selected planting mix; these own root roses are available Spring and Fall, enabling you to plant roses outside of the bare root rose season. Our own root roses are grown from cuttings, so the roots are the same variety as the flowers, unlike our bare root roses which are grafted onto Dr. Huey rootstock."

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Hi Pete - nice to see you again.

I'll be frank. I hate Knockouts. They are a triumph of marketing. I have clients who own them (I should say owned in many cases) because almost all of them died. I have one client who had 8 and I managed to save four of them by treating them for the mineral deficiencies that they had and by giving them two gallons of water four times a week and mounding compost around them each winter. They are not the no care roses that are heavily advertised and many of them, because they are sold in centers with thousands of other KO roses, have been in the headlines for being virused, which weakens and kills them. The insects that carry the virus just hop from one plant to another because they are so close together.

Please do not buy any rose grafted onto Dr. Huey rootstock in the north. Dr. Huey is grown more than any other rose in the country. Why? Because roses are commonly grafted onto Dr. Huey stock, and in a cold winter, the top dies and you have Dr. Huey. I have a client whose beautiful Golden Showers became a very thorny Dr. Huey and they were mystified. Worse, Huey does not rebloom. I have looked at the Austin website and I am flabbergasted that he would market roses on Huey for the north. I noticed that the Austins in my garden center are all own root. I picked up a 2 and a half foot Winchester Cathedral last year for $20. I bought 3 Charlottes (a beautiful yellow) for a client. Austin's roses in this center are always carefully labeled own root. It's because my garden center knows the difference.

Definitely get an own root one. I know that there are fewer choices, but buying a rose on Huey means that you would join the thousands in the north who have that rose.

He does have a couple of red roses, and I think that they are nice choices:

http://www.davidaustinroses.com/us/root-type/own-root-2-quart-pots

When it comes to rootstocks, the differences are important. I read that Dr, Huey is used in the large California nurseries that supposedly produce 80% of the roses in the country. Before they closed, I bought almost all of my roses from Pickering Nursery in Canada. They were huge bareroots, and they were grafted, but they were grafted onto very hardy rootstock. I never lost one.

I think that my nursery picks very carefully the Austin roses it offers. They stick with those known for disease resistance and zone hardiness. They get them from Austin and grow them up a bit. They do not offer grafted Austins. I understand that they are offering Darcey Bussell this year and I may get it. Pat Henry of Roses Unlimited, in Carolina (own root) is saying that Munstead Wood is a must have. So I will look there too.

Hope this helps. I have been growing roses since 2003 and I have learned so much. It's great to be able, like fabulous people like Tex, to pass on what you know.

Donna

Trumbull, CT(Zone 7a)

Hi Donna, yes nice to see you also and thank you again for the insightful answers.
Now I'm trying to decide where to put them since I'm not quite ready to pull up the
Knock Outs - hoping they'll come back.
Then again there is a border in the back yard where I could move the Knock outs.
I also have Home Run that I put in around 2012, the second year they flowered a lot, last summer almost nothing.
I'm wondering if the weed and feed for the grass slowed them down, but we did
also have a serious drought the last 2 seasons.
I'm going to try to keep about 10' away from them with the weed and feed this year.

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
BACK TO TOP