English Rose, Austin Rose 'Lilian Austin'

I live in Minneapolis, MN (Z 4) and have successfully grown this rose for 8 years. This really is a lovely 'relaxed' Austin rose; by rela...Read Morexed I mean that the number of petals and looser more open petal arrangement mean the flower is held upright so it is always visible.

The rose that Bloomer describes is not Lilian Austin. Lilian Austin has large, rich medium pink bloom with a warm tint and slight yellow...Read More glow at the heart of the bloom. Petals are beautifully ruffled. The shrub is full and robust, wider than tall - about 3 X 5 feet for me. Foliage is dense medium green and fairly disease resistant (spray or use a systemic). Lilian puts out flushes of bloom throughout the season that literally cover the plant. When in bloom, the weight of the flowers creates a lovely wide arching/weeping effect. Give the plant plenty of space to develope naturally. Very nice fragrance.. Even here in Z 8b, this plant will go dormant in winter. Plan for a large vacant spot once freezing temps arrive, but she leafs out early in spring and is so worth the space she needs. Not a good cut flower, blooms shatter quickly.

I grew this rose in Virginia and loved it. Just prior to moving to South Carolina, I discovered that one lower cane had rooted into the mulch at the base of the plant, so I removed the new plant and brought it with me. I have been amazed by the performance of this "own root" baby in my new garden. Despite great differences in climate and soil conditions, my "baby" Lilian is identical to the parent plant back in Virginia, just as healthy and robust as mama. I find most pink roses kind of ho-hum, but I will always find room for this one.

We love this rose. The color is striking, and although we protect it for the winter, it comes back with vigorous growth each spring.

This rose is a prolific bloomer. It doesn't seem to be bothered at all by the hot, dry days and cool nights in our mountain region. It ha...Read Mores remained fairly short, about 3 feet tall, but grows wider every year. One of my favorites.