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When asked what is someone's favorite in the garden, most people hedge and haw, unable to choose among their children. This is particularly true of rosarians, I have discovered. When asked for their one favorite, rosarians give half a dozen, and when asked for their favorite half dozen, they give a dozen or more. I am no less guilty than the rest, although my technique instead is to choose one, then change my mind every few days...or few minutes. Fortunately my garden is now large enough to grow a number of roses in my search for the perfect rose. I quickly came to realize that there is no perfect rose. But in the last week or so, I've come to realize that there is one rose that makes my heart sing more than any other rose in the garden. That rose is Abraham Darby.

one of today's blooms

It's not a perfect rose, but the combination of plant vigor, upright yet graceful stature, cupped blooms, bloom size and fragrance that are of my preference are not that common in my experience. The color is more often that perfect blend of glowing pink/peach that I love than most other roses, although sometimes swerving off too far toward yellow/orange when the blooms still open. The fragrance is a mouthwatering delicious fruity fragrance. The flowers nod gracefully, not weakly. If they were stark upright, I would still like them, but perhaps somewhat less. Faults? The leaves are not particularly beautiful, although not ugly. The flowers don't take heat well, and get damaged in the wind. I think I can deal with that. A close comparison would be Evelyn, but Evelyn's flowers are often deformed, and less commonly of the color that I like, both of which make Abe more eyecatching to me even when  they are not perfect. The blooms of Evelyn are on stiffer stems rather than gracefully poised, but similarly richly fragrant (though different, and less reliably fragrant). It also seems less floriferous.

And when it comes to dahlias, my favorite is 'Snowbound', with its 8-10 inch flowers and reliability.

state of the rose trials 3

My newest roses were planted after I took out my back lawn, so were planted in the last season or two. It's really not fair to rate them or to compare them since they are not established enough to strut their stuff, so these are just initial impressions. I think it takes at least 3 years to really see what a rose will do in a garden.

Bishop's Castle

April 2015

chignon form

September 2016

old fashioned form

Approximate seasons in the garden: 2
Color: *****
Bloom Form: ***
Bloom quantity: *****
Bloom frequency: *****
Fragrance: ****
Foliage: *****
Bush form: ****
Vigor: *****
Disease resistance: *****
Heat tolerance: ****
Wind tolerance: ****
Comments: Planted bare root from David Austin roses, Bishop's Castle has leapt out of the ground, and has been one of my most vigorous and prolific roses. I blogged about this rose a couple of weeks ago. It is probably my most successful rose. Faults? The bloom form is not very often what I had hoped for, as I like what I call the chignon form. They also don't last very long, at most 5 days. It is also showing the tendency to grow very large, perhaps even a climber, which is not necessarily a fault but more a matter of placement. But it is hard to find fault in a rose that is happy to grow and bloom, and has copious amounts of lusciously fragrant flowers.
Overall rating: *****

First Crush

Approximate seasons in the garden: 1 (planted fall of 2015)
Color: ***
Bloom Form: *
Bloom quantity: *
Bloom frequency: *
Fragrance: **
Foliage: *****
Bush form: *****
Vigor: ****
Disease resistance: *****
Heat tolerance: *
Wind tolerance: *
Comments: This is the rose I had the most hopes for when I planted it last fall. With those high expectations, it is not surprising that it has not proved successful, although it is too soon to tell, and growers in other parts of the country report strong performance. Its problem here is not in the growth. The foliage is a shiny green, and the bush so far is compact yet vigorous. What makes this rose unsuccessful in my garden is that the buds brown before they open, and it is rare to have a well-formed open flower. Fragrance is light at best.
Overall rating: *

Tranquility

Approximate seasons in the garden: 1 (fall 2015).
Color: *****
Bloom Form: *****
Bloom quantity: ****
Bloom frequency: ****
Fragrance: ***
Foliage: ***
Bush form: **
Vigor: **
Disease resistance: **
Heat tolerance: **
Wind tolerance: ****
Comments: Similar in color to First Crush, Tranquility is a pale blush (but warmer than First Crush) fading to white as the flower ages. It contrasts to First Crush in that the bloom form is beautiful, the flowers tolerate the heat and wind fairly well, and the plant is low on vigor, the foliage is not particularly beautiful, and there is always damage to the leaves. I first thought it was blackspot, but upon closer inspection it is not. It may just be that the leaves do not tolerate this dry climate. Fragrance is strong and reliable, but it is a little odd, smelling like wet watercolor paper with a bit of crisp pastry. It probably needs more water than I give it to become an outstanding performer. Scraggly growth, beautiful flower.
Overall rating:  ***

Pure Perfume

 

Approximate seasons in the garden: 1 (planted Fall 2015)
Color: *****
Bloom Form: ****
Bloom quantity: ****
Bloom frequency: ****
Fragrance: ***
Foliage: *****
Bush form: *****
Vigor: ****
Disease resistance: *****
Heat tolerance: ***
Wind tolerance: ****
Comments: I was hesitant to plant this one since I read that it is very susceptible to rust, that the flowers were not fragrant as promised, and I was not attracted to the shape of the flowers which are flat or slightly reflexed rather than the cup shape I have been searching for and the petals seem too crowded. It has turned out to be quite a good performer here, vigorous but compact, with shiny beautiful leaves, no hint so far of disease, and constant production of flowers, although these get damaged and lose their form in extreme heat. Fragrance is moderate, and a bit like mass-market cosmetics to my nose rather than rich perfume. It has been a very good rose here so far, but not an old-fashioned or English rose form.
Overall rating:  ****

Evelyn
 

on arrival

The color form I like the best

Aack, the color!

Approximate seasons in the garden: 2
Color: ***
Bloom Form: ***
Bloom quantity: ***
Bloom frequency: *
Fragrance: **
Foliage: **
Bush form: **
Vigor: ***
Disease resistance: ****
Heat tolerance: ***
Wind tolerance: ***
Comments: I'm a sucker for apricot sunset roses, and if they are fragrant, I'm a goner. Evelyn has been an emotional roller-coaster for me. They arrived from Heirloom Roses last spring poorly packed and were crushed. My 3 plants have made a valiant comeback however, and I was very impressed. I became less impressed when I saw the color of the flowers, which is not consistently lovely, nor the flower form, which is often deformed, and the fragrance, which is light at best. Sadly, I will likely remove them.
Overall rating: **

Abraham Darby

Approximate seasons in the garden: 2
Color: ****
Bloom Form: ****
Bloom quantity: *****
Bloom frequency: *****
Fragrance: *****
Foliage: ****
Bush form: ****
Vigor: *****
Disease resistance: *****
Heat tolerance: ***
Wind tolerance: **
Comments: I've always loved the photos I've seen of Abraham Darby, and dreamed of having this rose for many years, and for years I told myself if I could have only one David Austin rose, it would be this one. It is that apricot sunset color that I fall for. Similar to Evelyn in color (at times), but with distinct differences. The flowers are much less tolerant of heat when not well watered, but are more consistently colored and have a more cupped shape. Often the flowers are damaged by heat and wind, but somehow even when not perfect still catch my eye and heart. My first planting of Abraham Darby failed miserably when the I didn't realize that it was due to poor irrigation and I removed the plant. Last year, I unintentionally tried again, when a cutting from an unnamed rose that I thought was particularly beautiful turned out to be Abraham Darby. So far, this year, it has grown quite a bit, and has been beautiful and fragrant, although the plant is still small.
Overall rating: ****

Munstead Wood

Color in the heat

Approximate seasons in the garden: 1 (planted spring 2016)
Color: ***
Bloom Form: ***
Bloom quantity: ****
Bloom frequency: *****
Fragrance: *****
Foliage: **
Bush form: ***
Vigor: *****
Disease resistance: *****
Heat tolerance: *****
Wind tolerance: *****
Comments: I planted this rose because I had read that it tolerated the heat, was fragrant and was consistently spoken very highly of. I had always liked the look of dark red/purple or "beet root" roses. With hesitancy, I planted this. It has shown to be the best of my new arrivals, growing like it is just so darn happy to grow and bloom. On the downside, I don't think the leaves and bush are very attractive, not ugly, just not beautiful. The plant is indeed very thorny. The flower color is not velvet red-purple that I had hoped for, but a rather mottled look and a cerise pink in the heat. The fragrance can be very rich but not consistently present. Still, it is a very good plant.
Overall rating:  ****

Fabulous

Approximate seasons in the garden: 1 (spring 2016)
Color: *****
Bloom Form: ****
Bloom quantity: ****
Bloom frequency: ****
Fragrance: *
Foliage: ****
Bush form: ***
Vigor: *****
Disease resistance: *****
Heat tolerance: ***
Wind tolerance: ***
Comments: This is another rose that is part of the search for the perfect white rose. It is frequently commented upon that this rose is indeed fabulous. Overall, it is pretty good. It is vigorous, with good foliage, and blooms well. The bush form is not particularly beautiful or ugly. The flowers are a cross between Pure Perfume and Iceberg. They have a yellow blush when they first open. Fragrance is only slight, and although it seems as if it will be reliable it has not been a rose to impress me as particularly beautiful.
Overall rating:  ***

Constellation

Approximate seasons in the garden: 2
Color: ***
Bloom Form: ***
Bloom quantity: *****
Bloom frequency: *****
Fragrance: ***
Foliage: ****
Bush form: **
Vigor: *****
Disease resistance: ****
Heat tolerance: ****
Wind tolerance: ****
Comments: Another rose in my search for the perfect white rose. I had been eyeing this rose in the nursery for several years since it is the rare fragrant miniature rose, and was white to boot. It has turned out to be not so white, opening with more than a blush of yellow, fading to white over several days. Fragrance is present and pleasant, but not particularly strong. But it is vigorous, and blooms often. It is also the only rose I'm growing in a pot, and the only miniature I'm growing. It is a worthwhile rose if you like the color, and like miniatures. I'm on the fence.

Overall rating: ***

Sonia Rykiel

Approximate seasons in the garden: 1
Color: ****
Bloom Form: ***
Bloom quantity: ****
Bloom frequency: **
Fragrance: **
Foliage: **
Bush form: **
Vigor: **
Disease resistance: ***
Heat tolerance: ***
Wind tolerance: ***
Comments: It's really too soon to tell whether this will be a great rose or not. Planted this year, it has grown slowly, and had one great flush for a tiny plant. It needs at least a year or two to see what it will do, but since it is one of the roses for which I have very high hopes, I have included it. Not much fragrance so far, but this is commonly the case with very young plants.
Overall rating: ***


The following have also been in the ground for only this season and since they have not made the leaps and bounds of Munstead, are really too soon to rate.

Anne's Beautiful Daughter
Guy de Maupassant
Princess Alexandra of Kent
Jude the Obscure
Savannah

grr...drip irrigation

Here's what I've spent the last two weekends working on...

...finding the places where the tree roots have crushed the main lines between large roots. Then cutting out the section, replacing and reconnecting the section, rerouting drip lines, testing the line for leaks, then replacing soil, dealing with the weed barrier (pre-existing), gravel mulch, organic mulch. Oh, my back!

rose trials 2

Continuing on with the rose trials is more of the first wave of roses I planted, 3-4 growing seasons ago.  I still had the idea that I would find that one perfect rose and plant the whole back yard with beds of this rose. Silly me. I'm still looking for heat tolerance and fragrance, but I gave up on the idea of white roses. These are mostly roses I planted just because I considered the photos some of the most beautiful roses I'd ever seen.

Radio Times

Approximate seasons in the garden: 3
Color: *****
Bloom Form: ****
Bloom quantity: *
Bloom frequency: *
Fragrance: ****
Foliage: ***
Bush form: *
Vigor: *
Disease resistance: ****
Heat tolerance: ****
Wind tolerance: ****
Comments: This one started out impressively. It had nice growth that first year, and glowing pink blossoms with an intense fragrance. The flower form was exquisite, like pink petticoats. It was like an Austin version of Tiffany. The first year's blooms were not to be repeated, however. Since then, it has been slow to grow and bloom despite extra water, fertilizer, horse manure, alfalfa pellets. The bloom form turned quite ordinary. Part of the problem may be siting. It might be better with more sun and less root competition from a large pine tree.

Overall rating: *

Falstaff

Approximate seasons in the garden: 3
Color: ****
Bloom Form: ****
Bloom quantity: ***
Bloom frequency: **
Fragrance: **
Foliage: *****
Bush form: *****
Vigor: ****
Disease resistance: *****
Heat tolerance: **
Wind tolerance: **
Comments: This is one of those times when I realize how funny my mind works. When I first saw this rose at the nursery, it derided its dense blooms and cupped shape. The more I looked at it, the more I liked it, and suddenly I had to have it despite lack of fragrance. After planting, I fell in love with the vigor of the plant, the shape and color of the leaves. The flowering has been erratic, however. The blossoms do have a lovely form and color (although the red fades to pink). This spring, no flowers at all survived the dry wind. I discovered later however, that at certain times, the flowers do have a delicious fragrance. The flowers can survive the heat, but crisp quickly in the wind. I suspect that it will be a bush I remove.
Overall rating: **

William Shakespeare 2000

Approximate seasons in the garden: 4
Color: *****
Bloom Form: ****
Bloom quantity: ***
Bloom frequency: ***
Fragrance: *****
Foliage: **
Bush form: **
Vigor: **
Disease resistance: **
Heat tolerance: *
Wind tolerance: *
Comments: I would consider William Shakespeare 2000 to be one of the most beautiful of all the roses I own. When I first saw this rose in a photo, it was described as a "quarter pounder" of a rose, and interesting description but I knew exactly what they meant. Upon growing this rose, it has indeed some of the most beautiful blossoms, in color and in the quartered form that I love so much. It has a delightful strong violet fragrance. It has turned out to be a rather quirky rose in that the bush form is scraggly, the plant does not tolerate wind well (branches get torn off, and flowers crisp quickly). The flowers are not very heat tolerant. Still, there are those moments of beauty, and as the plant has grown, it is showing a bit more tolerance.

Overall rating: ***

Eden

In my mother's coastal California garden

Approximate seasons in the garden: 4
Color: *****
Bloom Form: ****
Bloom quantity: **
Bloom frequency: *
Fragrance: *
Foliage: ****
Bush form: **** (climber)
Vigor: *****
Disease resistance: ***
Heat tolerance: *
Wind tolerance: *
Comments: In addition to William Shakespeare 2000, I would consider Eden to be one of the most beautiful roses in the world. It is said to be the most popular rose in France. That could be why it isn't the greatest rose in my climate. It is primarily a spring bloomer here, with a few later flowers whose form and color are such that it would be just as well if they did not show. There is almost no fragrance. Part of its lack of performance may be cultural in that I've just realized how little water I've been giving it. In my mother's coastal California garden, it is incredibly lovely with huge luscious flowers. In my garden, the flowers are smaller, and easily wind damaged. In fact, this spring, my bush produced many buds which turned crispy and fell off in the winds. Only one survived to open.

Overall rating: *** (maybe better with better irrigation).

Alnwick Castle

Approximate seasons in the garden: 3
Color: *****
Bloom Form: ****
Bloom quantity: ****
Bloom frequency: ***
Fragrance: *****
Foliage: *****
Bush form: ****
Vigor: *****
Disease resistance: *****
Heat tolerance: **
Wind tolerance: ****
Comments: I chose Alnwick Castle primarily for its bloom form: cupped blossoms filled with petals, but as I have grown it, I enjoy it more for the fragrance. I can smell it from a distance even in bud form, a sharp raspberry fragrance, without much rose. I keep going back to it for another sniff. It is a strong rose, very upright, and the flowers vary a bit in color, from peachy to cool pink. When they open, they lose the form that I loved in the photos. Until I wrote this evaluation, I didn't realize how good of a rose it is. Not much flowers in the heat, and they don't last a particularly long time, but they are beautiful, fragrant, reliable, reasonable abundant and the bush is tough, if not particularly graceful.

Overall rating:  ****