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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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