"Shiva" wrote in message
s.com...
On Mon, 09 Jun 2003 01:50:54 GMT, "Susan Solomon"
wrote:

Well, it's my own fault. . .

I love looking at catalogs, and the David Austin color catalog is one of
the
prettiest I'd seen. I looked and sighed, and finally selected 8 of the
prettiest for my rose garden. Four climbers to go on the corners of a
gazebo
(St. Swithin, Bro. Cadfael, Kathryn Morley, Constance Spry), the rest
(Mary
Rose, Evelyn, Glamys Castle, Heritage) for the rose bed.

Well, I'm trying not to make a snap decision and grab the shovel without
giving them a fair shake, but after 4 months of growth from bare-root and
the first bloom, I am distinctly unimpressed with Austin's roses.

FOUR MONTHS?

Susan, I'm curious, how do these Austins compare to other bare root
roses that you have had for four months from the day you put them in
the ground?

The bare-roots I received from D.A. were amazingly vigorous; they all
sprouted within a month of being in the ground (but then, we had a lovely
sunny warm spell in Feb. when I planted them.) When I opened the box, I was
amazed at the size of the plants, their moisture content and their long,
healthy roots. Best I've ever seen in a bare root. All but Kathryn Morley
and Constance had put out growth within the first month of planting.

To compare with my other bare roots; the Austins are now anywhere from 2 to
5 times bigger, and have certainly bloomed better in their first flush than
my other bare-roots, no matter where they came from. A couple of my Home
Depot bare roots have only managed 1 or 2 blooms, with no new canes-barely
clinging to life. One finally died. Others are doing great, with new canes
and a respectable show of 5-8 nice-sized blooms. Puzzling. For sheer vigor,
the Austins have it. But the ugly mildew, the blah color, and the quick
demise of blooms outweighs their positives for me.

Environment: I live in Santa Barbara, CA (Sunset zone 24, I think). Mild
winters, pleasant summers. Not much summer sun or real heat. Mildew is an
issue, I've found out! Rust, too. Cool, foggy mornings are the norm. I
garden in heavy clay, well-amended with sand and compost.