In Kirra wrote:
Whoops, just realised you have already
done Madame Alfred Carriere and now I just have to wait for St Swithun.

Kirra, I am just back from Ireland and will probably do St Swithun this
weekend. I was fascinated by it because Austin used a direct back-cross
to a rugosa (Conrad Ferdinand Meyer) as one of the parents. As a result
St Swithun seems pretty much disease proof (although it's early days!).

The blooms are very heavy and large too. Add that to an almost
sprawling growth habit and St Siwthun seems to be an aspiring ground
cover!

Good luck with La Passionata by the way. I really love this rose, and
I've grown plenty of reds before it. Having read some more about it, I
think it may be sold as Betsy Ross in the US.