Carding Mill

Carding Mill, Austin 2004

English rose / Modern Hybrid 

Parentage: Sceptre 'd'isle X unknown seedling 

In my opinion a glorious rose as she reminds me of the older Austins. She's somewhat forgotten, especially in Europe and that's Austin's fault as their EU selling points don't have her in their collection.

Carding Mill has Sceptre d'isle as mother so it makes her a sister of my own Park Abbey rose which was Sceptre d'isle X Charles Austin. I see many ressemblances: They have the same sturdy, strong canes which can hold-up the flowers perfectly. 120X100 cm or 4X3 feet, maybe a bit more. The flowers start apricot with oranje and slowly they fade to this rather gorgeous pink, peach and eventually cream color. The flowers are large. Her fragrance is typical Sceptre d'isle: Strong Myrrh. 

She blooms very freely throughout the season and in borders with perennials the blooms blend in quite spectacular as if they are wild flowers. 

Health is really good and foliage is rather leathery and strong. Zone 5b to 9b and definitely rain tolerant

A very underrated rose which deserves more attention 

Boscobel

Boscobel, Austin 2012

English rose / Modern Hybrid 

Parentage: Unknown 

Boscobel is one of the most rain resistant English roses available. It loves moderate summer temperatures and then it will reward you with a long and floriferous blooming season. 

Blooms are large, above average and of a salmon pink color slowly aging into a lighter shade of pink. They are usually borne solitary in small clusters and they have a strong Tea with Myrrh perfume. As a cut flower they can last for one week 

It's a nice rather spreading shrub, not to tall and will reach 100X100 cm or 3X3 feet. Zone 5b to 9b, rain tolerant but loves full sun. Health is above average for David Austin roses and it won't get sick quickly.

Perfect for the border, tree rose and of course for pots. 

One of the better Austin roses 

Young Lycidas

Young Lycidas, Austin 2008

English rose / Modern Hybrid 

Parentage: Unknown 

Young Lycidas has really big, baroque flowers. They are very full, deep pink to magenta and mauve. They spread a very strong fragrance. 

The saucer like blooms stand on rather short, arching stems and often the flowers are so heavy (especially after rain) they bend down to the ground giving a sloppy impression. A medium high obelisk would be very welcome. Height is 100X80 cm or 3X3 feet. Despite their size and petal count the blooms are rain resistant and semi shade is tolerated.

The very best way to grow this rose is in a spacious pot with a small obelisk covering it. Soon you will have a fabulous display of big fragrant flowers bending over gracefully but without touching the ground. 

Young Lycidas was named to celebrate the 400 birthday of John Milton, the famous English poet

The Lady gardener

The Lady gardener, David Austin Roses 2012

English rose, Modern Hybrid 

Parentage: Unknown 

Many of the most recent DA varieties have a very floppy growth resulting in blooms hanging in the mud and that's not a pretty sight and it's annoying. 

The Lady gardener is different. She has the sturdy growth of Brother Cadfael and Queen of Sweden so good thick strong stems going upright, a rather Hybrid Tea like growth. She makes a neat rounded shrub of 120X100 cm or 4X3 feet.

The flowers are rather spectacular but that's my opinion. They remind me of Brother Cadfael shape wise so big, cupped and with curled petals in the center. The color is gorgeous: Apricot peach in the center, fading towards white or cream at the edges. They have an unusual fragrance: Tea with a vanilla twist and rather strong. The flowers stand in clusters at the top of each stem and they keep coming for weeks. After a rest of three weeks she starts again with another beautiful flush. The blooms are rain resistant and the plant is extremely Hardy, zone 5b to 9b. She is susceptible to Blackspot.

I saw her in a border at Lens roses and I was really impressed by this David Austin rose. 

For all the lady gardeners: Try her!

Gene Boerner

Gene Boerner, Eugene Boerner before 1966

Floribunda 

Seed: Ginger 

Pollen: Ma Perkins X Garnette Supreme 

Papa Floribunda bred this rose a few years before his death and Jackson & Perkins decided to name it after him. Eugene Boerner was of huge importance in the development and creation of Floribunda roses. Gene Boerner won the All American Rose Selections award. In total Eugene would win six of them 

Gene Boerner has the look of a grandiose Tea or HT rose. Her flowers are Neyron pink, very double, high centered with petals scrolling back, in my opinion the most beautiful rose bloom shape. They have a mild tea fragrance. 

Size: 120X100 cm or 4X3 feet. Can be used as a border rose, in beds, a hedge and in pots. Extremely disease, rain and heat resistant. Some say she's indestructible. 

White Gene Boerner is a very pale, flesh pink sport. Equally as beautiful as her mother. 

Big Purple

Big purple, Stephens 1985

Nuit d'Orient 

Hybrid Tea 

Big, violet, mauve, deep beetroot red, very full blooms. Strong old rose fragrance. Blooms are borne solitary on a tall rounded shrub. Height 185X100 cm or 6X3 feet. Zone 6b to 9b, rain tolerant 

One of the best, fragrant HT's from the eighties.