Hi Mary Anne,

I grow DA roses as well. At the moment i have about twelve of them. But they are still very small. I don't have Jude although it's in my wish list. My Pat Austin is only about one foot high but it has about five buds. I planted Graham thomas last year. During winter i stripped all the leaves because they were full of black spots. I have been following a spray program for the last few weeks and my Graham Thomas is leafing out beautifully, but i'm not sure weather i will countinue spraying.

Karima

Graham Thomas

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Karima

Hi Karima...Oh that is so pretty thank you for posting it. My Graham Thomas is way behind.. I did take a couple of pics of the Pat Austin buds late this afternoon though they are not worth posting, another couple of days and they will be open I think if the weather warms up a bit, they forecast rain for the next five or so days so that means cooler weather..

My roses are always covered in Blackspot S.E. Qld would have to be the BS Capital of Australia I have given up spraying everything, I never use any chemicals on my plants as I have too many little frogs hiding among the petals and leaves.. I used to spray with a mixture of one litre milk to five litres of water every ten days and after two years of doing that in the warmer months in this humid climate I gave up now I just take the leaves off sometimes, most times I don't it does not effect the blooms at all.

I would love to see Pics of your other DA roses if you have any.. Cheers Mary-Anne

Hello Karima and mistymorn. I found this site, yes! Did I post to the American equivalent Mistymorn? I guess I did. On David Austin's, Graham Thomas: I've grown it twice, once in Sydney, where it is cooler than where I am now, and here. It failed here, just west of Tweed Heads, NSW; too hot, I'd say, afterall, it is an English rose. Graham Thomas is a nice strong rose but really more suitable to cooler climates than where I am or further north. Ok, as far north as Sydney it's fine but doubtful it would/will succeed in the sub-tropics. David himself once said he was surprised when commenting on a specimen growing in South Africa that it was so big it assumed climbing proportions.
On blackspot: Am I a sinner? I have to admit I use a systemic fungicide, Triphorine, and I very much doubt it has any effect on frogs, bees, or any other native creature (if it killed cane-toads though, I wouldn't complain). Blackspot is a fungus, and Triphorine is a fungicide and ladies (seems only ladies talk about roses) if you want roses, or azaleas, in the warmer climates you have to use fungicides/insecticides or don't bother growing them at all, and hey, today's deterents - fungicides and (selected) insecticides are a hell of a lot safer than than the old DDTs, whatever. Look, if you 'spray-can' a recommended lime-sulphur mix - both natural products - over your roses in mid winter after you prune you'll rarely need to use a fungicide. Insecticides - really, to minimise aphid attack, and blackspot plant your roses into the wind and space them a metre apart - I use maybe only 2, 3 or 4 times a year, that's all I need. If I can't use them I'll dig up my rose garden and abandon roses and azaleas altogether (what looks more ugly than an azalea's leaves grey from azalea lace-bug?) By the way, many of the the old heritage roses are more beautiful than the hyrids and are immune from aphids, fungus deseases, etc.
The picture attached is of the gorgeous climber, Dublin Bay, a McReady rose from New Zealand, daughter of Altissimo and the full pink, Galway Bay. It's a thriving here and is fairly desease free.

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Mary-Anne, here in WA we are having some rain and cool weather too. Though the bushes are full of buds, they are taking forever to open. I will post more photos as soon as the buds open.

Funnelweb, I too started a spray program with Yates Triforine from this winter. The rose bushes never looked better, but worried about the health hazards of chemicals. I am too tired of organic spraying methods.

Prince bush photo
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First bud on Prince
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First flower on Redoute(sport of Mary)
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Karima

Bill you sure did post it on the American equivalent so I have been over there chatting about birds feathered variety that is..

See what you started.. Roses Forum USA

Nice looking colour that Dublin Bay climber Bill.

That's strange that you cannot grow DA's further North from Sydney and not that further South from where I live as they are supposed to love our warm humid climate.. I don't have any problems with my Mary Rose providing we get the rain and last year we did and it's flowers were so beautiful its a standard so does not get as much BS as a bush type rose would get..

I too used to spray with Yates Triforine Bill but sadly that turned out to be a waste of time and money as you had to respray after rain, well I gave up one rainy Spring, same as those Organic recipes they do not work for me either so I just let the roses go now, it does not effect the blooms so maybe we are too fussy... I also used to spray with lime sulphur after I did the winter prune but still got those diseases so why bother.

And yes those old roses don't have problems like the new ones do but that's not my type of rose most are pink, or light pink or pale pink I like orange/yellow/apricot roses best, hey we all have different taste buds.. Actually my two Crepuscules on a Arch facing the West under 20 mt tall Gum trees are a mass of flowers at present, this pic was taken three weeks ago there are many more flowers on it now.

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Bill I only have two white azaleas left from 14 assorted I planted a few years ago and they are covered with lace bug leaves but I keep them in the garden for a bit of cool looking flowers amongst all those bright tropical colours they look nice I shut my eyes to those leaves..

Karima I love the colour of The Prince I had a look on line and its looks a deep purple and where in my roses book its more a dark red, whatever it is beautiful. Redoute is in my book and looks good too..

Thank You Both for taking the time to post I will look forward to seeing these delightful bloom as they open.

Mary-Anne