Saturday, March 5, 2011

'Pat Austin' in Tampa




I bought this own root plant from the good folks at Chamblee's Roses in Texas (1-800-256-7673) last year and about 6 months ago I planted it in a 15 gallon Water Wise Container Garden placed on my north-facing driveway outside my office window to spare it Tampa's harsh south winter sun and to afford it the most chill from what passes for a "North Wind" here. It seems quite happy, gets mostly kitchen graywater and water from my front porch rain barrel, is never sprayed, and gets fed a few things now and then when I think of it. Sometimes I give it home made horse manure/fish emulsion tea,  and some weeks back I gave it a weak solution of a high nitrogen lawn fertilizer dissolved in rain water. I had the joy of meeting this rose AND David Austin at his nursery in England in 1997 when I attended the Historic Roses Group Conference in Cambridge shortly after I co-hosted in the Denver the Heritage Rose Foundation Conference...talk about a heady summer!! Since in Denver I collected for a clients a few of the Pernetiana hybrids I love the vivid WARM tangerine color....surprising as orange has long been my least favorite color. So far I don't detect much aroma, but I forgive it that due in part to the lovely, cupped, peony-like bloom form. Here are pics of a bud, opening then fully blown bloom this last week....enjoy!  John

8 comments:

  1. I have only grown one Austin successfully; Heritage. The rest were dreadful blackspot magnets even using the 'atomic bombs' of fungicides.
    I do have a Barbier wichurana that has near the same color as your Pat Austin. It's called Jacotte. However, no fragrance.

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  2. I am jealous.....before I invented my Water Wise Container Gardens I lost THREE 'Jacotte' roses, two that Mike Shoup gave me to test since I have such good luck here with other Wichuraianas, especially 'Francois Juranville'. Since my WWCG approach is giving me such stellar results I think I may buy another one as I love that rich color that I think came from 'Willaim Allen Richardson'. John

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  3. I will be glad to send you cuttings, if you wish.

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  4. I'll let you know when it is time. A month or so. If interested...I also have access of cuttings to a rare musk rose (not in commerce). rosa moschata "Burwell". But as you know, musks bloom later.

    I must say, that your postings interest me as I am planning on retiring in a couple of years to my home in Wilton Manors (Ft. Lauderdale). But I don't know if I'm willing to go through what you heroically are doing. Especially with the water restrictions. Roses need lots of water. Jim

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  5. Thanks Jim! I have a weakness for the scent of Rosa moschata and have seen several forms...I'd never heard of "Burwell" and will look it up. Single bloom form or double like "Temple Musk"? Yes roses ARE thirsty little buggers and after being "mental" about roses since 1989 I had lost easily 90% of my passion for them until my Water Wise Container Gardens revived it AND my roses! John

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  6. "Burwell" is a double. I went to a seminar in Virginia a couple of years ago and Stephen Scanioli made mention of it. It was identified in 1979 (I believe) five houses from my house now. I think Malcolm Manners grows it as well. So it should do well for you.
    How do polyanthas do for you there? I have an unidentified one that I have traced to 1912. It must have the Orange Sherbet series in it. It sports like crazy! Red, orange, red, orange,.......Polyantha is a class I'm not that familiar with. I prefer the HPs. Jim

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  7. The Poly Teas THRIVE here. But I've not tried the cold hardy types yet. John

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