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clemmielover

David Austin roses for cutting

clemmielover
10 years ago

Hey helloo community
I'm brand new to roses and am trying to pick up as much as possible from the various forums and also have a few cross postings up regarding general care before committing to purchase but I think today's subject would best left to you fellas here.

Which David Austin roses would be best suited for cut vase?

By chance while reading up on hardiness I learned that they are known to shatter easily once picked, the Graham Thomas being the worst in this regard.
Here are the criteria I'm searching under: Fragrant ( heady, I want wafts of it ), repeat bloom, disease resistance and of course, reliably hardy to zone 5.

These are still available to me at local nurseries
(discount due to late season, woot-woot!!) :
Winchester Cathedral
Abraham Darby
Graham Tomas
Golden Celebration
Mary Rose
Darcy Bussell
Lady Shallot
Port Sunlight
Lady Emma Hamilton
Gertrude Jekyll

So far I have picked up from various threads that Golden Celeb and Abraham Darcy both supposedly have magnificent scent , reliable rebloom and decent cut life, round 3-4 days I believe.
I really would like to hear from someone here who grows any of these roses in same or similar climate to me.

The following are the three contenders and unless I hear great things about the others within my criteria, the roses I end up with.

Winchester Cathedral, White, rated as very hardy by the DA site.
Abraham Darcy, Peach Pink, rated as hardy.
Golden Celebration, Rich Gold Yellow, rated as very hardy.

Runner up would be Mary Rose, Port Sunlight and Lady Emma Hamilton

I came across a interesting claim last night while perusing the old threads.
Since DA roses are bred for the UK climate, mostly over cast weather and mild summers the plants had been reported to lose their scent in the hot, clammy, blazing sun of the US.

The scent would resume when temperatures dropped in late summer. This got me a bit doubtful as I'm about to fill up a substantial part of my yard with these roses and
I picked up a nice fragrant HT Peace rose perhaps more suited for our climate just in case and already have Stormy Weather rose but have not found any reference's to it's cut life.

I would be interested to hear what other (no spray) highly fragrant for vase roses are out there that also survives the sometimes brutal Chicago winters with a good margin?
Anyone who can advice how scent and cut life is graded? What do I look for in descriptions? Any buzz words to stay clear from or look out for?
Anyone using Wicheriana rose? How are they?
Thank you and happy digging!
Kerstin

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