AUSTIN ROSES

I've grown over 60 of the Austin roses. Early on I imported them from Europe (budded). Then from Canada (the US was late getting on the train). His will be imortalized in rose history for 'Graham Stuart Thomas' and the climber and once-bloomer 'Constance Spry.' Half of the ones released so far just have not turned out to be that great - Austin himself no longer "recognizes" many of his early one. But many of them are still great garden plants. They are shrubs and must be given room to grow like shrubs instead of pruning them like the hybrid teas (which should not be pruned that much either).
In my 20 years of growing them I have found the following to be true: they do best on their own roots;
thet tend to grow larger in California than elsewhere; they do respond to lots of fertiliser and water but will still do well with less. Austin's demo garden in England shows them at their best. The Huntington in Pasadena has a fine display. But the best collection is at Heirloom Old Garden Rose Nursery in St. Paul Oregon -and they offer the longest list of his roses (tiny but they catch up). Bill Grant, central coast California.
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