@Nollie .. thank you.... but I have to say your experience is the total opposite of mine... they just get better with age... none of my Austins are ever much good in the first year..I've rarely had one that pleases me much first year, with the possible exception of Kew Gardens.. I do wonder whether they are totally suited to the northern Spanish climate... personally, I think if I lived in your region, I might consider different types of roses … in addition to those you already have...
@Nollie I understand your question perfectly well, I think I have a similar experience, although I've had my garden for a too short time to be sure. But the best looking roses at the moment are the new ones. I think that the idea that they are better in their second year and even better in the third year only works when they are happy with their location and care, otherwise they just struggle, getting weaker and weaker every year. My Gertrude Jekyll refuses to grow, no matter how much TLC I give to it. On the other hand, Princess Alexandra of Kent does well. I've seen someone in the DA Facebook group also from coastal North Wales talking about which DA roses worked for her and which were failure (unfortunately I won't find it now). Maybe we should discuss disease and weather resistance more in the Rose thread.
'Thomas á Becket'... ..this rose should not be pruned but allowed to grow to 5 foot or more... as a young rose the blooms nod and can look ungainly, as below, but once taller they become more graceful and at nose height for most people... I will train this rose to 5 or 6 foot on support.. 'Kew Gardens' ..and the new growth, which can be used to form a large shrub, climber or semi rambler even... pliable thornless canes...
Thanks @Marlorena and @edhelka, yes its strange, some DA’s to cope ok with my climate and others start well, and then... I think the disease resistance is key, those that get terrible blackspot suffer so with my summer heat, rains and humidity, I guess they are just weakened as a result. I am looking more and more at disease resistance as a priority, but sometimes that info is difficult to track down.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Janie got 3 lovely Berberis 'Bagatelle' earlier... I could do with a couple more myself actually... Here's mine this evening showing the rich colour tones...
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I do wonder whether they are totally suited to the northern Spanish climate... personally, I think if I lived in your region, I might consider different types of roses … in addition to those you already have...
..this rose should not be pruned but allowed to grow to 5 foot or more... as a young rose the blooms nod and can look ungainly, as below, but once taller they become more graceful and at nose height for most people... I will train this rose to 5 or 6 foot on support..
'Kew Gardens'
..and the new growth, which can be used to form a large shrub, climber or semi rambler even... pliable thornless canes...
Here's mine this evening showing the rich colour tones...
'Amethyst Star'...
'The Ancient Mariner'...
'Charles Rennie Mackintosh'...
Orlaya grandiflora... an annual.. good with roses..
Clematis 'Corinne'... never gets more than 4 foot for me..
Clematis 'Burma Star'... quite a dark one.. very starry shaped..
'Armada'...
'Ghislaine de Feligonde'...
'Forever Royal'.../ 'The Poet's Wife'..
'Scented Garden'...
'Felicia'... a bit bedraggled after rain...
Clem.. 'Piilu'
'Mme. Lauriol de Barny' [a Bourbon rose]
'Octavia Hill'.. a floribunda with old fashioned blooms..
...forms a graceful and compact shrub... one of its parents is 'Armada' shown above..