@Lizzie27 it’s good to know it behaves for you, I wish mine would respond to a hard prune but it seems to encourage it even more to throw out crazy long octopus canes, which Austins are notorious for doing in warmer climates. I now tend to be suspicious of any shrub rose that says ‘can be trained as a short climber’ (unless that’s what I want it to do) as I know that means a struggle to control it in my location.
Ah, yes it was you, I think, that said that originally about CdeC @Omori, belated thanks for the original advice! It will be interesting to hear how it gets on in future...
One of Marlorena’s many excellent recommendations I am also considering is La Rose de Molinard, which I think will be better for me than CdeC. Not that I need another one on my list, but you know how it is!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
I've planted a Rose de Molinard this year in an obelisk and it has been incredibly healthy and floriferous...and as you'd expect from its name the fragrance is wonderful @Nollie do get tempted 😉
My neighbour bought me a David Austin GJ rose 2 years ago for my 70th birthday. I think it is beautiful and has a wonderful fragrance. It’s in the sunny border of our garden and is growing up a rather attractive wonky obelisk. As with all roses, it requires space around it. I haven’t found that it’s particularly thorny.
Ooh @amancalledgeorge, you devil, now I’m seriously tempted! How do you find it to train up the obelisk? Do you wind it round or just let it do it’s thing? I was thinking it would probably need some support.
It’s really interesting hearing other people’s experiences of GJ - mine has large, tough thorns that rip your hand off if not careful, but the colour and fragrance make it worth the odd gouge.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
I wish to have this problem with my GJ. Mine has the opposite problem. Finally produced one nice cane (90cm-ish) this year but it got snapped in the first stronger wind. I think it is either badly planted (not deep enough hole with amendments, my native soil is hard to penetrate for roots, very stony) or suffering from rose replant disease or something like that. I will try to move it this winter and certainly give it a support. I think it does better with some support.
Anyway, I think it would respond well to horizintal training. But I wouldn't put it in a place where it would need a lot of training work because of its thorns. Mine is super thorny.
I have let it do its thing inside the obelisk for now...will probably prune it a bit next year to let it gracefully spread out a bit. It has already half filled the seven foot height which is not too shabby and it has been very tidy in form. @Nollie can take a photo of it tomorrow if you want to see its form...somehow couldn't find one on my phone just now.
It certainly seems to respond very differently to climate and growing conditions, @edhelka. Mine is only its second year and is extremely vigorous. It was from Tuincentrumlottum not from DA direct, so it’s possible it is on a more vigorous rootstock, re your recent conversation with Marlorena on that topic. Either than or she likes my climate rather too much! I turn my back for a minute and up she goes again. Interestingly, barely any blackspot this year:
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Yes she definitely wants to go somewhere else @Lizzie27 and I am happy to oblige - the tallest cane there is 180cm long. I pruned it back by two thirds early in the year and several times since! The pot is about 60cm tall and 50cm wide, so it theory it’s big enough for a rose, but clearly not Gertrude. I am going to plant a compact, scented shrub in there instead... next question!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Posts
Ah, yes it was you, I think, that said that originally about CdeC @Omori, belated thanks for the original advice! It will be interesting to hear how it gets on in future...
One of Marlorena’s many excellent recommendations I am also considering is La Rose de Molinard, which I think will be better for me than CdeC. Not that I need another one on my list, but you know how it is!
It’s really interesting hearing other people’s experiences of GJ - mine has large, tough thorns that rip your hand off if not careful, but the colour and fragrance make it worth the odd gouge.