Scepter'd Isle

This was one of our first roses. We smuggled it from Wisley to Hungary. Just now I see on Help Me Find that in that year this was one of the novelties of David Austin.

If you want to build a romantic country garden, you are suggested to choose this rose. It is hardy, remonts beautifully, and produces a vigorous shrub.



class: English rose (David Austin 1997)
height: 75 - 185 cm - At us it is usually around 120 cm.
width: 60 - 105 cm - At us 100-120 cm.
American hardiness zone: Z5 (down to -29 ºC)
bloom: repeated

Redouté

Just like Winchester Cathedral, this rose is a sport of Mary Rose. The Winchester Cathedral was one of our first English roses, and I still consider it one of the best roses of Austin. After it Redouté was a small disappointment, because although it is really beautiful, but much less hardy and less blooming than her sister.

class: English rose (David Austin 1992)
height: 120 - 185 cm - At us usually around 120 cm.
width: 120 - 150 cm - At us 120 cm or smaller.
American hardiness zone: Z5 (down to -29 ºC)
bloom: repeated

Pat Austin

This rose bears the name of David Austin’s wife. It is really as beautiful as on the image. It only needs a sunny place. I have just seen on Help Me Find that Abraham Darby is one of its parents, certainly this is why.

class: English rose (David Austin 1995)
height: 105 - 150 cm - At us with a strong pruning above 150 cm.
width: 105 cm - At us rather 120 cm. But it is on an extremely rich soil. On a normal soil it is probably smaller than this.
American hardiness zone: Z5 (down to -29 ºC)
bloom: repeated - Since I have planted it on a sunny place, it has been blooming almost continuously.

Noble Anthony

In Hungarian I just call this rose “Nemes Tóni” (Tony Noble), as if he were a jovial steward of estate from a novel of the 19th century author Kálmán Mikszáth. At us it has an illustrious task, it stands at the entrance of the spice garden together with its twin brother. He shows his gratitude for this eminent post with a nice compact form and a continuous blooming.

class: English rose (David Austin 1995)
height: 90 - 150 cm - At us it is usually around 120.
width: 90 - 150 cm - At us it is rather around 90 cm.
American hardiness zone: I have found no data, but at us it feels well.
bloom: repeated

Kathryn Morley

I think this image displays well why the roses of David Austin are irresistible. As if we saw a detail from a Baroque painting. And in addition this rose, in contrast to those old ones, blooms more than one time in a year.

class: English rose (David Austin 1990)
height: 75 - 185 cm - At us around 150 cm with a strong pruning, and even so one of its branches grew as far as the other side of the road.
width: 105 - 120 cm
American hardiness zone: Z5 (down to -29 ºC)
bloom: repeated

Jude the Obscure

This rose immediately attracted my attention when I saw a beautiful picture of it on Just our Picture – the most beautiful rose photos are on this page. Then I saw with great happiness that Praskac was selling it.

class: English rose (David Austin 1995)
height: 120 cm
width: 120 cm
American hardiness zone: Z5 (down to -29 ºC)
bloom: repeated - At us it is a little bit lazy.

Maps of the garden

1. Paths and buildings

2. Trees

In the description of the trees you have to consider that the garden lays at the bottom of a hill facing north, that it is bordered by a forest on one side and by a stream along its lower side, and that almost all the garden is in part shadow. Therefore it is much hazier and cooler than the average Hungarian garden. The trees that tolerate dryness here would not necessarily survive in a warm and sunny garden.

(To be continued)