A visit to David Austin Rose Nursery thanks to Waddy

Happy birthday! Glad you managed to get there. I seem to remember mentioning about this nursery some time ago and also that there is a nice pottery at Albrighton that you can look round. I didn't know about the cafe! Perhaps another time! It must have been so hard to choose from all those beauties but you took home some lovely ones. Hope they do well for you!

Happy Birthday! Wish I lived closer to D Austins roses, what a great day out & how restrained you were.
Austin old fashioned roses are my favourites, I just can't make my mind up on which ones. Emma Hamilton is a beauty.

Thank you Sue, it was a miracle that I got hubby to take day off. When we got home he went out to do some work. Sorry if you had mentioned it, I may not have taken it in as I have only just found that I love roses. I don't know if the café is a new addition, as you go into the rose garden, it is on the right. There is seating inside and out. Only thing I'm inpatient about is that most of the roses for sale there had a sticker on saying "newly potted", so when you pay they tell you not to plant out for at least 3 weeks.

Thank you Green fingers. It was hard only getting 3 lol. Where my garden at moment doesn't have a lot of summer colour, I choose ones that were free flowering so that helped narrow it down a bit. I had already decided I wanted The Pilgrim from the catalogue before I went as it would tolerate more shade but as you say (should be Lady) Emma Hamilton is beautiful and my other daughter is call Emma so again, that helped :-).

I think choosing from the catalogue before going is very wise. I know I would get distracted & probably come back with all the wrong types, then have to dig out a new border for them all, lol.

The catalogues are free in the post and at the back, they do list those that will grow in shade, or up trees, or for arches or even containers. But I like your thought process Green finger of just creating a whole new bed. :-)

Happy Birthday Jen! Great choices too! I have had The Pilgrim in a vase at Christmas in the past. And it has a nice Tea scent. I have never grown Tess, but Lady Emma Hamilton is super. She gets quite big here with quite lax stems, so give her some room. The Pilgrim is quite a short climber, but so lovely!

Thank you Karen. It was quite interesting with Lady Emma Hamilton. They had it in different places in the garden and all at different sizes to go with the planting around them. There was a little free booklet that explained rose care and pruning and how to prune to either reduce end size or not. Luckly, I've got a fair bit of space still to fill :-).

Belated birthday wishes, Jen. Sounds as if you had a great time.

Agree. I love the colour of the Emma Hamilton rose.

Thank you Eirlys, I am really pleased with them. It was a lovely day out and nice to come home to find chicken coop, shed and old fence gone. They have nearly finished putting up the new one. Old one was only 4ft and falling down.and we have replaced it with a 7ft one. No longer have to worry that the dogs will get over it. :-).

Belated Birthday wishes glad you had a super time.

Thank you Dawn. :-)

I could do with that little booklet Jen. I'll see if I can get one. Thanks!

Beautiful ! :) I'm glad you enjoyed your day and bought some roses ...

Happy birthday Jen.

Their gardens are beautiful aren't they. Such fabulous roses. Love the ones you've picked, absolutely gorgeous.

David Austin do rose pruning classes at the beginning of the year. They do a classroom talk then take you out into the gardens to prune the roses. I went this year, really helped me with my roses. They had us pruning the roses at the front entrance! Good idea for a Christmas present lol.

Thank you Hywel, already sitting here planing what the next one I will buy lol. I've still got some more wall space in front garden that gets more sun then where I am going to put The Pilgrim so I plan to get Maid of Kent. When you are born in Kent, depending on which side of the Medway river you are born on, as to whether you are a Maid of Kent or a Kentish Maid, Man of Kent or Kentish Man. I am a Maid of Kent. How do you like my reasoning lol. :-)

Thanks Sam, that sounds a good course but think I would be scared to death at pruning their roses lol. I could see visits seeing a sign on one, this is how not to do it :-)

You have to have that rose then ! It was named just for you :)

Lol Hywel, so pleased you can see my logic, now all I need is hubby to see it :-)

Happy birthday, lovely pics :-))

I'm sure he will :)

Thank you Daylily. :-).

Hywel, he is weakening but think I will have to wait till next year. Had to pay for the fencing yesterday and he wants the bloke to come back to take out the hedge between main garden and veggie bit and clear away that final compost pile so can understand that probably enough has been spent on garden this year.

TUT ! It's only a rose ... it won't bankrupt you lol :D

Lol, think it could! We totted up how much we have spent this year on getting 2 trees taken out, taking down old trellis and digging out all the plants growing up it and new 25ft long new one put up, a 60ft long, 7ft tall new fence put up, then all the plants, it's about £3200. Can understand him saying enough on garden this year as we want to do some jobs in house over winter. Oh, end of this week, we are also having a new front door fitted. I will just have to start a shopping list of plants I want next year :-).

I suppose you must prioritise. You can put it on top of your list for next year :)