I have two David Austin roses arriving tomorrow -
Graham Thomas and Queen of Sweden.
Both will be planted in Containers to grace my front patio
and back patio. I have grown many roses over the years
all in containers, but this will be my first year growing
David Austin Roses. Just wondering if anyone else has
or is growing David Austin roses in containers.

Hi,
I grow QoS, but not in a container. Because of her small size I think she'd do great in a container. I'm curious what size container you're planning on putting Graham Thomas into? I'd be interested to hear how you make out and what type of potting mix you use. I ventured into roses in containers in the last couple yrs and I think my potting mix is too heavy. Good luck!

I've been growing roses in containers since the 1980s. I lived in an apt. with a very large balcony.
I used to grow about 8 roses in containers. (I was the envy of all of my neighbors).
I would use large square tubs, maybe 18"x18". I used regular Miracle Grow Potting Mix, but
added bone meal and Rose Tone to the mix, in addition to Alfalfa meal. You need to lighten up
the potting mix a bit by using the bone meal and alfalfa meal. The Rose Tone is a fertilizer.
Graham Thomas is being planted in a round container this year, and Queen of Sweden is
being planted in the Square tub.

Thanks Alan!

Please let me know how they are doing...I just planted my two David Austin Rose in my raised flower bed last week, (Queen of Sweden and the Alnwick, they haven't changed...But I planted a Pink Peace in a big container, that does not do great...I used Potting soil and a little compost mix.., I am still debating of moving it to my flower bed...

Hmmm. I've never had a potted rose bush that did not do well. I moved from growing Hybrid Teas and Floribundas to growing David Austin Shrub roses, which are much bushier and fuller.
They fill out a pot very nicely. I 'doctor up' my potting soil quite a bit before planting the rose ----
I use Rose Tone, alfalfa meal, bone meal and compost to the potting soil, in addition to using
Mycorrhizal fungi, to help establish the roses root system.

Last year I planted David Austin's Teasing Georgia and Crown Princess Margareta in pots at our back door. They only received afternoon sun but they did beautifully, climbing to about 7' - 8' with lovely blooms.

Wow, mine have not gotten that tall in the ground after 5 years! How far south are you, dcsb, and what did you feed those roses?

We're in Washington, DC - 7a. I believe I fed them with liquid Neptune fish/seaweed fertilizer when I planted them last April.

I recently spoke with a rosarian who recommended I train them horizontally on a trellis so we'll see - it's another experiment!

My sister grows David Austins in containers and has done for several years- she has four or five of them (mostly gifts from me!) and they are all doing well. There's a page on the David Austin UK website that lists varieties recommended for container growing, although they also say that any is suitable provided you give it the appropriate size of container.

http://www.davidaustinroses.co...

Good luck with them, and remember to post photos to show us how they're doing!

If you grow Graham Thomas Rose in containers what do you do with them in the winter? Can these roses be overwintered in the containers?

My sister certainly just leaves her David Austins in their containers for winter, but it may depend on your zone (my sister is 7b or 8a, we are 8b). I only discovered on ATP that there are zones where roses need winter protection!

It all depends on what type of container your rose is planted in - my roses are planted in Plastic
containers - they will not withstand winter temperatures here . They would need to be planted
in heavy Glazed ceramic or stone containers in order to have the proper insulation over the winter to protect their roots.

Good point, Alan. My sister has hers in a mix of stone containers and old whiskey half barrels. They're really heavy so it's lucky she can just leave them outside!

Mika, I've known rose enthusiasts in this area who place cages around the plants in fall and fill them with straw or leaves to protect the canes during winter. That was back in the early 80s when most of the roses readily available to gardeners were hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, and climbers. These days there are a lot more winter hardy options available.

I remember literature on rose culture recommending that climbers should be detached from their support, laid flat to the ground, and covered with compost or mulch, and similar treatment was recommended for standards. There is just no way I could manage that with a climber!

Sounds like a bit too much hard work, Neal! I've noticed people on this site saying they have to bring in their roses for winter, or blanket them in fleece - I really admire them. We did wrap our standard bay in fleece to protect it this winter - it had cost me a lot and I didn't want to risk it dying. But it looked very odd, like a giant white lollypop! Mostly if something can't survive the winter, I'll either take it to France or treat it as an annual. Bad me!

This is the first year for growing David Austin's for me. But I have always grown my roses in containers. Unfortunately, they are plastic containers, so if I want to grow roses next year,
I will have to buy new rose bushes to plant. Not a problem for me, they are less expensive then
the Stone Urns I bought for my Clematis, which will over-winter in the Urns just fine.

I love the big pottery containers and concrete urns, but with each passing year I'm more concerned with the weight- my back isn't so forgiving these days after moving heavy containers.

Alan, are your Austins own root or grafted?

Oh Neal, I hear ya, I have a bad back to, infact, I see a Pain Management Physician for treatment, so I don't know how many more years I have to garden. Just planting all those Iris about did me in, and now I'm having a hard time with the weeding ......

Ya know, I don't know which Austins I bought. I have to go check my receipt to see which type I purchased. The Urns I bought for my Clematis came from Hayneedle.com and are durable stone construction, which weight less than concrete, so it's a lot easier to move around.

I find that roses get better year on year, so I'd be very sad to have to replace them before they reach their best. Is zone 7a too cold for them? Could you just repot them in new plastic containers? The DB suggests that most Austin roses (eg Graham Thomas, which I think is one you mentioned) are ok in zone 5 or warmer. David Austin roses must be cheaper in the US than they are here if people can replace them every year!

This winter I lost an evergreen clematis that grew in a half barrel, although it had survived for three years before that. I discovered a couple of days ago that it was a variety that needed winter protection - oops! I'll go for a hardier one to replace it.