I find the David Austin roses generally don't do well with the heat where I live. I think we were 108 F yesterday, so it gets hot here (way over 100 F) for several months during the late spring, summer and early fall.
I tend to gravitate towards breeders that are from areas similar to mine regarding the weather. So, I have a lot of Ralph Moore roses. His nursery, where he bred his roses was located in Visalia California where it is also hot during the summer. I tend to go towards breeders who are from Australia, South Africa, etc. Judith Singer is a breeder from Tuscon Ariz. Her roses love the heat!
David Austin is from northern England where it is cold, rainy, etc. Everything weather wise that is the exact opposite from where I live. I give his roses a lot of shade for the most part. I also look for roses that are from the Leander line as they tend to do better in the heat than his other roses. Mary Magdalene is one. Ambridge is another (although I hated the smell). Pretty Jessica does well as does Munstead Wood (which naturally grows sideways). Princess Alexandra of Kent also does well for me, again in partial shade. So far, Lady of Shalott is hanging in there. She lost the shade from a big tree when my neighbor cut it down. She now has pavement surrounding her on three sides during the hottest part of the day and no shade. I have an old DA rose, Emily, that is finally (after decades) taking off and doing well in pretty much full (but not heavy) shade.
For me, hybrid perpetuals tend to do very well where I live. Vick's Caprice, Joasine Hanet (aka Portland from Glendora) are great. Scents to die for. I like Yolande d'Aragon very much but she has a tendency to black spot even in this dry weather we have. Another nice rose that is doing well is Ma Perkins. Blooming away in this heat as is Alice Hamilton and Borderer. Love these old roses as they have really stood the test of time.
