Roses this week in the garden

This is the most wonderful apricot coloured rose, with full blooms and well shaped buds.  

This shrub rose: Grace, which I bought on my first visit to David Austin, spent a couple of years in a large pot, and now is in its second year in the bed by the patio.  Its leaves are still a pale green, but large and strong and still disease free, though I have one stem with Rose Sawfly damage.

The sawfly seem to be attracted this rose tree in paticular.  When I sit on the patio watching for them, to my husband's consternation I jump up, and catch them and squish them hopefully before they deposit their brood.  Each morning I check for signs of damage, and dispatch any eggs, which line the scared tear in the stem.  It is only in the last couple of years that we have had these rose pests in the area.  I had never seen them before.

With all the bees and beneficial insects flying around I really do not feel like spraying, and hope all the broods of baby blue tits are going round gorging themselves.  Any more than a very small cluster meet the similar ends to the Large rose sawflies.

The climbing rose Etoile de Hollande continues to flower and gives me the most wonderful view down the garden from the Kitchen sink.

Much admired both for its flowers, and its healthy strong growth is Princess Ann.  Yesterday I had more visitors: Jean, Moira, Letti, and Dave for tea and garden,  and I think there will be several orders put in for this one.  The lower part of the bush seems to have the first flowers.

With many strong stems above carrying buds yet to open.

A little disappointing has been Crown Princess Margareta.  I planted it in late Autumn 2013, as soon as it arrived through the post as a bare rooted specimen from David Austin.  I even complained and sent a picture last year, when it had not really moved, and was told there were other plants growing too close.   This year there is a little more growth, and new growth coming from the bottom.  I dressed it well with a good amount of rotten manure last autumn, and this spring fed it well with the Austin's rose food.

I am hoping that it was just a slow starter and makes better progress this year, as the blooms are just magnificent.  Moira also has this rose and it is similarly lank and lax, lacking in vigour too, and it was interesting to discuss this with her.  Maybe the seasonal conditions have not been favourable.    I have seen pictures of it performing well, so I am hopeful.

Other roses are in tight bud and yet to open, so the season for some is later than last year.