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The roses of the English breeder David Austin are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful. They outwardly resemble old varieties, but for the most part they bloom repeatedly or continuously, they are more resistant to diseases, and the aromas are so strong and varied that only from them can you create a collection. English roses do not compete with hybrid teas, since they almost never have cone-shaped flowers - D. Austin simply rejects such plants and does not put them on the market.
Today we will get acquainted with the rose “Pat Austin” - the pearl of the collection and a variety that has received a lot of both enthusiastic reviews and criticism.
Description of the variety
Rose "Pat Austin" was created at the end of the last century, presented to the public in 1995 and named in honor of D. Austin's beloved wife Pat. It originates from two famous varieties - the pink-apricot "Abraham Darby" and the bright yellow "Graham Thomas".
- Abraham Darby
- Graham Thomas
Rose "Pat Austin" changed the idea of beauty standards for Austins - previously it was believed that all of them must necessarily have soft pastel shades, characterized by purity and tenderness. The color of this rose is difficult to describe, and it cannot be called soft and gentle; rather, it is bright, catchy, even provocative.The bright yellow, copper-tinged inner side of the petals harmoniously combines with the pale yellow color of the back. As the rose ages, the copper color fades to pink or coral, and the yellow fades to cream.
Since semi-double or double flowers of the “Pat Austin” variety are often short-lived, on a huge glass at the same time you can observe such a mixture of colors that it is even difficult to name them all. Most of the rose petals are bent inward so that the stamens cannot be seen, while the outer petals are wide open. Unfortunately, at high temperatures the flower ages so quickly that it does not have time to fully bloom.
The bush of this rose is spreading, usually growing one meter in height, while reaching 1.2 meters in width. Dark green large leaves perfectly set off the flowers, the size of which can reach 10-12 cm. The roses are sometimes single, but more often collected in tassels of 3-5 pieces, rarely - 7. Unfortunately, the shoots of the Pet Austin variety cannot be called powerful and under the weight of cup-shaped glasses they bend to the ground, and in rainy weather they can even lie down.
The flowers have a strong tea rose scent, which some consider to be overpowering. They open earlier than most other varieties and cover the bush abundantly from mid-June until autumn. David Austin recommends growing this variety in the sixth climate zone, but he is a well-known over-insurer in everything related to frost resistance; with sufficient shelter, the rose winters excellently in the fifth zone. Its resistance to diseases is average, but its resistance to buds getting wet is low. This means that prolonged rainy weather will not allow the flower to open, and the petals deteriorate and rot from excess moisture.
Disadvantages of the variety
You can often find discrepancies in the description of the variety: different heights of the bush may be indicated, the size of the flower varies from 8-10 to 10-12 cm (for roses this is a significant difference), and the number of buds - from 1-3 to 5-7. Many people complain that the petals fly away quickly and last less than a day, while according to reviews from other gardeners, they last for almost a week.
What everyone without exception agrees on is that the shoots of the Pat Austin rose are too weak for such large flowers and you need to lift your glass to get a good look at it. And in rainy weather, the rose behaves extremely badly - the buds do not open, and the petals rot.
Sometimes it seems that we are talking about two different varieties. Unfortunately, not only those who speak of the Pat Austin rose in superlatives are right. What is this connected with? Are the peculiarities of our climate to blame or are we ourselves? It is interesting that no one complains about the winter hardiness of the rose, even in the fifth zone - if it was covered, the flower will overwinter at least satisfactorily.
What can I say? For all its attractiveness, the rose does have very low resistance to rain, which is honestly stated in the description of the variety. She really doesn’t like heat - the flowers quickly age, become almost 2 times smaller and fall off before they have time to fully open. But other contradictory characteristics require closer consideration.
Features of placement and care
We are accustomed to the fact that roses are rather unpretentious plants and after rooting we take little care of them. Not so Pat Austin.
It can constantly get sick and produce small buds just because you planted the bush in the sun. This is good for other roses, but "Pat Austin" is a real resident of Foggy Albion. She will feel good in the Moscow region, but residents of Ukraine and Stavropol will have to tinker with her.
- In hot climates, it is better not to plant it, but if you are a fan of this particular variety of roses, place it in a shady place where the sun shines only a few hours a day, preferably before lunch.
- If you feed other varieties haphazardly and with whatever comes to hand, then you cannot do this with the “Pat Austin” variety - it must receive the required amount of nutrients throughout the season. Look at the photo to see how beautiful a rose can be with good care.
- In order for the shoots to become stronger, pay special attention to autumn fertilizing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers; you can even do them not 2, but 3 with an interval of 2-3 weeks if the weather is warm.
- You can’t neglect foliar feeding of the “Pat Austin” rose, and it is highly advisable to add a chelate complex, Epin, zircon and humates. They need to be done every two weeks.
- To prevent powdery mildew and black spot, add systemic fungicides to the “cocktail”, alternating them with each spraying.
- In order to grow a shrub (a spreading bush with thick drooping branches), roses are pruned very little in the spring, removing frozen and thinnest shoots, and to obtain a compact bush with many flowers - by 2/3.
"Pat Austin" in landscape design
The rich, rare color determines the frequent use of roses of this variety in garden design, and their shade tolerance allows them plant in places where other flowers will simply wither. The rose will look great both in low hedges and as a tapeworm - the color of the buds will stand out especially favorably against the backdrop of green spaces.
Even the fact that the branches droop under the weight of huge flowers can be played up - this feature is just right for a garden or a corner in a romantic style. You can plant sages, lupins, delphiniums, daisies or other blue, white or red flowers as companions to the rose. The proximity to Queen Victoria's favorite plant, the cuff, will give the garden a special atmosphere. The abundance of sculptures, bridges, benches and secluded gazebos, determined by the peculiarities of the style, will only benefit from the proximity to such an impressive rose.
Conclusion
Of course, the “Pat Austin” rose is not easy to care for and, if treated carelessly or improperly placed, will not show its best side. But this does not stop lovers of English roses from purchasing this variety. Whether you are ready to pay a lot of attention to the capricious beauty or plant a more unpretentious flower is up to you.
