You can never have enough...

[Olive]

oohhh Olive, I have Munstead Wood and it's a real stunner in spite of all the thorns. I read that NZ breeders are going to stop breeding Munstead Wood here in favour of more modern roses.  I've heard good things about Auckland Metro

Our Munstead Wood has spectacular thorns;  last season when it nearly died all that was left was one stout stem so thickly encrusted with thorns that it could have been a mediaeval battle weapon.  It would be a shame if the growers stopped propagating it though, every rose has its happy place.   I have to say though that I haven't had huge success with Austin roses.  When we moved here from Auckland I was so thrilled to have the chance to grow roses (Auckland is too humid) that I planned a rose bed entirely planted with Austins.   One by one most of them came to grief, including Lady of Shallot and Claire Austin, and the only ones still thriving are Falstaff and Molineux, with Munstead Wood now starting to come right.   I hadn't intended to get into hybrid teas until I met Compassion and now we have several (with more to come if I get my way).   I've also just bought Abraham Darby, which is so far looking happy  (see attached, with Westerland, Molineux and Munstead Wood).