Perfect for Southland Climbs

If you would like to experiment with growing a David Austin rose as a climber, ‘Graham Thomas’ would be a safe bet. It’s one of the most successful climbers at Brisa del Lago condominium project in Rancho Santa Margarita (“outstanding” says Brisa homeowner Kevin Cartwright); one of the six Austins suggested as short climbers (up to 10 feet) by Heirloom Old Garden roses, an Oregon-based specialty grower; and one of Lew Whitney at Roger’s Gardens favorite roses period. “It’s just a fabulous yellow,” he says.

Heirloom also recommends ‘Abraham Darby,’ a predominantly apricot rose with hints of pink, lemon and salmon. Cartwright likes it too. “ ‘Abraham Darby’ gets huge flowers,” he says. “Ours must be 6 inches across this year.”

‘Wenlock,’ a magenta pink quartered rose, is another heirloom suggestion and is doing well over a number of Brisa archways.

A fourth candidate from Heirloom doing well at Brisa is ‘Charles Austin,’ another huge blossom, this one a blend of bit-of-honey and peaches-and-cream.

‘Leander,’ a pale apricot rose, is another on Heirloom’s list, and one of the Austins suggested as climbers by Roger Phillips & Martyn Rix in their book “Roses.”

Phillips and Rix also list ‘Cressida,’ an ivory white rose, which Cartwright likes for its delicious scent (“You can smell it 30 feet away on a warm day,” he says) and ‘Lucetta,’ a barely pink rose.

Harder than finding a good Austin candidate for experimenting with as a climber will be finding a David Austin to plant at all. Roger’s Gardens has been sold out of Austins for weeks. But Amling’s Nursery in Newprt Beach ((714) 644-9510) has a few left, and Sassafras Nursery in Topanga ((310) 455-3898) still had a good supply.

You might also try mail-ordering from Heirloom Old Garden Roses, which carries a huge selection of high quality Austins, according to gardening instructor Jan Zalba. Write 24062 N.E. Riverside Drive, St. Paul, Ore., 97137 and request the $3 color catalogue or phone (503) 538-1576. Wayside Gardens, 1 Garden Lane, Hodges, S.C., 29695 is also highly recommended.