English Rose, Austin Rose 'Graham Thomas'

Mine hasn't had much new growth for some time, and I have suspicions that it may be on its way out. Notwithstanding the bad condition of...Read More the bush itself, the flowers are gorgeous.

I love Graham Thomas. So far my 2 year old own-root plant has remained between 3 and 4 ft. with no sprawl. No blackspot or mildew. Blooms...Read More continuously. One of its best traits is its habit of shedding its petals before they turn ugly.

First season with my 'Graham Thomas' ... and we're already having a complicated relationship. It was a planted from a container in Janua...Read Morery.

The blooms are quite superb, large 'old rose' with a faint pleasant aroma. Cut flowers last in the house as long if not longer than any rose I've ever grown.

On the other hand, the plant itself is just odd. I've never had a 'shrub' rose behave like it does. My nursery person said 4 to 5 feet for our area, but we're already past 5 and show no signs of stopping. The canes don't seem substantial enough to support the flower. They just flop. Every which way. They head for the ground like a carpet rose when the buds get full.

When winter arrives it will definitely be moved to a corner or place where it can be supported. We'll see if it improves with some cutting back and pruning after the first bloom this year.

According to David Austin's 2009 Handbook of Roses, they named this rose for the late Graham Thomas, an influential rosarian and garden writer.

Giant pile of fungus. Always. One of the worst performers I have ever grown, which was so dissapointing. Maybe its the high humidity? Tri...Read Moreed it for 3 years, than yanked. Yes I probably could have sprayed it more, but when all my other roses have no/little problems with the same regimen it looks like Graham was a loser. Flowers are real pretty though.

I've had 5 different David Austin roses and this one wasn't outstanding, but not bad enough to pull up and discard. In the Houston climat...Read Moree, it was close to 10' and more like a climbing rose in that it needed support and pegging in order for the entire limb to bloom, otherwise it bloomed only on the end of each cane. Not the outstanding in any way.

This is a great rose for 10a. I planted a couple end of June and by December 2005, reached 7'. The blooms are simply gorgeous. Compete...Read Mores with the lush, dark-green foliage.

Looks like mine are going to be monsters this year, and I'm so psyched!

Can be grown in zone 4 with consistant snow cover. It will die back to level of the snow but soon grows back in the summer. I have had i...Read Moret get over 7 feet tall if the weather is right for it. Needs support in my opinion and is better grown against a house or barn, and can use a trellis. Excellent bloomer and not overly blackspot prone for a yellow rose.

This is a great Austin rose, it's light yellow blooms brighten up a garden. It's winter hardy in zone 5.

The pure beauty of the flower makes up for this rose's rapid growth. I am constantly cutting it back, but it doesn't seem to mind and bl...Read Moreooms non-stop.

Will grow in Zone 5 unprotected, but is slow to start and never quite seems to get his act together. The winter and spring of 2002-2003 ...Read Morewere quite harsh and not kind to him. He probably should have been protected and is pouting this year. Still, the blooms are a lovely shade of yellow and nicely fragrant.

Could go either way on this one but, when Graham was enjoying milder winters, he was too beautiful to replace.

Austin - 1983
Seedling x (Charles Austin x Iceberg seedling).

Flowers are fully double, deeply cupped, of medium si...Read Moreze with a Tea Rose fragramce. Color is a rich, butter-yellow.

David Austin describes it's growth as upright, to 4' tall. However, in warmer climates it can reach 10' or more. Growth is strong, breaking freely at almost every joint to produce flowers.

Produces a flush of bloom in Spring, sporadic blooms through summer.