This happy little ganglion is actually James Galway #3, replacing a year-old plant I had to put down the previous fall after it contracted Rosette (aka RRD), a virus that terminally disfigures roses.
Thankfully,this happy critter is healthy as kale and ginger smoothie. This is a perfect example of what an own root rose looks like before planting, and David Austin’s nurseies sent me a particularly mature one.
Since I needed to quarantine the location of the original location for at least a year to ensure the disease doesn’t spread, when this arrived in April of 2017 I planted in a large pot alongside the garage. It grew surprisingly large and strong there in one season — probably also because it’s a north facing location that recieves no sun after 11AM. English roses seem to especially appreciate shade in the sweltering heat of New Jersey summers, and it bloomed reapeatedly until heavy frosts set it.
An interesting aside: Galway is tough enough to tolerate light frosts and keep on growing.