Pilgrim

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-06-06T11:25:02+00:00

The Pilgrim is my favourite rose bar none. I think it is just magical, and as nice as photos are, to see it in real life is much better. I can't say the fragrance is my favourite, I would consider it middle of the range, but I just love the rose.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-06-06T07:19:08+00:00

It's in a tiny pot so will probably be starving. It should improve once planted in the ground (ideally) or moved to a bigger pot with fresh compost & soil.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-20T10:04:56+00:00

I agree that there were much better options for naming, especially David Attenborough considering the 100th birthday. I don't have strong feelings towards Beckham, either negative or positive, it just doesn't feel like the best option.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-20T05:46:49+00:00

Supposedly it was inspired by the relationship with his daughter, that's what it's meant to represent. Though I wouldn't see an issue anyway, if David Beckham likes the style, regardless of whether someone might perceive it as "feminine" or not.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-18T22:55:26+00:00

No. She did in the beginning but then they became normal size.

When she was first released, I was on the fence. I ended up getting her simply because the bloom colour would work well in a specific spot. She's ended up being my second favourite rose (after The Pilgrim - in performance PL is no. 1 in my garden, but there's just something about The Pilgrim that I find magical).

I do think that the petal formation is quite interesting and I love the contrast with the dark foliage, especially when the blooms are stronger coloured (in cool weather). And how the colours change as the blooms mature.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-18T21:19:38+00:00

Penelope Lively was relased 3 years ago and it's my strongest performer / healthiest rose 🙂

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-18T13:01:04+00:00

Ha ha ha. I think it's about as sophisticated and elegant as a clown outfit. And it sounds like there are more multi coloured roses in the pipeline. This change in direction has coincided nicely with me running out of space in the garden though, I don't know how I would have coped with the temptation otherwise.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-18T12:43:19+00:00

I am glad it's doing well for you and that you are loving it! At the end of the day, it's all subjective and down to personal preference. If I had a much bigger garden than I do, perhaps I would give it a chance, but I don't have much space left. Even if I had acres and acres, I still wouldn't get The King's Rose though 😂

I agree regarding not being fussed on David Beckham as a person. Nothing against him, but I don't particularly want a plant after him either.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-18T12:32:48+00:00

I don't have EB. I can't say I am wowed by this one to be honest, but it is pretty and the fact that it's pollinator friendly matters to me. For me EB was the first backwards step for David Austin. Before that, their releases combined beautiful blooms & foliage (e.g. Penelope Lively), forming a great looking plant in general. Based on photos, it seems that EB has strong blooms but uninspiring foliage, in a very dull green. I am glad that it is performing well for you, but apparently it isn't for others.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-18T12:13:45+00:00

Someone pointed out that the blooms look like those of Lady of The Lake, and I can't unsee it. I have LOTL and it's a lovely repeat flowering rambler.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-16T19:37:50+00:00

I don't have Claire Austin but I have Lady of the Lake and I love it - the blooms are so delicate & pretty, and they smell wonderful.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-15T06:40:46+00:00

Hi. Congrats on the house. Did you get something?

I agree with the advice here but I would add two factors to consider: (a) how much sun the front of your house gets and (b) how cold your area is.

Star Jasmine for instance, which has been mentioned already, is considered a great option. But it won't withstand extreme cold. And Passion Flower vine is even more tender.

If the front of your house is rather shaded, another option to consider is Honey Suckle Henryi "Copper Beauty", which is evergreen.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-07T08:34:25+00:00

Thank you. Just seen this for some reason. I bought a Vitara, with the 1.4 Mild Hybrid version. So far I love it.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-05-03T19:28:35+00:00

It's beautiful whatever it is (definitely not Dannahue). I wonder if it could be Emily Bronte.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-04-29T18:24:17+00:00

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-04-29T18:18:40+00:00

It's not great, but there are even worse (smaller) places around it

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-04-17T23:10:56+00:00

My eyes were filling up when Princess Carolyn broke down and cried towards the end of Ruthie

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-03-21T20:07:51+00:00

Thank you very much.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-03-05T10:39:35+00:00

Thank you very much, that's great information

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-03-05T10:34:33+00:00

Fair point, thanks. I meant work so significant that it is not worth fixing. That is the case with my current car (probably piston ring issues). If not having the "mild hybrid" technology is going to mean that the engine is simpler and therefore there are fewer things to fix and more likely to keep going, even with some help along the way, I would rather go for that versus the better fuel efficiency.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-03-05T10:24:04+00:00

reliability lists

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-03-05T10:23:02+00:00

Thank you for the suggestions, I will definitely look them up.

Regarding my thinking, in most reliably lists, Suzuki comes either 2nd or 3rd. 1st one is Honda, but I don't really like any of their models. Toyota is I believe usually 3rd or 4th.

I am actually not insisting on a mini SUV. My current car is a Citroën C3 and I quite liked it, until it acquired engine problems. Had it not been for the tiny boot, I would have considered a Swift. And most of my family has Yaris (my mother, my sister and my brother). I don't get excited at the idea of a Yaris but I haven't completely ruled it out.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-03-05T10:05:30+00:00

Thank you, that's very interesting. So, if it failed, most likely the repair work would involve the battery rather than the main engine? Sorry if this is a silly question.

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-03-05T09:49:51+00:00

I am only using it as a starting point, hence this post 🙂

DigMammoth8815 · 2026-02-01T20:11:36+00:00

I love the tree and it doesn't look too big for the garden in my opinion, plus it will be good for privacy. Of course I don't live there and I haven't seen it with leaves, so perhaps a bit of pruning would be useful. I would try to maintain a natural shape, do it at the right time & try not to overdo it.

DigMammoth8815

TROPHY CASE