The Austin shrub William Shakespeare 2000 is fairly new to my garden. It went in the ground in September 2007 so is not yet 2 years old. Thus my comments on its habit are based on a plant not yet mature. However, without help, maturity is not something that my plant would ever achieve.

The William Shakespeare 2000 rose produces sprawling canes that are loaded with fat buds. But the wind whips these young, tender bud and bloom-heavy canes around until they work loose and, without fail, sooner of later, these promising canes are found lying on the ground. So the help it needs is to have every new basal staked to keep its base attachment secure. With this done, the plant is a beautiful addition to my garden.

This young plant has a spread of five feet, and with canes unsupported, a height of just less than two feet. Once it has formed a framework of mature canes, I suspect it will be at least a foot or two taller. Were it not for the surfeit of heavy buds, the canes would likely stay in place. But the careful staking is paying off handsomely with a largess of beautiful blooms.