WHY EVERY GARDEN DESERVES A
RAMBLING ROSE
Rosa ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’
Rose lover and grower Rebecca Lord delves into the world of climbing roses which aspire to greater heights You cannot beat the climbing rose for value. No other plant can flower so spectacularly and so profusely in such a range of colours. They take up only a small area in the garden but can occupy an enormous vertical space that lesser plants cannot fill yet they are perfect for small houses and gardens. Many climbing roses bloom over a long period or repeat flower throughout summer and autumn and in warmer and a sheltered part of the west country will flower almost all year round. They may be trained to almost any shape you want and are good for cutting too. Most of them are scented; all are easy to grow and they combine well with a range of complementary plants. With good cultivation they can be untroubled by pests or disease. Climbing roses tend to make stronger, sturdier growths than ramblers which enable a plant to push up to greater heights of its own accord. So why doesn’t everyone have one? They can be hard to find, and they require some work, but the biggest drawback is that they bloom just once a year. A single bower may be in flower for a month, and extravagantly even for a rose, but those attributes don’t wash for gardeners programmed for ever-blooming roses. 32
Country Gardener
So in one sense they are the once a year acrobats of the rose world; climbing varieties develop long canes well adapted to training on pillars, fences, arbours, and gazebos. Most climbing roses are mutations or variations of bush-type varieties. They develop either large, single flowers or clustered blooms on a stem. Climbers may bloom once a season or continually, depending on the variety. Climbers can be treated to bloom more heavily by leading their canes in a horizontal direction. Loose anchoring to a support will encourage young plants to climb.
CLIMBING ROSES ON A PERGOLA, OLD TREE, AN OBELISK OR GARLAND If you want a roof of roses for your pergola, you need to plant several roses on both sides of the pergola. The young plants will also need leading and tying up. You will see good results in just one year and in only three years the rosy roof should have reached its full height. The same applies to roses in trees or obelisks. If you rejuvenate the top in time, you can be assured of a waterfall of flowers. For an extraordinary effect try leading your rose along a chain that links different parts of the garden together. Stretch the chain in such a