Topic: I want to grow a rambling/climbing rose

[Jeannine]

I don't know very much about roses. just a bit. I want to plant a rose that will cover an arbour and eventually a fence,preferably something pink or red but not orange ,white, or yellow, and one with a good growing season or perhaps a repeat.

Can anyone suggest a variety please?

Thank you XX Jeannine

[Lucho]

Just to start the ball rolling, how about Rosa 'New Dawn'? I've used them in a couple of gardens recently and they fit the criteria well, although I'm sure many other roses would too!

[grawrc]

Jeannine I think it depends how rampant you want it to grow. We have quite a few rambler/climbing roses in the garden and in retrospect some of them are too rampant for the places they are. For example we had to remove Paul's himalayan Musk a few years back because it was threatening to take over both house and garden. Absolutely gorgeous and heavily musk scented but just too big. Same thing for Rambling Rector which covers the Art shed and the pergola but needs savage pruning every year. (Imagine Peter on the shed roof wielding long-armed loppers and throwing 14 feet branches to the ground.) We have a beautiful American Pillar in the front garden but it too can get out of hand. One of my favourites is Albéric Barbier - creamy white and scented. And of course Albertine which I adore. I have a couple of New Dawn as well and it is lovely but doesn't have the variety of colour or the heady scent of some of the others. it is very pale pink. A question of taste really.

I'll post some pics later. In the meantime could I suggest you have a look at
http://www.davidaustinroses.com/english/

They have fabulous roses and while they are rather expensive there is a lot of information and loads of photos on their website which will help you to make an informed decision. They also have a beautiful catalogue which they will send you on request.

[Jeannine]

Thank you both, I do have the DA catalogue, I wanted some personal info which I appreciate and I do want something rampant. XX Jeannine

[Barnowl]

We have some Penny Lane - not the strongest scented of roses but growing well and very pretty flowers.

[ACE]

I cannot find it on the internet, but I have one called perennial blue, each plant sold gives a donation to the Gardeners royal benevolent society. (Perennial). Nice easy going climber, there is also Perennial blush which is a creamy/pink.

[saddad]

If you want deep red and very scented you could do worse than look at (Climbing) Etoille D' Holland... I have it on a rose arch but it is far too vigerous..
Souvenir Du Dr Jamain is also good on cold clay sites... but not as vigerous..
 ;D

[Emagggie]

As I understand it, (and I'm no expert,) ramblers aren't repeat flowerers and the blooms are generally smaller than climbers but climbers have a sturdier stem. So it depends where you want it to wander and if you want repeat flowering. We had a Zephirine Droughin in a previous garden (climber) and it was a thing of perfumed beauty!

[grawrc]

You're spot on Emaggie and Zephirine Drouhin, aka, the thornless rose, is an absolute cracker. In general however I have found ramblers more effective at covering things without too much effort on my part. The climbers seem to go off at tangents (probably down to my ineffectual pruning or indeed the lack of it) whereas the ramblers happily clamber over the thing you want them to and don't object in the slightest when you take the hedge trimmer to them when they outgrow their space. Ramblers tend to have smaller flowers but more of them and unless we get rain they last for weeks and weeks.

[fluffygrue]

My vote goes for Mme. Gregoire Stachelain - enormous fragrant pink flowers, and seems a healthy plant so far. I have a New Dawn growing near it, but some years the colouring's a delicate pale pink, and other years more of a wussy white. Disease-proof, but not my favourite.

I'm also a fan of Handel - it's pale pink with dark pink edges.. mine seems a bit prone to black-spot, but I think that's because I planted it in an overly optimistic position.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I'm not particularly a fan of roses but I do love our climbing "Cecile Brummer". It also comes as a bush variety, but the climber is extremely vigorous. It's a repeat with pink buttonhole roses. We had it growing through an old pear at our last house, and growing round a plum here

http://hiwaay.net/~oliver/clcecille.html

[beth23]

I'd go for american pillar if I were you.  I'm seriously considering ripping out a gorgeous 'seagull' to replace with AP just because its so spectacular and flowers for so long.  Definitely worth a look. xx

[Obelixx]

I have Generous Gardener and Tess of the Durbervilles from David Austin as well as New Dawn.  All are very healthy and disease resistant and repeat flower.  The first two have very good perfume but I find New dawn fairly faint unless I stick my nose in a bloom.   The Generous Gardener is vigorous and a slightly stronger pink than New Dawn which I find is bushier and doesn't get such long branches for winding over an arbour.    Tess is luscious crimson red.