Roses

[chrisdb]

I planted a couple of ramblers ... I'm desperately waiting for them to put on a huge amount of growth.... no such luck for me. They look healthy enough but they aren't covering my arch yet.
I think I may need to get some feed/ manure

What did you plant? I've had mixed luck with ramblers and climbers. In particular, I've often found the David Austin climbers to be less vigorous than the eventual heights on the website suggest. A summary of what I have or have had recently:

Francis E. Lester - not a DA one. Very healthy variety, very fast growing but still possible to contain if required. Grew several metres in its first year, if I recall correctly. Main downside is that it doesn't repeat flower, although when it's in flower it's very impressive and the scent can carry.

Lady of the Lake - DA. For me it struggles to go over about 2m. It seems to have stabilised at about that height, despite claims that it can reach 12ft. In summer it grows quite slowly because it flowers so enthusiastically, but then every winter some of the little extra height it put on gets wiped out by minor dieback.

Tess of the d'Urbervilles - DA. More vigorous than Lady of the Lake, easily hit about 3m tall. But a martyr to black spot and just about every other problem under the sun. I removed it.

Mortimer Sackler - DA. Got it reduced in a garden centre and just planted it this year as a replacement for Tess. We'll see how tall it gets and whether it resists black spot more than Tess.

The Albrighton Rambler - DA. Newly planted this year, but I'm optimistic. The canes are a bit more robust than Lady of the Lake, although not quite so thick as Francis E. Lester. It seems to be growing quite fast so far.

[Bluenowhere]

If you are looking for a really vigorous climber/rambler I’d recommend Maid of Kent (DA)

She covered a garden arch the year I planted her and I have to chop at her almost every weekend in the late spring/summer to prevent her climbing over the carport, garage roof completely out of control, etc etc. She is probably a bit more vigorous than I would like but if you are looking to cover a trellis or arbour quickly she would be perfect.

She has lovely very pale pink flowers which turn white as they mature. They are individually small but are in clusters of four or five from one flowering stem.

[chrisdb]

If you are looking for a really vigorous climber/rambler I’d recommend Maid of Kent (DA)
...
She has lovely very pale pink flowers which turn white as they mature. They are individually small but are in clusters of four or five from one flowering stem.

It looks good in the pictures. Maybe I'll give it a try if a spot opens up in future. One thjng it's always difficult to tell without seeing the plants is how flexible the stems are, and how easy they are to train. Normally calling something a rambler implies more flexible and less rigid stems, but among the climbers it's a bit trickier.

[bramble]

My rose Golden Showers is a vigorous climber and flowers twice a year,
I would totally recommend it.

[Scarlet]

What did you plant? I've had mixed luck with ramblers and climbers. In particular, I've often found the David Austin climbers to be less vigorous than the eventual heights on the website suggest.

DA Varieties
Paul's Himilayan Musk. I planted this one in May last year. It was really dry last year so this may have stalled it a bit ( I don't water as I'm on a meter) I've trained it horizontally around a tree. It has sent up lots of side shoots with buds but the leaders are probably only about 4ft? 3 new stems have appeared this year, around 2ft already.

I've two others that were planted last year - I can't remember the name now. Will look tomorrow and update - but they are seriously stunted - I think this was due to lack of watering last year.

The 4th one is City if York. This will be its second summer. Again it's not grown masses. Maybe 6ft? I've trained this one horizontally around an arch. The side shoots are plentiful with lots of flower buds but I was hoping for a bit more growth - no new stems either.

[Thelma Sanders]

I grow Buff Beauty an apricot yellow Hybrid Musk, sposed to be a shrub - but it has taken over 3 panels of the 6ft high fence. Yellow isn't my fav colour for roses but she is a beautiful rose, even though very thorny

[Bluenowhere]

One thjng it's always difficult to tell without seeing the plants is how flexible the stems are, and how easy they are to train. Normally calling something a rambler implies more flexible and less rigid stems, but among the climbers it's a bit trickier.

Stems are flexible rather than rigid so nice and easy to train apart from the rather vicious little thorns, but it’s rather unavoidable to have thorns on roses.

[Babru]

Zepherine Drouhin is a pink thornless climber with wonderful perfume. You need to be prepared to spray regularly though, as it gets terrible blackspot if you don't.

[chrisdb]

I found what I think is a rose seedling in the garden, which I've carefully transplanted into a pot. The shape and number of leaves looks rose-like, but the colours are very interesting. The leaves are red around the edges but an almost gray green on top, very thin and not glossy at all, with red colouring on the stems. It could be rosa glauca, but I don't grow it and I don't think the neighbours do either, so seed must have been delivered long distance by birds.

[Thelma Sanders]

I found what I think is a rose seedling in the garden, which I've carefully transplanted into a pot. The shape and number of leaves looks rose-like, but the colours are very interesting. The leaves are red around the edges but an almost gray green on top, very thin and not glossy at all, with red colouring on the stems. It could be rosa glauca, but I don't grow it and I don't think the neighbours do either, so seed must have been delivered long distance by birds.

It would help if you could take a pic

[mothhawk]

Zepherine Drouhin is a pink thornless climber with wonderful perfume. You need to be prepared to spray regularly though, as it gets terrible blackspot if you don't.

I have a Zepherine Drouhin. Used to be in full sun against the house wall. Never did well, suffered severely from blackspot every year. Two years ago, I moved it to a shady spot against a fence. It now gets only about an hour of early morning sun, and it has a slab with a tub on it containing an apple tree over its root space.The top is in the sun in the late afternoon. It's covered in flowers and no trace of blackspot since the move. I think it was just too hot and dry.

Roses grow very well and very healthy in shade, I find.

[mothhawk]

Actually, when I stop to think logically about it, climbing and rambling roses are designed to climb and scramble up other plants - shrubs, trees - to the light, and then flower, so they most likely really enjoy their feet in shade, like clematis do.

[chrisdb]

Actually, when I stop to think logically about it, climbing and rambling roses are designed to climb and scramble up other plants - shrubs, trees - to the light, and then flower, so they most likely really enjoy their feet in shade, like clematis do.

I'm not sure this argument holds, because even "climbing" roses aren't really true climbers. They don't twine, and they don't cling on to things with tendrils, and they don't grow aerial roots. This is very different from clematis, which will actively seek something to grow up and then cling tight to it.

They're actually more sprawlers, which will lean against something handy if available, but will also happily flop to the ground and layer themselves up into a thicket. A bit like brambles really.

The family is so big though that roses are found in habitats from woodland edges to sand dunes, so there should be some shade tolerant genes floating around. Although plants may not flower well until they get the extra energy of direct sunlight.

[Char]

Blue moon rose

hello, everyone, I am looking for a blue moon rose, it's my partners favorite. does anyone have an idea of where has potted ones for sale, please?

many thanks

[Martin H]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Nurser...lt?query=94317