Climbing Rose

They are very pretty Clare. Sorry to be fussy, but I don't like the 'frilly' centres. I like the more traditional roses, in fact that goes for most of my plants, I prefer a cottage garden style of planting.

 

Sheal, if you add some horizontal crossbars (1 meter long), and at 800mm intervals onto the pole, it will be a lot easier to grow a climber?

 

Fair enough, Sheal. Each to his own! Actually, by and large the traditional roses are the ones with 'frilly centres'! The conical hybrid tea shape is the more modern one, which didn't become fashionable until the twentieth century. Mme Isaac Pereire is a Bourbon rose which dates back to 1881; David Austin has built his business out of combining the forms and scents of old roses with the colours and repeat flowering abilities of the new ones. 'The Pilgrim' looks to me as if it has a bit of Centifolia blood in it - a very old rose indeed. But the original wouldn't have been available in yellow, and it wouldn't have repeat-flowered either; these characteristics have been achieved by some very clever crosses with modern roses. Goodness knows how many dud seedlings the Austin nursery has to sift through to get one or two gems.

 

Thanks again Clare. I am aware the 'frilly' ones are the originals, but to me they look more like Paeonies, which is why I prefer the tea hybrids. I think if the weather's dry enough I'll have a wander round a good local nursery this weekend and see if there's anything I take a fancy too. There's usually something that says I'm the one, buy me!

 

The reason I haven't linked all the uprights together with crossbars is, it makes it difficult for removal should the electricity board come along and say it has to come down. Which is why I've wired them together instead.

 

You mean, apart from the fact that they open, immediately get rained on, flop over never to stand up again and then do nothing for the rest of the year?

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Paeonies Armandii, they are beautiful (one of my next investments) but Paeonies are Paeonies and I don't like roses that look like them.

 

I seem to be unable to offer anything other than "Buff beauty" at the moment! Its a wiry little thing that seems intent on a moon mission chez moi. I love the thought of looking upward to see its many faces smiling down at me,
sorry, got a bit of a pash for it just now,

 

Okay, I've made up my mind. Having thought about the situation and the plants already there, I've decided against yellow, so white it is. I think it will stand out better against the background and the fact that part of the bed is in shade for half the day.

Thanks to Armandii 'White Skyliner' is definitely on the cards, but I spotted another rose yesterday on the web that caught my eye.

So, does anyone have, or have experience of 'Swan Lake'. I like the hint of pink in the centre but I'm wondering if the rest of the flower is definitely white. Also, the individual flowers look quite heavy, I don't want a rose that is going to look battered from the wet and windy weather here, having said that the bed is sheltered. Your thoughts would be much appreciated please.

 

While were on the subject of climbing roses I thought id grow one up through a rather boring Ash in our new garden, can anyone recommend a pretty smelly one? maybe an old one with some history? as I quite like those