Growing Roses.  Information and Advice

Gardenseeker Main site Other help sections l Lawns  l  Shrubs & Hardy Plants
Roses Home

Aphids

Mildew
Blackspot
Pruning
Rose Sickness
Rose Cuttings
Mulching Roses
Groundcover roses
Suckers on roses
Rose Growers and Nurseries listed
Feeding Roses
Climbing Roses
Rambler Roses
Houseplant Roses
Standard Roses
Pruning
Bush Roses
Climbing Roses
Rambling Roses
Rose Care Calendar

                   

 


Climbing Roses - Ten of the Best.

Climbing Roses are generally mutations or sports of normal bush roses (Hybrid Tea and Floribunda Types) though are sometimes specifically bred.

  Climbers are often allowed to grow vertically - as is their normal habit. However, if grown in this way, then there are fewer shoots, resulting in fewer flowers. It is far better to train the main stems of the climber in a horizontal manner along a fence or trellis. This will then result in many more shoots - growing horizontally - with resulting larger numbers of blooms.

Climbing Roses that are from Hybrid Tea or Floribunda parentage, rarely have the profuse flowering of their bush counterparts.

 

image shows the five leaflets that go to make up the standard leaf of the climbing rose Climbing Roses differ from Ramblers in a few respects. A climbing rose will have five leaflets that make up the leaf, whereas a rambler normally has seven leaflets per leaf. Together with this, Climbing Roses generally have stems that are more rigid than rambling roses.

 

Climbing Roses are split into two basic groups, being 'once flowering' and 'repeat flowering'.

The Hybrid Tea types have larger typical classical rose type flowers, whilst the Floribundas have clusters of smaller flowers. Both type of Climbers have their merits. In many instances, the blooms of the HT types are much larger than their 'bush' counterparts. However, there is not often the repeat flowering characteristics of the parents in either of the Climbing forms.

Climbing Roses should not be pruned in the first two or three years, but instead trained to form horizontal laterals where this is possible - for the reasons outlined above.

Thereafter, with the 'once a year' flowering types, prune back right after flowering, for they normally flower on growths that were made the previous year. If you prune this type in the winter, you will probably be cutting off the next year's flowering growths!

 

Flowering spurs are well shown in this image. As soon as flowering has finished, then prune.
The Perpetual flowering types can be pruned - if necessary - in the winter months. However, this type will flower for many years from laterals from the same mature canes. each winter, cut back the laterals to within 2 or three buds of the horizontal cane structure. If the flowering becomes weak, then winter pruning a few of the weaker canes out will allow for more vigorous growth.

 

Every Rose Grower or rose fanatic will have their own favourites. For our best ten climbing roses, we list mainly older varieties that have stood the test of time.

Allgold Florib Golden Yellow Scented
Altissimo Cluster Red - long flowering Scented
Bantry Bay Cluster Pink semi-double. Scented
Casino Hybrid Tea Yellow Scented
Danse de Feu Perpetual Fl. Scarlet Slight Scent
Ena Harkness * Hybrid Tea Deep Red Deep Scent
Golden Showers Perpetual Fl. Deep golden yellow Slight Scent
Handel Florib. Cream with carmine edges Scented
Iceberg Florib. White Slight Scent
New Dawn Perpetual Fl. Pink Scented
Paul's Scarlet Florib. Scarlet Scented
School Girl Hybrid Tea Carmine and Silver Deep Scent

* Climbing Rose  Ena Harkness. The shrub version of this would not get a mention because of it's drooping blooms habit. As a climber, this is an attractive feature.