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annesfbay

Planting roses very close together--question

annesfbay
10 years ago

I have an arbor on which I plan to train two Renae (climbing floribunda or polyantha) roses a la Paul Zimmerman in his wonderful YouTube tutorial. One rose on each side of the arbor. About six months ago I planted a Snowbelt (polyantha shrub) about two feet from the arbor (why? I wasn't thinking!) If I plant Renae at the foot of the arbor, she will be about 18 inches from Snowbelt. Too close? Snowbelt has been very vigorous in the ground. Renae has been very vigorous in pots.

Any thoughts such as "no way, dimwit!" or, preferably, "no problem!" would be very much appreciated.

Anne

Comments (19)

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    10 years ago

    It's not the root system so much as the growth spilling into each other. Think forward to their maturity. If the base of Renae matures out to bare canes, they will look better together, rather than being a problem.

    Which would be lovely.

  • Kippy
    10 years ago

    I have to giggle, not at you but me.

    I have one Renae busy growing and realized that where I had her, on one side of a large entry gate arbor, that she was going to want to grow more than that and just am finishing an arbor top on the gate to the lower part of the property so one Renae can have 2 arbors.

    I have a feeling Renae is going to be a big gal, but if most of her foliage is up high, you might like that lower coverage. I have my Renae tucked behind a Burgundy Iceberg (have to see how that color combo turns out cause I planted the iceberg long before I knew of Renae. But I also know I can cut on the iceberg should Renae need some one on one attention.

  • Poorbutroserich Susan Nashville
    10 years ago

    I love the look of them spilling together! I read somewhere that you can't grow roses like you do herbaceous perennials because of color clash. But I am having a wonderful time "painting with roses". Just another reason I don't pay much attention to "can't, cannot, don't, won't".
    Kippy one day I'm going to visit your garden.......Can you share photos of the "big picture" or are they on HMF?
    Susan

  • annesfbay
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you! If root competition isn't a problem than I'll go ahead and plant Renae next to Snowbelt. I think the look of roses spilling all over each other, as well. Too a point :-)

    Anne

  • jerijen
    10 years ago

    18"?? I incline to think that is too close. Renae could eat Snowbelt for breakfast.

    Not saying Renae will -- eventually -- carry a lot of low foliage, but the base of the plant itself is going to have some girth, in maturity.

    Jeri

  • Kippy
    10 years ago

    Susan, it would be fun to show you the garden!

    My goal is to have it visitor ready for the spring. We are going to have a fall party this year, but I still want a right garden shed for the main garden and a little green house attached :)

    I will take a good set of photos in the next week or so, I just finished painting the tops of the arbors tonight. Still have some moving a garden fencing to go and a couple of other smaller projects but then I am calling garden building pretty much done for the season!

    The photo is from yesterday with no paint, the second side for Renae

  • ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
    10 years ago

    Kippy, that's absolutely beautiful! You've done such a great job, you should be so proud.

    Ingrid

  • bart_2010
    10 years ago

    I've started ignoring spacing rules and planting roses quite close together, because I love the idea of them spilling into each other. I'm not sure how this will work out in the long run, however.But one thing I think is important: to try to make sure that the roses that you plant together are of equal vigour. One of my own personal concerns for this fall is that I want to grow a small-flowered,light-coloured climber together with Laguna. But Laguna is so vigorous and is well-established; I'm worried that the new rose will struggle. I might start it in a pot,and let it get biggish before I plant it out in this difficult spot...bart

  • Debbie1776
    10 years ago

    Kippy, I'm going to drool myself to death over that picture.

  • seil zone 6b MI
    10 years ago

    If you read the David Austin catalog he often suggests that for a fuller look to plant 3 of the same rose in an 18 inch triangle. I don't think planting your Renae that close to Snowbelt will be a growth problem for either of them. It may be a care problem for you though once they're both mature. I get the feeling these are both pretty vigorous growers, lol! But I think it will be gorgeous!

  • Poorbutroserich Susan Nashville
    10 years ago

    Kippy, your garden is just wonderful. Who builds and places your structures?
    Just great!
    Share photos when you have time.
    Susan

  • susan4952
    10 years ago

    Love your garden pics, Kippy.

  • Kippy
    10 years ago

    Thanks Susans!

    I actually have built the last batch. I had a plan in my head for the the other 2. But since in my real job I spend a good deal of time around construction and ask a lot of "why" questions, I kind of dive right in. I joke that I am sponsored by Ryobi, Home Depot and the Costco Food court.

    Norm would not be proud, I try for level-straight-plum but nothing on the house or lot is so it can be hard to find a good line to work from. One of the joys of a 100+ year old house. Curbs, neighboring fencing, retaining wall, all of it runs wrong, so I just deal with it.

    I do take pictures of things I like and think about them a bit and see how I might adapt it for us. And much of what I start out with is used or left overs from other peoples projects (like the picket fencing on the veggie gardens) Like the gate in the front of the photo, I made it a dutch door, but it was some one elses drive way gate in a different life. I cut it up, added the posts, hinges, latches and a few extra braces. The pickets don't line up perfectly, but the price was right.

    Thanks-I will work on photos

  • barbarag_happy
    10 years ago

    Hasn't worked for me. I put Ebbtide at the foot of Golden Celebration, and Winter Sunset in front of the very leggy Night Owl. Ebbtide has only achieved the size of a mini--pitiful. And Winter Sunset is not only a small plant but the blooms are much smaller and paler than when I grew it with less competition.
    The issue seems to be not enough sun to go around-- the climbers billow out over the shrubs.
    Back in Texas I put Perle d'Or at the foot of Reve d'Or which was on a 9 foot arbor-- I'd really like to see how THAT worked out!
    ARE catalog indicated Perle d'Or could be grown in a container but since then I've seen some truly massive specimens!

  • Kippy
    10 years ago

    BarbaraG

    Not sure if it holds true for all Ebb Tides, but mine is maybe 24" tall after a second season in the ground and shows no sign of trying to get larger. After I planted it, I have heard it is not known for it's vigor and rebloom

  • roseseek
    10 years ago

    As with most climbers, eventually, you're going to have bare legs beneath a large foliage canopy above. Take a look at the linked photo on HMF below, then look at the others of that rose on the arbor in the Moore Garden in Visalia. For a short time, you may have "foliage conflicts", but in the long run, I don't think it's going to be an issue. Kim

    Here is a link that might be useful: Renae at the Ralph Moore Memorial Garden, Visalia, CA

  • Kippy
    10 years ago

    Kim

    How many Renae's are on that arbor?

    That is the photo that I kept looking back at and thinking I was going to need a bigger arbor.

    And my Renae after weeks of giving up flowering and growing just put out the starts of some buds. They are about 4' from the ground. Should I pinch them? Or let them bloom and slow some growth since it is hot right now?

  • roseseek
    10 years ago

    There are two plants of Renae on that arbor. They're planted diagonally across the arbor from one another. Renae IS a "big girl" once she gets pumping! At Sequoia, she threw herself fifteen feet into the trees by the office and kept creeping through the limbs in all directions. Of course, the only portions ever pruned were those which fell out of the canopy or threw themselves out into where you'd walk under it.

    Whether to keep pinching yours or not is up to you. "Hot" is relative. She was born and raised in Visalia where triple digits were often the summer "norm". If she's already root bound in the pot size you have her in, slowing the growth may help. If not, or if you're ready to up size her pot and want her bigger, sooner, I doubt the heat you're enduring is too much for her. Kim

  • Kippy
    10 years ago

    Kim, she is in the ground and is actually getting a bit of extra water since we added the sod, guessing that is part of why she stopped sulking about the pinching, took off and now wants to try blooming again. I have not seen any sign of the heat bugging her at all, lots of happy but bright green growth.

    I am going to work on the sprinklers for the sod this next week and then mulch (okay manure)

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