Need Climber: Climbing La France or Viking Queen?

16 years ago

My MIL just moved into a retirement community. Really pretty house but very small yard with lots of community restrictions. But they will allow her to grow a climbing rose up and around her front porch, which is painted white. She asked me to pick a pick climbing rose. Lavender and pink are her favorite colors so I'm planning on pink roses surround by PROVENCE lavendin. She wants repeat bloom, fragrance and has a preference for high centered blooms (but I want to try and seduce her over to Old Garden Roses and Reproductions).

So far I've narrowed my choices down to CLIMBING LA FRANCE and VIKING QUEEN. Which one should I choose? MIL is a rose novice so it has got to be something that is easy to grow. She will spray but doesn't like to do it every week, so once every three-to-four weeks seems like a reasonable schedule.

The other roses she will be growing in her postage stamp sized front yard is BELINDAS DREAM and MARECHESA BOCCELLA (or perhaps THE MAYFLOWER?).

I'm also open to suggestions. Just please don't recommend AWAKENING or NEW DAWN. Either is much too big for the structure and MIL wouldn't appreciate the evil thorns.

Featured Answer

rjlinva

16 years ago

I grow Blossomtime no spray in BS paradise...it does really well. I love this rose. Viking Queen is so new to me that I dare not comment. I would like to toss into the considerations Kathleen Harrop (pink version of Zephirine Droughin). She is thornless and, for me, fairly resistant to BS. I would pair a clematis with her to cover up some naked knees. The fragrance is too die for...one of my absolute favorites. I'm not sure about her rebloom potential in your zone. She does NOT get enough supplemental water where she is in my yard. If Zephirine reblooms well in your area, I would imagine Kathleen Harrop would too.

Another rose to consider is Compassion. It is pink/apricot/yellow based...high centered...lovely. Lavender Lassie?

Robert

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Comments (16)

zeffyrose
16 years ago
Patrick---I do love my Viking Queen----lovely pink blooms and healthy leaves in my no-spray garden.
Florence
Molineux
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Flo. As you well know I've had my eye on VQ for some time. So you grow her no spray? That puts her ahead of CLF. Rob's mother also lives in zone 6a, which is pushing it a little for La France. I'm also considering BLOSSOM TIME.

BTW, How is your Climbing Clotilde Soupert doing? My two CS bushes are doing fine. Took a bit a work to get the mildew under control but worth the effort. The climber is much less susceptible. Probably because of the better air flow it received from the Central AC unit. The flowers on the climber also seem "pinker" in the middle. Oh well, at least the fragrance is the same.
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taoseeker
16 years ago
If you go for fragrance Climbing La France is great, but I dont know if it repeats as well as the short version.

Coral Dawn is very good and very well behaved; good repeat, good fragrance and grow very tidily and not so big. If this rose like your climate, well worth planing if there was room for only one rose.

Schwanensee is also worth checking out, palest pink.

If you find Climbing Ophelia, she has best fragrance ever, not an old rose but very good from 1920 (Ophelia from 1912). It often noted that she can grow up to 20 feet, but this is a climbing hybrid tea and it is no problem keeping her under 10 feet with pruning in spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Coral Dawn on helpmefind
shellfleur
16 years ago
Patrick, a climber that I absolutely adore is Blossomtime. It is definitely for a person who loves pinks. It does have high centered blooms, very nice fragrance any time of the day. The blooms are light to medium pink with a dark reverse, which causes beautiful interplay with the light and shadows. It is almost always in bloom...and this is only its 2nd year in my garden. I would call it moderately vigorous. I got it from Roses Unlimited I think. I'm thinking about planting another one because I love it so much. Each bloom is so pretty. Good luck with whatever rose you choose. Shelley
artemis_pa
16 years ago
Shelley, I looked up Blossomtime on HMF and it is as beautiful as you say! Looks like something I would like to have...and Coral Dawn looks nice too! I added each to my "possibility" list.
User
16 years ago
Viking Queen is a beauty I love LaFrance as a bush it balls has problems but I wouldn't part with it.
lori_elf z6b MD
16 years ago
Viking Queen is an easy, healthy rose... I planted one at my mother's house and it gets no spray and just a yearly feeding and pruning by me and is doing very well there. I grew the bush form of La France and it wasn't healthy and hardy enough for no-spray, don't know if the climbing form is significantly different.
seattlesuze
16 years ago
Do you need to be concerned about thorns?
nickelsmumz8
16 years ago
Blossomtime is beautiful but it is a seedling of New Dawn so may be very thorny!
predfern
16 years ago
Prairie Princess (disease resistant, mild fragrance)

Polka (disease resistant, fragrant, apricot)
monarda_gw
16 years ago
Blossomtime is one of my all-time favorite roses -- but in my experience doesn't get very tall.

I love Climbing La France, too, but mine is not doing well -- I have seen beautiful specimens in warmer climes, though.

(I am not very familiar with Viking Queen, so can't comment).

If you could get her to to consider a more old-fashioned type, I would suggest James Galway. A pastel beauty that would win anyone over -- it's so floriferous.
michaelalreadytaken
16 years ago
Blossomtime always had a je ne sais quoi aspect to it that I loved. My nose isn't that sensitive so I never perceived much depth to its fragrance BUT it did have one.

It did well with Louisiana blackspot pressure too. I distinctly remember that about it--not immune--but pretty resistant.

MichaelAT
mendocino_rose
16 years ago
Blossom Time is very pretty. Here in zone 8 it is vigorous. Viking Queen is smaller. I think I've heard that it is hardier. Coral Dawn is lovely(and not really coral more pink). It repeats well here for a climber. I like Monarda's suggestion about James Galway. I've seen it recently and fell in love with it.
Molineux
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks everybody for your wonderful responses. I've decided to go with VIKING QUEEN. It should be fully hardy in zone 6a, has OGR style blooms, is fragrant, and can take neglect if my MIL forgets to spray. I also remember Zeffy telling me that the canes are moderately thorny, which is acceptible. MIL would probably prefer thornless but both Zephirine Droughin and Kathleen Harrop don't seem to repeat bloom that well.

Best wishes,

Patrick
joebar
16 years ago
i am glad you chose VQ. i have had one for three years . it is grown on its own roots and is bulletproof against virtually anything. Its parents are New Dawn and L.E. Longley. it takes a few years too establish but builds momentum with every year. it is a beauty- virtually the perfect rose. too bad it is very hard to come by, as it is not commonly grown. it seems to have the blooming characteristics of a floribunda with the largest bloom in the centre of each splay. 45 petals per flower and quite fragrant.no black spot ever and is very forgiving against severe pruning. etc. be patient and she will reward you. mine is the showcase of my 25 roses. nice enough to be in a magazine.