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stevega_gw

Long blooming climbing rose

stevega
15 years ago

The folks in the Rose forum said I should post here because antique roses are likely to bloom longer and be less trouble than the modern roses.

I am planning an arbor about 5'x5'x8' tall as a entrance to a garden area. The area gets high dappled morning shade and full afternoon sun. The soil is clay and on a slope so ammending should prevent pooling. We're just north of Atlanta and under drought water restrictions (I will hand water as required).

I would like to have a climbing rose cover the arbor that blooms a long time, is disease/pest resistant, colorful, doesn't require exceptional care, and drought resistant in approximately that order.

Can you provide recommendations for zone 7b-8?

Thank you.

Comments (38)

  • carolfm
    15 years ago

    Steve, since you live in Georgia, the biggest issue you will have with disease is blackspot. Nothing is uglier than a huge climber covered with blackspot or no leaves at all.

    Reve d'Or is a great rose and is very vigorous and huge here. It is easily trained and accepts pruning to keep it in bounds without sulking. However, in the heat here, the color is most often a soft apricot color. If you want "colorful" this may not be the rose for you.

    Crepuscule is a slightly smaller grower but still big enough to cover your arbor and the blooms are more colorful but they will also fade in the heat. It blooms continuously once established. It also has few thorns compared to some other climbers.

    Secret Garden Musk completely defoliates here even with spray. It is very fragrant but it is very suseptible to blackspot.

    I have Don Juan on my arbor and it is a beauty, fragrant and colorful but it is in no way maintenance free or good for a completely no spray garden.

    Fields of the Woods is a nice red and more disease resistant than Don Juan, per reports on the forum, but mine is too new to judge fairly.

    I'm sure you will get other good suggestions from people in this area of the world. There are a quite a few people who post here who live in Georgia and the surrounding hot and humid states. Good luck!

    Carol

  • stevega
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thank you Jeri and Carol. I live in Flowery Branch, north Georgia (1000' elevation) so we don't have unbearable humidity and heat but it is hot and humid. My desire for "colorful" is because the arbor is about 50' from the house and pale colors do not show up well in full sun from that far away. In addition, it is slightly elevated so the background is distant. Companions will be mostly natives for hummingbirds and butterflies that do not require much coddling, especially in our drought.
    My only experience with roses so far is with "nearly wilds" and various Knockouts.
    Thanks again.

  • jerijen
    15 years ago

    The Noisette Roses originated in the S.E. United States.
    They were grown there without trouble for a long time before the Hybrid Tea Rose came into being.

    One thing I might suggest to you is that you check the Antique Rose Emporium Web Site
    (see below)
    I note that it was updated today, Aug. 21.

    If you want really bright color, you might well look at 'Fourth of July.'
    It was introduced as an AARS winner, and I think it's top-notch.
    But I do not know about blackspot.

    Jeri

    Here is a link that might be useful: Antique Rose Emporium

  • rjlinva
    15 years ago

    Stevega,

    You have received some great suggestions...especially Crepuscule and Reve d'Or. I would also suggest these

    White Cap (although not "flashy") it is gorgeous
    Parade
    Cadenza

    You may also consider adding clematis and/or an annual vine (e.g., hyacinth bean is gorgeous, but HUGE).

    Robert

  • jacqueline9CA
    15 years ago

    Climbing Crimson Glory (HT J&P 1946) does very well in my garden on a rose folly that is about 7 feet tall. The flowers are a gorgeous old fashioned velvet red, and it blooms prolifically. It has no disease here in CA, I don't know about where you are, but HMF roses rates it as "excellent" disease resistance.

  • love_to_garden62
    15 years ago

    I'm in zone 7a--we get a lot of blackspot here.

    My best recurrent, healty bloomers are:

    Harlekin (bi-color bright pink and white)
    Climbing Pinky (a little yellowing of leaves from time to time, but no spots)
    White Cap (I know you said colorful, but this white rose pumps out flowers all summer long and is disease-free)
    Westerland repeats well if dead-headed, which is a prickly job!

    I have Fourth of July, but it does not do well for me--think I might have a bad clone. I also have Fields of the Woods, and it blooms a lot, but is still a baby.

    Here is a link to Harlekin on HMF...

    Here is a link that might be useful: Harlekin on HMF

  • Molineux
    15 years ago

    Blackspot is definitely going to be your biggest problem. If I lived in the deep south my choice would be among the Tea Noisettes. Two good colorful cultivars are CREPUSCULE or DUCHESSE D'AUERSTADT.

    Other richly colored, fragrant, climbing roses that I've consistently read good reports of growing in the South include:

    AUTUMN SUNSET (Large Flowered Climber, 1986) - harvest gold
    FIELDS OF THE WOOD (Climbing Hybrid Tea) - dark red
    LADY HILLINGDON (Climbing Tea, 1917) - soft apricot yellow
    RED RADIANCE (Climbing Hybrid Tea, 1927) - deep pink to light cherry red
    WESTERLAND (Large Flowered Climber, 1969) - coral orange blend

    Here is a link that might be useful: Duchesse d'Auerstadt at HelpMeFind Roses

  • jerijen
    15 years ago

    Re. Cl Red Radiance --

    Is it in commerce?
    Does it repeat as well as the bush form?
    Because the bush form of Red Radiance is a wonderful thing.

    Jeri

  • rjlinva
    15 years ago

    I am growing both Autumn Sunset and Westerland no spray, and they are not doing as well as I had hoped. Mine are both grafted on Dr. Huey (bought locally), so this could be a significant issue. I did plant the bud union deep to encourage them to go ownroot. I'll probably try rooting some cuttings of them to see if an ownroot will do better. I really like the look of each of these roses when they are at their best.

    Robert

  • stevega
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    You guys are great and really helpful. After sorting through the recommendations I am leaning toward Fourth of July, Climbing Old Blush and Viking Queen. I am worried about black spot but I am willing to spray if I must. What do you think of those choices?
    Would these be available at local nurseries or would I have to order? If order, is there a best/bad time?
    Thanks again.
    Steve

  • carolfm
    15 years ago

    Hey Steve,

    I think that if you are willing to spray and have an idea of how difficult spraying a climber on an arbor can be, then you should try which ever one of these appeals to you the most. Of these, I suspect that Climbing Old Blush would be the most blackspot resistant in the south. Having said that, I am notorious for trying any rose that appeals to me in my garden. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, but you won't know until you try. :-) If your choice doesn't work out, don't get discouraged, there are plenty of roses that will grow, bloom well and are fairly disease resistant in our climate.

    Carol

  • jerijen
    15 years ago

    You'll likely have to mail order them.

    There are MANY good mail order vendors.
    I'd suggest that you go to "HELP ME FIND," and use the plant search feature
    to look up the roses you're interested in.
    Then go to the Buy From tab, and get a list of vendors who may offer your choice.
    In most cases, there's a link from HMF to the vendor's web sites.

    Jeri

    Here is a link that might be useful: Help Me Find Roses

  • stevega
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I built a 10' japanese tripod ladder earlier this year so spraying will not be a problem. I just need to know what to spray and when. I really like to match the plants with the environment so they are able to fend off problems naturally and thrive. I'm not into the challenge of seeing if I can get something to survive against all odds.

  • erasmus_gw
    15 years ago

    The roses already mentioned sound good, but what about Rosarium Uetersen? It's new to me this year but so far it's totally bs free, very vigorous, and a very good bloomer. I second Harlekin also for health and rebloom. If you like any of the white roses with pink edges, I think Harlekin is the best, and it's fragrant too. I got Parade and Viking Queen this year but they're still small. My Cl. Oklahoma is growing like mad, and is bs free so far. Blossomtime is a very good bloomer too.

    Harlekin
    {{gwi:300919}}

    For a colorful climber, what about Portlandia? Mine is grown as a shrub but it blooms well, gets a little bs.

    Portlandia
    {{gwi:300921}}

    {{gwi:300922}}

    Linda

  • gardennatlanta
    15 years ago

    Steve,

    I'm also in the Atlanta area and have a couple of climbers on an arbor in my front garden. Spraying huge roses on an arbor is definitely a chore. That's why the roses I have planted there now (High Hopes--a complete black spot disaster) are coming out in a couple of months and something new (Annie Laurie McDowell) are going in.

    I've heard good things about ALMcD but mine are little and still in pots waiting for cooler weather. (I'm afraid this cool spell we're having right now isn't going to last long).

    My advice is try to find something that isn't so black spot prone. If you want to try spraying, try a few smaller roses to see how that goes before committing to keeping up with something huge that will end up taller than you. I put up with High Hopes for years because I didn't want to start over with a new baby rose when these were full size. But after trying to spray over my head and still having mostly leafless sticks with blooms on the ends, I've decided it's just not worth it.

    Jeff

  • jerijen
    15 years ago

    Boy, Jeff's right.
    What EVER the disease problems in your area happen to be, if you're going to
    plant climbers, you NEED disease-resistant ones.

    Jeri

  • rjlinva
    15 years ago

    FWIW,I grow Cl. Old Blush no spray and it is without leaves most of the time after the first flush. This is a rose, for me anyhow, that has an incredibly beautiful early first flush, then it loses most of its leaves and looks rather ugly for the rest of the summer with an occasional flower here and there. I am growing other vines through it to cover up the nakedness now. Will I keep this rose? Absolutely. The first flush is really so beautiful. Keep in mind, however that mine is only a couple years old, so it may improve with age.

    Robert

  • paddlehikeva
    15 years ago

    Since you mentioned Hummingbirds, I am going to recommend Dortmund. I have a hummingbird nest in mine. It puts on a great show in the spring with some fair bloom during the summer with a small fall flush. It also has gorgeous hips in the winter. It does have bare legs, but I have a very healthy Asao clematis growing with it to cover the nekkidness. They do not bloom at the same time, but I get more continuous color with the combination. It is actually a more true red than the picture indicates.

    {{gwi:235892}}

    Kathy

  • rjlinva
    15 years ago

    Kathy, we certainly think alike. I was thinking about this post and knew I had forgotten to mentinon Dortmund. MIne is tiny right now, but I have hope that it will be as beautiful as the one in your picture.

    Robert

  • clbravo
    15 years ago

    Climbing old blush is one of my favorites, definitely the first to bloom for me and is quite frankly eating the house. I don't experience any defoliation as earlier stated, but minimum blooming during summer. I have had to really chop this rose to allow passage down from the deck. Rudy loves this rose as well.
    Clint

    {{gwi:246898}}

  • jerijen
    15 years ago

    Man, that Dortmund is gorgeous.

    Ralph Moore bred a striped seedling from it some years back, that I really wanted.
    Shadow Dancer.
    I'm not sure you can find it now, but I sure liked the look of it.

    Jeri

  • mike5953
    15 years ago

    Just wanted to put in another vote for Crepuscule.
    Mine is in its third flush this year.
    Like someone else mentioned, itÂs a bit shorter and more manageable than a lot of climbers, and has the bonus of few thorns.

  • nastarana
    15 years ago

    Shadow Dancer grows at the Portland Rose Garden. I am--almost--tempted to walk by when next I am in Portland in hopes a cutting might just happen to fall into my coat pocket.

  • jerijen
    15 years ago

    How's it look up there?
    Is it as nice as I think it is?

    Jeri

  • buffbeauty
    15 years ago

    Hi Steve,

    Your structure is not really all that big for some of the roses suggested. And while I really love Harlequin and some of the other highly bred & stylized roses, your setting & aesthetics sound more naturalistic and informal.

    May I suggest to you the hybrid musks, like Mozart, or Skyrocket? Skyrocket is the exact shade of Knockout radrazz but has a more old fashioned, clustered bloom on more flexible longer growth. It repeats rapidly, almost keeping up with knockout. Mozart "twinkles" from a distance because it has a white patch at the center of each bloom.

    The HM roses take some time to assume the desired shape for the space given, but they bloom on shorter stems, and are very trainable.

    HM's respond very well to good cultural practices and will hold their own against fungi with good cultural practices: a wide planting hole with plenty of nutrient rich, organic matter.

    I live in the historic district of Buford, by the way. I'm a great fan of hybrid musks for their general compatibility with the surrounding area.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Helpmefind Mozart Photo

  • buffbeauty
    15 years ago

    Having said all that, I will cast another vote for Harlequin which is one of the strongest, heathliest bloomers ever.

    Check out www.longagoroses.com

  • stevega
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    More good suggestions and great pictures. Red/white and red will stand out best in the sun. I should heed the advice of gardennatlanta and go with a disease resistant variety especially since I am inexperienced with roses. Fourth of July, Climbing Old Blush and Viking Queen all say they are disease resistent, maybe all roses claim that. Any input on black spot resistence for Fourth on July and Viking Queen?

    Fourth of July and Viking Queen may be more appropriately sized for my situation.

  • olga_6b
    15 years ago

    Here in MD Crepuscule is much more resistant then Fourth of July or Old Blush, which get significant defoliation from BS. I have no experience with Viking Queen.
    Olga

  • jerijen
    15 years ago

    And Crepuscule, really, is among the loveliest of roses.

    {{gwi:234557}}

    Or so I think.

    Jeri

  • cactusjoe1
    15 years ago

    Another vote here for Dortmund. In Dortmund, you will get the colour, vigour, disease resistance and repeat flowering that you are looking for. But it's not great on fragrance (my nose says no fragrance at all). You will still need to prune (you won't find any climber out there that looks good without pruning).

    I am a big fan of Parade. But not for it's disease resistance. It's leaves stay healthy until late July, when black spots start to bite. How badly affected it is depends on the weather condition and the disease pressure in the area. On summers with frequent rainy day/warm day cycles, it can be badly affected. I usually don't mind this a bit, because it stays completely unscathed during it's biggest display, usually June through to early July. This year has been an excellent year for the health of this rose - it is barely touched by blackspot - as of yesterday.

    If strong colors against a pale background is important to you, my suggestion is Dortmund over Parade. The pale reverse of Parade's petals which works so well against darker backgrounds, may not work well against a pale background.

  • olga_6b
    15 years ago

    Yes, Parade is definitely not resistant here too.
    Re Dortmund: In my experience Dortmund had very limited repeat. I don't consider it a big fault, I don't mind once bloomers, but the poster was asking for long blooming rose. This requirment takes away all the otherwise nice and healthy possibilities. I believe Quadra or Illusion should be a good roses for this requirement. They both bloom non stop and are quite healthy. Both are nice true red color. On the negative side they both have no fragrance.
    Olga

  • dennisb1
    15 years ago

    I'll recommend Sombreulli. It needs some spraying for BS not as much as most. It took a couple of years to get going but this spring it bloomed it's head off for about 4-6 weeks and started blooming again a couple of weeks ago. The pure white blossoms make quite a show.

  • buffbeauty2
    15 years ago

    A lot of roses are reputed to be resistant to BS, etc, but almost anything will host blackspot if it's in a weakened condition from poor aeration, etc. Some roses attract plenty of BS but are not killed by it..and are therefore called resistant.

  • nastarana
    15 years ago

    Jeri, Shadow Dancer looked fabulous at the Portland test garden last summer.

  • Molineux
    15 years ago

    My mother has had FOURTH OF JULY for years. When I recently shovel pruned all her Hybrid Teas and replaced them with more disease resistant cultivars, I kept FOJ because it was such a tough rose. You got to understand that my mother totally neglected that garden for three years following my father's death. ALL the roses looked retched except for FOJ and the McCartney Rose. Yes, FOURTH OF JULY will get blackspot but it eventually shrugs off the disease and quickly replaces lost foliage. The striking flowers also have a nice, crisp fragrance that really does remind me of green apples. Hideous thorns though; truly utterly evil things that can rip you to shreds if you're not careful.

    Vintage Gardens (vintagegardens.com) sells Climbing RED RADIANCE, but they are currently out of stock ... something to keep your eye out for in the future.

    BTW, that PORLANDIA is to die for! I wonder if it is fragrant?

    Best wishes,

    Patrick

  • coconutty
    15 years ago

    I live in Georgia- 7B, north of Atl. too, but I'm not quite at the knowledge level as some of these folks. (Wow! Portlandia! Dortmund! CREPUSCULE! I'm going to HMF to research these!)
    I grow about 20-25 roses, and I can say that Zepherine Drouhin is covered in blackspot here. :(
    I have New Dawn & Rosarium Uetersen- and they are completely clean! Eden is incredible & clean too! Although you wanted color, so maybe Red Eden?
    As far as non-climbers in our region, Cramoisi Superieur & Borderer are my cleanest roses. I do not spray, so black spot is definitely an issue here.
    I'd really love to know which rose you picked! I'm going to look into adding some of these to my list, too.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My HMF Listings

  • dcrews21
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I live in Atlanta, and fourth of July, own root, does better with spraying as it is prone to some black spot and defoliation. It blooms best in first spring flush but has medium rebloom after. Mme Alfred carriere, own root, has a gorgeous first bloom, but nothing after. The same with new Dawn, own root. Climbing Cecile Brunner only has a first flush, but that is normal for ramblers. Pink perpetue has fair rebloom but does defoliate. Climbing blaze has great spring flush but nothing after. I believe the very hot summers here in atl suppress much of the rebloom that seems to occur in cooler climes and the own root may have contributed as well. I've had excellent rebloom with climbing Abraham Darby and Teasing Georgia, on grafted stock. Secret garden and Joseph's coat have good rebloom, but do have some black spot.