Your brother's wall sounds like the best option in this case, especially if its red brick and definitely not whitewashed... although it's a shame to get rid of a rose like this but in my experience of growing it, and she's not for the impatient gardener, is that on a fence she will ramble for 2 or 3 years before deciding it's time to show us some flowers.

An alternative is to grow as a large shrub 10 x 8 feet, conforming to Beales's measurements, but you would have to prune to shape and you might not want to do this... I've not tried this method but apparently it is feasible with this rose... it's what I would do in your situation but then I'm a rose nut...

If your brother is happy to have it then send it his way... but 15-20 foot on a wall would be easily achievable I would think...

Thanks Marlorena. Yes, his walls are red brick. The wall faces south, but is not especially sunny, due to hedges and the position of the house half way down a slope. (I would never have bought that house on the sole reason that the half acre garden isn't particularly sunny, but he isn't as attached to roses as I am!) There is a wisteria in the next side around the house from where the rose would go; I haven't seen it bloom but realistically it's either mauve or white so should tone ok, d'you think?

Unfortunately I don't really have space left for a shrub that size and the wall space that's free is either painted or in areas where the house trim is yellow. I'm not convinced that white with blush would look good against a deep yellow or yellowish cream.
Also, anything that goes in either of those two spots will have to cope with pots for a goodish while and I don't think Madame Alfred Carriere is really a good candidate for that.

*sigh* I think I will probably have to gift this one on, the colour point is one I hadn't thought of. Thanks again for the prompt reply!

Agree with Malorena... your brother's wall sounds ideal. Some shade should be fine for her. She will look stunning against red brick, and with neighbouring wisteria. Once she settles in, she'll beetle up that wall and toss out glorious scented blooms to melt the heart of the most die-hard non-rose-fancier!

Oh, I forgot to say, also, her natural shape is a vase-shape (V-shape) with rather bare lower limbs. And she like to reach up, as far as there's support. Not really a low fence candidate, I wouldn't have thought. Hope this helps.

Comtesseselacouche, the bit about the shape of this rose is not what I wanted to hear but it's what I expected. *sigh* The way it's growing in a pot suggested to me that probably it might not be a good low fence candidate. Oh well.

I really did want this one - I fell for it hard during an open garden day, but with the size of the garden I have to be pragmatic. At least with this ash gone it opens up more light to some of my other roses.

Any suggestions as to a dark pink to red/purple climber or scrambler for growing into another ash? I have a Pink Perpetue growing one side, but I don't think it's going to get big enough - the first branch is easily 20ft of the ground.

I planted the Perpetue my first year gardening when I had zero idea what I was doing and all my roses came from pound shops or Aldi. It was a car boot sale present, (one that actually turned out to be what it was labelled as) and it's never done terribly well. Probably because it had two tiny twiggy canes and no roots to speak of. Also, not knowing any better I planted it in a very small hole and hardly amended the soil. I do better by my roses since I discovered forums like this one!
I would pull it out and put something else in, but a) rose replant disease b) it's my dad's favourite rose and c) it's a big ash, there's plenty of room on the other side.
Despite the ash it's as near as dammit full sun - the crown is so high it hardly shades at all. I have to water a lot in summer though.
Any thoughts? I like the old rose form, repeat is a bonus and fragrance would be nice.

hi FDUK,
No need to worry about the colour of the Wisteria at your brother's property...

..regarding a climbing rose to scramble into that Ash tree of yours... obviously it's going to have to be quite a size to even reach the first branch so you will have to be patient, but 3 I could recommend that will get there eventually would be:

'Alexandre Girault'... although mainly summer flowering, this will repeat a few blooms in September if left unpruned.. and you won't be pruning it at those heights...

'Climbing Etoile de Hollande'... a scented deep velvety red, although again the scent will be out of your reach up there, so it shouldn't be important... given time it should get to that first branch, maybe not too much more... some repeat abilities...

'Rose-Marie Viaud'... this is a mauve/purple rambler that only flowers at mid summer and not for long... but it's quite pretty...

..you would have more choice if you went for white or blush pink... like the simply gorgeous Paul's Himalayan Musk rambler...New Dawn or Lykkefund.... roses like these...

..yellow wouldn't really go with your Pink Perpetue, which is a shame as I would be convinced that the repeat flowering Austin rambler 'Malvern Hills' would get into your tree...
..shown here below in my garden, and this has been kept in check.... after 3 seasons it will ramble to its hearts content if allowed...like, it's a monster...

see what you think of those... all readily available by mail order...

..actually, there is another I've just thought of that might be a more pleasing colour for you...'Albrighton Rambler' another recent Austin introduction. I would ignore anything about growing to 12 foot as I suspect it is capable of a lot more than that, and it seems they are too...

..worth checking that out I think... I saw one in a container earlier this summer and was tempted by it....it was absolutely full of buds ready to open...and terribly attractive in form...

Marlorena, you continue to astonish me with the incredible roses in your garden. More pictures, please.

Ingrid

You have my sympathy, FDUK!.. Just a thought, how would Pink Perpetue go on your fence? - I don't know anything about her other than reading 'med climber, vigorous' on some website (perhaps others know more) which doesn't sound like major ash tree size. If you replaced all the soil where she was planted ie maybe 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 ft of nice soil and a bit of compost &/or mature manure you should avoid rose sickness/replant thingy I think; then replace PP with Madame A. to go up ash tree No.2 ?? Does that make sense?

Or, another poss for keeping the lovely Madame; I have seen pictures of her looking quite ravishing, very carefully trained over an arch that I think must have had more trellis going up vertically above it, if you can picture that. Like, a tall rectangular frame filled with lattice, with an archway cut out of it. It appeared to be going across a relatively narrow passageway, between a house wall and fence. From memory. With her bare-ish legs, she didn't need a wider space at the sides, all the interest was at chest height and overhead - just right for smelling... :-)

I'm terribly flattered Ingrid, thank you... I feel my input is quite meagre as I have so few roses that I can show, so far...

but....I know you have this one and that it has not been with you long.... I just adore its freedom of bloom...its shocking pink colour that demands to be noticed...

..let us hope we have many more to show next summer...June/July will be something to look forward to...

kind regards,

'Bonica'

I found this image of Mme A. Carriere posted I think by one of the ladies from California on this site.... I do hope it's alright to repeat the image here... I don't know whose garden this is, but.....what a sight !

Oooh.. Gasp.. Swoon..

Thank you so much for the comments - sorry I haven't replied sooner, I've been ridiculously busy and no time for roses!
Those are some amazing pictures - that Malvern Hills is incredible. Alas and alack that I haven't space for a yellow that size. The Bonica is pretty too - I'd not really seen a full bush picture of it before and it looks a lot more charming than the close ups of its bloom suggested to me.

I think I'm going to be (hollow laugh) sensible, and really do some research and wait and think about what to put there. I do have enough to plant for the time being, and not enough time to plant it - it's getting to the time of year when the garden is too wet to walk on, gah.

It's going to be a real pang but I think I definitely am going to part with Mme Alfred. That arch photo, omg.

So, I delivered my MAC to my brother this last week - it was rather difficult to part with it, especially since I noticed that it has started it's growing season ALREADY, and had a cluster of first buds. *sigh* I just hope he appreciates it.

Marlorena, why don't you admit it, you have all your roses on steroids! Your Bonica is simply lovely, just like every other rose and plant you've posted. You're being much too modest. My Bonica languished for the longest time until I'd finally had enough and cut it all the way back in preparation to my husband taking it out of the ground. I then felt guilty and had him replant it in a spot that gets much more sun and I think it's now a proud four inches high. I'm curious to see what, if anything, it does this spring.

FDUK, after seeing the beautiful picture Marlorena posted I can understand your reluctance in having to give away MAC. Having seen a monstrous one in person I do think, however, that you're doing the right thing. Hopefully, you'll be able to visit it and take pictures. I hope it's a success in its new home.

Ingrid

I went down to visit my nieces at the weekend and took lots of photos of them and forgot to properly photograph the Madame! However, it's putting on lots of lovely new foliage and has a dozen flower buds already, so I think that the new spot is acceptable. I did take a photgraph of the plants we were moving around while contemplating a border at the bottom of the wall though, but MAC is not really in focus.
Gah. So I've run through every image program I have on my phone, and the image is uploading upside down every time. I will come back and edit when I'm using my laptop instead, because wow, that is irritating.

..I'm pleased to hear it's doing so well, and in bud too... hope to see some photos when you get it sorted...

Ingrid... I've only just seen your post above from January... so thank you once again for your comments... I hope your own Bonica has progressed from 4 inches to something worth having.... but if not then I wouldn't blame you for getting the shovel out... I suspect it needs a lot more rain...

Been to see my nieces again today, MAC, is just about through it's first flush and has unfortunately been utterly infested by what I think are thrips. I picked off the worst foliage, tied it in properly, deadheaded, and (reluctantly) sprayed with insecticidal soap. Still, it has a nice new cane coming, and new growth so I think it will be ok.

That's after I deadheaded 20+ spent blooms too. It's either (thrips aside) really happy there or preparing to cark it!

MAC today, one year on. Past the first flush though so no bloom pictures but apparently it was covered.

It isn't easily apparent from the photo, but it's at least 12ft high now.