Support And Care For Climbing Roses

Are roses the most admired of all plants? It is difficult to know how to prove it, but just looking around seems to suggest it's true. Most gardens have at least one or two roses. Among the reasons for their popularity is the great variety in form and habit. The development of patio roses means that you can grow a rose inside your motor home or condominium.

Climbing roses are the most exuberant of all, demonstrating phenomenal growth each year and, in the case of modern cultivars, putting out masses of bloom annually. You can find space for a display of climbing roses even in a quite small space by providing a structure for them to climb on.

A rose arbour consists of a number of uprights - two or more - and a network between them that provides both stability to the structure and a support for the roses to spread. You can buy an arbour from your landscape design specialist, or from a number of garden shops. They are most commonly supplied in the form of a kitset of metal parts, and nothing more than a screw driver and spanner is required to assemble them. They are also available in wood; and some designs incorporate a seating area so that the gardener can enjoy a moment of relaxation among the blooms. These designs require a few more skills than the basic kitset does, although some can be delivered already made up. Or you can build an arbour as a DIY project.

If you undertake the work yourself, bear in mind that over time the structure will be subject to some strain: there will be pressures from the rose(s) it supports, and wind, sun, water and possibly ice and snow, will all play with what you build. Solid concrete footings for the uprights are recommended, and it is better to bolt the "roofing" elements together than to nail them. You will then need to coat the structure with a water-proofing material: penetrating oil, timber preservative or paint are all possibilities for providing this protection.

Many climbing roses offer themselves as candidates for your arbour. Your choice will be governed by the colors you are seeking for this part of the garden, and perhaps by whether you have a preference for modern roses, which may have advantages in disease resistance and recurrent blooming, or for older, traditional varieties. You have a wide field of choice, including climbing miniature roses, climbing English roses, climbing hardy roses, climbing species roses, rambling roses (repeat flowering or single flowering) and small-flowered climbers. Added to this is a considerable choice of flower color within each of the categories listed above.

Unless you are an experienced rose grower it may be wise to take advice from qualified people who know your area..
Article by Steve Boulden and The Landscape Design Site which offers front yard landscaping ideas, pictures, and advice to do it yourselfers and homeowners. To find out more about landscaping and garden design, visit the site at www.the-landscape-design-site.com.