What Are Climbing Roses
Climbing roses are simply roses that have long canes suitable for training on fences, arbors, trellises and the like. Although they can be used in ways similar to ramblers, climbing roses come from many different antique and modern groups such as hybrid teas, polyanthas, noisettes and Chinas, they are treated differently from hybrid tea roses. Climbing roses are perfect climbing up posts and then spreading along a porch roof or trellis and they require less pruning than others, but make sure you get salt tolerant hearty stock.
Left on their own, these roses would tend to form large, unwieldy shrubs, so to get roses to climb you must tie them to a support or manually weave them through a lattice. Climbing roses are not botanically true climbing plants since they do not form tendrils for self support. They need to be tied and trained to a trellis, fence, building or other structure. Climbing roses are optimal since they will grow anywhere from eight to ten feet high. A large flowered climber such as the Rosa "Don Juan" is a good choice as its large (four to five inch wide) double, dark red, fragrant flowers cover a large area and bloom from mid season through the fall.
When they are trained up tall timber poles in beds that resemble something like a forest of 'totem' poles before growth starts in the Spring but which I imagine provide a spectacular display when in flower. This technique allows more roses to be grown and exhibited than could be grown in more traditional ways. Climbing roses are a popular plant for vertical gardens. Interestingly, botanists do not consider them true climbing plants like vines because they dont grow their own support structures to hold onto a surface. Climbing roses are those that have canes long enough and flexible enough to be tied some support, be it fence or arbor or trellis. Unlike ivies and honeysuckle, roses have no means of clinging to a supporting structure, except, possibly, for roses with hooked prickles that could catch on a rough surface such as tree bark or stems of a bush.
Climbing roses are slightly more difficult to protect from winter harshness than a traditional rose bush. Typically the entire plant should be covered in soil to shield it from strong, drying winds. Climbing roses are sub-divided into two types: ramblers and large-flowered climbers. Of the two types of climbing roses, rambling roses have longer, thinner canes and bloom just once a year in late spring or early summer, flowering in clusters of small blossoms.
They are veryuseful in providing height to the back of a border. Shrub roses provide protection for a property and are known for their hardiness. As climbing roses are not self-clinging and need a suitable support of trellis or horizontal wires to which the shoots can be tied. Set the lowest wire 45cm (18in) off the ground and space subsequent wires 30cm (12in) apart (right). Do not prune in their first two years. Train long, main-framework branches vertically or horizontally; they are usually left intact.
Climbing roses are almost as popular as their shrubby counterparts, and they likewise need regular water and fertilizer to thrive. They are a diverse group with many different heritages, which makes this a wonderfully useful collection of roses. More climbing roses should be grown as they provide wonderful color in the garden without taking up much ground.
