rose, that bloom is eagerly anticipated each summer by its aficionados. Unlike many roses, its foliage is nicely shaped and climbing and rambling pretty. The grace of form is due to its slen- der canes, which bear reddish thorns. It’s deciduous in the colder parts of its grow- Here are 10 beguiling climbing and rambling roses ideal for ing region but evergreen in warmer areas. Roses creating romantic vignettes in your garden. BY JEFF COX ‘MLLE. CÉCILE BRUNNER’ (Climbing) (Zones 5–9, 9–1) The climbing sport of the “sweetheart rose,” as ‘Mlle. Cécile Brunner’ is also known, is so vigorous it acts like a rambler, scampering to 25 feet up into trees and LIMBING AND rambling roses burying small outbuildings under bushels are wondrously useful in the gar- of tiny, pointed pink buds and puffy little C den, tumbling from trees or pink, fragrant, and fully-blown double adorning pillars and posts, arbors, and roses. The foliage tends to be sparse along archways with beautiful and often lus- its green, almost thornless stems. Planted ciously fragrant flowers. in a warm, sunny spot, it will produce two The 10 climbing and rambling roses main flushes of bloom in early summer profiled here are the cream of the crop, and then flower sporadically into fall. based on my own experience as well as rec- Climbing ‘Mlle. Cécile Brunner’ dates ommendations from expert rose growers back to 1894 and its parentage is murky. around the country. Most are hardy and Many rosarians classify it as a type of mul- disease resistant, and all have a basket full tiflora rose, but English rose breeder Peter of good qualities that makes them stars in Beales places it in the China rose camp. the garden. Several other climbers worthy No matter what its heritage, it’s an ideal of consideration, including some very re- choice for a large spot and has a long-lived cent introductions, are listed in the chart nature that will carry it down a generation ‘Mlle.‘Mlle. CécileCécile Brunner’Brunner’ on page 21. of gardeners or two. The terms “climber” and “rambler” are sometimes used interchangeably, but most ‘CLIMBING ICEBERG’ (Zones 5–9, 9–5) climbers rebloom to some degree over the Looking up at an arbor at his Garden growing season and grow to a height of Valley Ranch in Petaluma, California, about eight to 15 feet on sturdy stems. Ray Reddell marveled at the masses of Rambling roses, on the other hand, tend pure white roses cascading downward. to bloom once in late spring or summer. “It’s ‘Climbing Iceberg’,” he said to me, They can literally cover buildings and “and it’s a blooming fool.” Reddell, one their stems are often more flexible than of the country’s top rosarians, wasn’t kid- those of climbers. In his book, Climbing ding. Botanica’s Roses calls the shrub form Roses of the World (see “Resources,” page of ‘Iceberg’ “a unique variety that is head 20), rose expert Charles Quest-Ritson says and shoulders above its peers…all in all, “ramblers have a greater admixture of wild it is one of the best roses produced in the roses in their more immediate ances- ‘Adélaïde‘Adélaïde d’Orléans’d’Orléans’ 20th century.” try…whereas climbing roses are more Introduced in 1968, the climbing closely related to such complex hybrids as sport has all of the qualities of the shrub, the Hybrid Teas and Floribundas.” ‘ADÉLAïDE D’ORLÉANS’ gracefully from trees, arches, pergolas, a floribunda rose, with the added ability Not all roses suited for climbing are (USDA Hardiness Zones 5–10, AHS Heat trellises, and walls. The roses themselves to extend its nearly thornless stems to 18 billed as such. For example, some English Zones 10–5) begin as small, rosy-pink buds before feet, making it perfect for adorning a pil- or modern shrub roses, such as Golden Antoine Jacques, a French horticulturist opening as soft, pale white, semi-double lar, post, arbor, archway, trellis, or pergo- Celebration, discussed on page 19, can be who worked for the Duc d’Orléans in the blossoms, resembling those of crabap- la. Its pure white, semi-double flowers, trained as climbers. And, according to early 19th century, bred this graciously ples, with pleasingly crinkled petals and which appear in large clusters, give a Steve Jones, vice president of the Ameri- proportioned rambler from Rosa semper- a delicate rose scent. cooling effect in the garden on hot sum- can Rose Society, hybrid musk roses make virens stock in 1826. Its lax form allows The vigor and health of the parent mer days. It blooms prodigiously from good climbers in hot, sunny regions where for a cascade of exquisite flowers bloom- species make ‘Adélaïde d’Orléans’ easy to late spring to fall. Rain doesn’t ruin its ‘Climbing‘Climbing Iceberg’Iceberg’ they tend to put on extra height. ing along leafy canes that hang down grow, and though it’s a once-blooming courtesy of david austin roses top: courtesy of david austin roses. bottom: michael s. thompsonblooms, and the plant is sturdy and rea- 16 the American Gardener May / June 2006 17 vantage of this superb rambler, intro- duced in 1946, whose thorny canes grow to 15 to 20 feet. These are ideal for posi- MAINTAINING CLIMBERS AND RAMBLERS IN THE GARDEN tioning along fences or semi-horizontal- Climbers tend to have vigorous canes that, when they reach the top of an arch or ly on trellising, where sunlight will call arbor, want to keep growing straight up—which makes it hard to enjoy the flow- forth massive panicles of up to 60 white- ers from ground level. Climbing hybrid tea roses are especially set on verticality. brushed-with-pink, single blooms. The If you bend them over and tie them along the horizontal supports atop an arbor, individual blossoms are about two inch- they will grow laterals that will be very floriferous later on. es across, and the panicles resemble big clusters of apple blossoms. A strong Directing Growth. You can stimulate bloom up the sides of the arbor posts by stag- musky (some rosarians say fruity) fra- gering the height of young canes when pruning. To do this, cut weak, one-year grance is another asset. canes back to 18 to 24 inches; a slightly stronger one-year cane to about three ‘Francis E. Lester’ is a hardy, disease re- feet, and a more vigorous one- or two-year cane to about four feet. Allow vigorous sistant, vigorous grower. Its only downside older canes to reach the top and form the horizontal stems. All the canes will put is that it is generally a once-blooming rose. out new floriferous growth from just above ground level to the top of the arbor. But the floral show it puts on in late spring The flexible canes of most ramblers bend over the top of an arbor and hang to early summer is worth the wait. The down, making their blooms more visible from below. Their laterals are also more display value is heightened if it’s grown up lax. Because hardly any ramblers are rebloomers, however, you’ll have to admire into trees, allowing its pliable shoots to them for their single yearly show. For a longer period of bloom, plant a climbing arch and dangle downward in cascades of rose on the opposite side of an arbor from a rambler. bloom. Big sprays of large, attractive or- Climbing and rambling roses don’t climb using tendrils or hooks, so you have to ange hips adorn the rambling canes right tie them in place. Avoid using wire, because it can cut into the canes as they move through the winter. with the wind. Instead, use green plastic tying ribbon, twine, or strips of cloth. If you don’t want attachments to be visible, place eye hooks here and there at the top of GOLDEN CELEBRATION the arbor posts, then hang loops of fishing line that reach varying distances down ‘Dublin‘Dublin Bay’Bay’ ‘Fourth‘Fourth ofof July’July’ (Zones 5–9, 9–5) the posts. As the roses grow, attach them to the loops with the ties. English rose breeder David Austin intro- duced Golden Celebration (‘Ausgold’) in General Care. As with all roses, climbers and ramblers will grow best in a loamy, sonably disease resistant except in regions duce enough side shoots to display them- Mattia, an All-America Rose Selections 1993, and in the United Kingdom it is gen- free-draining soil with a pH that is slightly acidic (6 to 7). Although a couple of with humid summers. selves and their flowers to advantage. The judge. Its very floriferous canes reach 12 erally treated as a modern shrub rose and the roses profiled will tolerate some shade, all grow best in full sun (at least eight foliage is a glossy dark green—just right to to 15 feet, blooming repeatedly during hours a day). ‘DUBLIN BAY’ (Zone 5–9, 9–5) set off the bright red roses. the growing season. Roses are heavy feeders, so apply a balanced slow release or organic fertilizer con- Despite what you may read in some rose ‘Dublin Bay’ is the best choice for a Its sweetly apple-scented roses open in taining micronutrients in early spring. Supplement with “teas” made of well-rotted books, ‘Dublin Bay’ is not fragrant, but red-flowered climber, but if you absolute- closely-packed clusters of velvety-red bi- manure, compost, and fish emulsions regularly during the growing season. Apply a other than that it has no drawbacks to ly must have good fragrance in a deep red, color petals, streaked with radiating bursts layer of organic mulch around roses to conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds.