Growing Roses

Give David Austin roses a ring, or email them. Explain exactly what you would like. Height, width, colour, fragrance. etc. They are extremely helpful and will advise you a selection that will suit. Don't worry about the type, shrub, HT, floribunda etc. just pick a rose you like. The care of the different types will be a little different, but nothing especial.

From your description I suspect one of the smaller shrub roses would fit the bill.

The difference between the types is primarily down to habit and flower type.

We have bought many roses from them and never been disappointed.

www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/

Your "Rambling Rector" will certainly pay back the neighbours for their Leylandii! We planted one to ramble over the pergola, which it did with great enthusiasm, so well that the weight of it brought down one section of it. It is a lovely rose, with a beautiful scent that can be smelt from the house, but it needs a firm hand. We cut it right down to the roots hoping to get rid of it completely, but it put up even more shoots from the inch that was left showing above ground. It has now been doused with weed-killer - hoping that does for it.

Ideally, you need to cut right out the shoots after they have flowered each year, leaving the new growth that will flower the next year. It only flowers once a year and spends the rest of its time gaining strength.

It is an old variety, on its own root, not a hybrid, so it comes true from seedlings. Ours had three offspring. One was given away, one planted where it was supposed to be under control (but I can't get to it without mountaneering on the rockery and I have gone off that) The third was a thin weedy-looking specimen that I thought would never thrive, so I shoved it into the ground in an odd corner and forgot it for a couple of years. When I next looked it was ten feet high with stems arching out six feet or more, bearing fragrant flowers and ferocious thorns.

Think "Kiftsgate"!

Come to think of it, those stems were about fifteen feet long, curved over in an arch. They had gone up behind a trellis to start with, then hung forward when they reached the top.

Pompa Thank you, that quick definition helps. There is a company called Fryers roses in Knutsford about 20 miles north of here.

I will go up tomorrow. I have persuaded myself to do some housework today so I don't feel so guilty when I go off on plant finding trips tomorrow.
There are about three very good big garden centers as I go up north on the A50.

Elegran I will imagine I am sleeping beauty with a handsome prince waiting to chop back the briars around my castle and whisk me off to be his wife.

You are better going to a dedicated rose grower. Garden centres do not stock the range, especially the shrub roses.

I ordered yet another rambling rector yesterday. I'm hoping this will be third time lucky! I must be too wicked for them to survive near me,

www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/geoff-hamilton

If you'd like a scented shrub rose with straight stems making it ideal for cut flowers I can recommend the Geoff Hamilton rose. I was given one eight years ago and it's easy to prune and maintain.

Aw I did like Geoff Hamilton

Merlot I do like that Geoff Hamilton rose That will go on my list of possibles.
I really liked Geoff Hamilton as well. He was of the mindset that thought if you like your garden just plant what you like and don't get carried away by "fashion".

Galen What is the soil like down where you are? Or could it be exposure to the salty winds which the Rambling Rector does not like? We certainly do not get salty winds in Cheshire.

Pompa Fryers are rose specialists and do David Austin as well.

Last year I went to a rose garden specifically to decide and choose some roses. I chose Harlow Carr - pink and highly scented, Princess Anne the same and Eglytine the same all grow to about 3' 5" to 4' and are English shrub roses from D Austin. I also bought a climber The Generous Gardener. Hoping for great things in a couple of years after ey have settled.

David Austin has loads of information on its site. Delivery is prompt with information how to plant etc.

Another rose that's good for cutting is 'Just Joey' beloved of Sarah Raven.

www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/just-joey

I think it's coppery/apricot colour is one of the best in the garden and I'm just about to order another one because DD has now taken over the top end of the garden where all the roses are so I have to re-stock down my end!

Merlot I have just been looking on at David Austins website and wondering were I can make room for all the ones I would like.
There are a lot with repeat flowering and good disease resistance and perfume. I can't make up my mind.

I am now looking out at the obelisk in the front garden flower bed and thinking... "If take out the unimpressive honeysuckle that's there I could replace it with a smallish climbing rose". I am getting carried away here.

Just about to plant the last one! Absolutely freezing, but hope they do well. I was like you nell so in the end decided to restrict myself to one colour range and good disease resistance and excellent fragrance but there were still loads to chose- soooo difficult. I need at least a couple of acres instead of which I have to make do with a small back garden.

Now I want to look at clematis after Gardeners World last night.

Nellimoser, just try visiting their rose garden, then you will really have a problem !!!
Their rose garden is huge and free, well worth a trip, just about everything in their catalogue and more are in the gardens. Very good cafe & restaurant (book for restaurant when you arrive)
The perfume from the roses hits you as you arrive in the car park.
We try to go every year, stop overnight at a Travel-lodge as you need a full day to see everything and it's a 7 hour round trip for us.

Last one in "Harlow Carr"!

The wonderful Gary has just planted my third attempt to get a rambling rector going. This time it's in the front alongside the grapevine

Pompa I have just found out where they are!

Just 47.1miles down the M6 and turn right! It's very slightly nearer than going to my grandkids and a darn sight quicker with a motorway to drive on. (hopefully). It's just near Telford.

I am all excited now I am going down thay way anyway in early June.

Galen We must compare progress on the growth centiles of our Rambling Rectors.

Fryers' roses are also worth looking at, Nellie, even closer to you at Knutsford. I've had several from there and they've been good strong plants. One of them, a bit too strong, is a single yellow one that has got too big and attacks me with massive thorns if I try to prune it! Help!

I have a soft pink climber with a glorious fragrance always covered in blossom flowering only once in June but its name has been lost in the mists of time. Anyone for any ideas please?

NM, it is reasonably well signposted with brown signs, but it is down a very narrow lane, so don't think you have got lost.

Annodomini I bought my Rambling Rector and a new Mahonia from Fryers in Knutsford last autumn.
All shopping there is to the accompaniment of the aircraft accelerating into the sky over your head every two minutes. It does have a good range of plants though.