One of the most popular garden flowers, roses have been cultivated in gardens throughout history, entertaining gardeners with their show-stopping blooms in all sizes and shades. Numerous rose varieties exist for most garden settings, and climbing roses are no exception. Listed below is just a small sampling of the many exceptional cultivars on the market today. Trained against the side of a building or fence, gracing atop a pergola, or arching along an arbor are a few of the ways to enhance your garden with climbing or rambling roses. Don't be dismayed by their high-maintenance reputation, many varieties on the market today are resistant to various pests and diseases. Follow the suggestions below and roses will reward you with beautiful blooms for many years to come.

Planting and Training

Roses grow best in full sun, planted in fertile, well-drained soil. Before planting, amend the soil with organic matter to improve drainage and increase the nutrient holding capacity. Because roses do not produce tendrils or other natural mechanisms that enable other sprawling plants to cling to vertical structures, they need to be manually tied to a support structure such as an arbor or pergola. Be sure to tie the stems with soft or pliable material such as kitchen string so the plant is not damaged as it grows. To produce more blooms, train the stems laterally.

Pruning

Although often used interchangeably, climbing and rambling roses differ, and it is important to identify your rose plant before pruning as practices vary amongst type. Climbing roses typically bloom multiple times throughout the growing season, while the more vigorous ramblers bloom once, often in late spring or summer. Regardless of the growing type, however, all rose plants should be periodically pruned of dead or diseased wood and to eliminate interior crossing branches.

Ramblers: Prune rambling roses in late spring or summer, immediately after they flower. Remove old canes close to the base of the plant to allow young canes to harden, ensuring adequate bloom the following spring. Be sure not to prune ramblers when dormant, for you would remove buds for the next bloom period.

Climbers: Unlike rambling roses, climbers bloom on new wood and should therefore be pruned when dormant - for example, in the winter months - to stimulate new growth. Cut only the dead or diseased wood during their first two years of establishment.

Suggested Selections

Sources

Cady, Mike. "Getting the Most Out of Your Climbing Roses." Heritage Nursery & Garden Center. http://www.heritagelandscaping. com/climbingrosecare.htm.

Cox, Jeff. "Climbing and Rambling Roses." The American Gardener. May/June 2006: 16-21.

Pelczar, Rita and William E. Barrick. American Horticultural Society Southeast SmartGarden™ Regional Guide. DK Publishing, New York, New York, 2004.

Starbuck, Christopher. "Roses: Care After Planting." University of Missouri Extension. http://extension.missouri.edu/ xplor/agguides/hort/g06601.htm.

Cindy Welyczkowsky and Jane Martin. "Fertilizing, Pruning and Winterizing Roses." The Ohio State University Extension. http://ohioline.osu.edu/ hyg-fact/1000/1205.html.

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