It’s almost impossible to imagine a cottage garden without these romantic plants.
Climbing roses work their way over an arbor gate or fence or up a quaint brick facade.
While these graceful flowers may seem daunting, climbing rosesare easy to growand create a cottage feel.
Doug Hetherington.
Climbing roses develop long canes that are well-suited for trailing on pillars, fences, arbors, and gazebos.
They produce either large, single flowers or clustered blooms on a stem.
Climbers can be trained to bloom more heavily by leading their canes horizontally.
Anchoring them loosely to a support structure will encourage young plants to climb.
How they bloom depends on the variety planted.
Regular deadheading of the flowers can encourage continuous blooming.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
These perennials are hardy inUSDA Zones4-11.
Plant climbing roses where they receive full sun for most of the day.
They need well-draining, rich, loamy soil.
Credit: Richard Baer
If needed, amend the soil with compost or other organic material before planting.
Plant in late winter or early spring when the soil isnt frozen or soggy fromwinter weather.
That gives the roots time to become established before the hot summer months.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Bare-root plants easily acclimate to new soil since theyre not being transplanted from other planting mediums.
In most cases, simple ties of natural jute twine or another soft material will do the trick.
The rose wont climb a hard, smooth surface without support.
Credit: MICHAEL MICHAEL
It also allows some space behind the plants to promote good airflow.
If the soil in the planting area isnt well-draining, amend it with compost orwell-rotted organic matter.
Soak the roots of a bare-root rose in water for a couple of hours before planting.
Credit: Mary Carolyn Pindar
Position the rose so that the roots spread loosely over the mound.
The graft should be at soil level.
Backfill the hole with soil and lightly press down with your hands.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
Climbing Rose Care Tips
Climbing roses need much of the same care asregular rose bushesdo.
Soil and Water
Rich, loamy soil is best for roses.
If your soil is lacking, enhance it with fertilizer or compost.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
These plants prefer moist soil with aneutral to alkaline pH.Soil should be well-draining.
Use a soaker hose to wateritll keep the leaves dry, helping your roses resist disease.
Wet leaves canharbor diseasesthat cause foliage to fall off the plants.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
Temperature and Humidity
Ideal temperatures for climbing roses are between 50oF and 80oF.
Wait until the first frost.
Fertilizer
When first planting climbing roses,add compost to the soil.
Credit: Edward Gohlich
After the plants are established, use abalanced fertilizerevery two to three weeks, following the manufacturers instructions.
Typically, you better prune a climbing rose only once a year after the first main flush of blooms.
Avoid pruning rose bushes in the fall since pruning stimulates new growth.
Credit: Michael Mckinley
Use a mixture of peat moss, potting soil, and mulch, and fill the pot halfway up.
Water regularly, or set up adrip irrigation systemto keep the soil moist.
Pests and Problems
As with any rose, disease prevention is vital to healthy plants.
Credit: Bob Stefko
In the spring, clean up any old leaf debris from previous years growth.
Airflow and sunlight are key to preventing fungus.
Roses main downfalls are various fungal pathogens.
Credit:Better Homes and Gardens
Vigorous and rambling, the plant grows 15-20 feet tall and is hardy in Zones 5-9.
Altissimo Climbing Rose
RosaAltissimo has large singlered flowersthat glow like embers against the medium green foliage.
It blooms repeatedly through the season.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Thedisease-resistant plantgrows vigorously 6-10 feet tall.
This French-bred variety is hardy in Zones 5-9.
Large, pointed buds unfurl to many-petaled, coral-pink blooms that show their Fragrant Cloud heritage.
Credit: Janet Mesic-Mackie
The flowers are produced in sprays and have a spicy fragrance.
These upright, disease-resistant plants can be slow to start climbing.
They grow 8-16 feet tall and are hardy in Zones 6-9.
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Climbing Snowbird Rose
RosaClimbing Snowbird is a vigorous climber with a high-centeredwhite flower.
It is exceptionally fragrant.
Like other white roses, it is breathtaking in evening light.
Zones 7-9
Don Juan Climbing Rose
RosaDon Juan is an all-time favorite red-flowered climber.
The foliage color is a velvety dark green, and open flowers are cupped.
It climbs 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
Zones 5-9
Eden Climbing Rose
RosaEden hashuge bloomsthat appear profusely throughout the season.
The flowers consist of up to 100 petals tinted in shades ofpale pink, cream, and soft yellow.
Extremely hardy, the plant lends itself well to arbors, trellises, and fences in colder climates.
It climbs 10 feet tall by 6 feet wide.
The plant grows 12 feet tall by 6 feet wide.
Zones 5-10
Golden Showers Climbing Rose
RosaGolden Showers is always in bloom.
The ruffled, semidouble flowers grow throughout the season with a light fragrance.
Plants grow 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide.
The sweetly fragrant flowers are clustered on long, strong stems.
It grows 18 feet tall and is disease-resistant.
Blooms repeat continually and yield to largeorange hipsin fall.
It climbs 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide in milder climates but remains shrubby in colder regions.
Its fragrance is a sweet grapefruit-zest scent.
The arching canes feature healthy, disease-resistant foliage.
Plants grow to 10 feet tall.
Foxglove
Foxglove(Digitalis)is a classic cottage garden favorite loved for its towers of blooms.
This biennial thrives in full sun and partial sun locations.
Foxglove grows 1-5 feet tall.
It adds a strong vertical appearance with flower spikes that grow as tall as 7 feet.
Zones 3-7
Bellflower
Low-maintencebellfloweris a welcome addition to a garden bed.
It grows up to 3 feet tall.
New Dawn and Climbing Iceberg are examples of shade-tolerant climbing roses.
The secret to climbing roses is patience.
Unfortunately, deer will eat roses.
An ultrasonic deer repeller is one way to keep them away from your roses.
