dave weil wrote:


I planted my Old Blush climber right next to the fence...
...Didn't seem to worry it any.

Well, sure, If you have room to dig the hole, you have room for
the rose. I am all for that. However, most of the cane hardy
climbers that rebloom here in zone 4a and colder are really
shrubs that can be trained to climb and if you can give them more
room, they seem to be happy about that. Henry Kelsey is probably
the most "climber like" that I have grown in that it will grow
long flexible canes without special encouragement.


Most climbers are pretty swift growers. I don't know about Kelsey, but
Old Blush now has a spread of 35 feet from end to end after 3 full
seasons. I'm in zone 6b and the zone can make a difference as well.

Nice pictures. I wish we had your growing season in MN. Our
expectations have to be considerably more modest. With the
exception of William Baffin and to a lesser extent, John Cabot,
the Canadian climbing roses have had a slow start for me. They
are usually sold on their own roots and that may have something
to do with the slow start.

Regards,

Charles


--
Charles Perry
Reply to:

** A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand **