Get yourself the David Austin's 'Handbook of Roses' from David Austin Roses
Ltd, Bowling Green Lane, Allbrighton, Wolverhampton, WV7 3HB Tel 01902
376300 fax 01902 372142

The do climbers and very old 'looking' english Roses and they are fragrant

This is from an old book so they may have a web site or email addy. Do a
search

:-))

Mike


"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
Help! I know very little at all about roses. Please can anyone suggest
likely candidates for reinstating a village tradition of having fragrant
white climbing roses growing through the church lych gate?

The old ones have long since expired due to a combination of neglect and
black spot - so long ago (decades) that replanting should not be a
serious problem.

The situation in North Yorkshire is fairly exposed to wind, one side is
roughly S facing with some dappled shade at midday and the other N
facing. There would be room for 2 or 3 roses on each side assuming a
4-6' spread of each plant.

Ideally we would like very fragrant, simple flowers with disease
resistance and colourful rose hips in autumn. I had a quick look at a
few catalogues but I have no idea how the plants really behave.

A long short list of candidates so far includes a few very old roses
still growing in neighbours gardens (but most of them are martyrs to
fungal diseases like black spot and orange something or other).

Of the named varieties in catalogues the following seem to fit the bill:

Alba Maxima
Alba Semi-Plena
Alberic Barbier
Blanc Double de Coubert
Blanche de Belgique
City of York
Iceberg Climber
Long John Silver
Mme Legras de St Germain
Mrs Herbert Stevens

Warnings if any of these are unsuitable would be very helpful.

It would be nice if the choices extended the flowering season over a
reasonable period of summer. And I am unsure how much of a maintainence
trap "vigorous" climbing roses might be. Any recommendations of what
might fit the bill or where to go and see some of these roses growing?

Thanks for any advice.

Regards,
Martin Brown