Roses

Can anyone advise ..I want a red perpetualm flowering climber for an archway ..max 8' high , must be blackspot resistant , am I asking to much  ? I have a Zephrine Drouhine at present and every year it is denuded by black spot...  

I have the same rose Wendy, almost no leaves at all now despite regular spraying since first leaves in the spring. It's been in place for several years now on an arch, but I don't think I would put another rose in it's place because  the spores or whatever they are must be in the soil because, although I try to pick up and destroy all the fallen leaves, I'm sure I don't get them all. 

Wendy

Have a look at 'Compassion' my favourite climber but apricot. Healthy and strongly scented too.

I'd  recommend that you have a look here http://www.classicroses.co.uk/productindex.php?prodfinderformroseColour=red&prodfinderformroseGroup=climber&type=rose&recsperpage=10&pagenum=1

It's a very helpful website - if you need more specific information you can contact them direct - they are very helpful.

Other than the fact that they are local to me and I have bought roses from them, I have no connection with the company.

DFA

Did you visit their recent Rose Garden Open Days? I drove up from Kent and it was well worth it. I came away with SEVEN roses! Plus a tea towel plus a DVD!

^out of interest, what roses did you buy, as I know you are a rose enthusiast.

Wish I had Paul, life too hectic at the moment

I'm retired so I'm relieved to say I don't know the meaning of hectic. I went to the Rose weekend only to look and learn, intending to place an order for bare root roses later. But around a corner hidden away behind a hedge I found forty or fifty potted roses in poor condition. These were two year old plants which were too poor to sell. Not for me they weren't! I spoke to the staff and we came to an agreement. I wouldn't complain if they failed to thrive, and I could have them for a special price. I loaded the poor things into my Citroen 2CV and felt I'd won the pools

The varieties? 'Rambling Rector', 'Rosa Mundi', 'Ferdinand Pichard', 'Graham Thomas', 'James Mason', 'Clarence House', and 'Celestial'. All absolute stunners and with TLC will be great next year. 'Rosa Mundi' dates back to 1100AD. 'Ferdinand Pichard' is maroon and white striped with a wonderful clove scent. 'James Mason' is a deep brick red. 'Clarence House' was presented to the Queen Mother, 'Celestial' is a pre-1810 Alba with lovely scent, and I have a hedge for 'Rambling Rector' to scramble through. Deep joy! 

Hello Paul N, Sounds as if you may open your garden next year? I am also retirng next year and gradually refurbishing parts of my garden to open for my animal rescue charities , I visited Appuldra Roses today and made a start with My Jazz. for one of the archways , and will  dig out the old soil ,refill with new topsoil and treat with mycorrhizal fungi before I replant ...Also bought another Honeysuckle for another archway ..... Sunshine today !!!!!.....

I've grown Rambling Rector, Rosa Mundi and Graham Thomas.  The Rambling Rector was a wonderful burglar deterrent on our boundary when we lived in a slightly dodgy area and there was a Back Alley which was used by all sorts.  It's perfume was wonderful and it was always absolutely covered with large sprays of  gorgeous little creamy-white blooms  - we left there in 1999l - I wonder if it's still proving effective against intruders - it's probably taken over the whole street by now .

Rosa Mundi was a present to my elderly mother who loved the colour, but it didn't enjoy her light seaside soil and took a long time to get established - eventually it formed a reasonable size bush but flowered only intermittantly - think it could have done with a bit more tlc on that soil than it got from Ma. I did what I could but Ma and her gardener knew best 

Graham Thomas, gorgeous egg-yellow climber with a lovely perfume - I planted it against the south-west facing creamy-coloured brick wall of the garden studio and it only took a couple of years or so to cover the wall - really successful and one I'd grow again if I wanted a climbing yellow rose.

You've definitely got yourself a bargain there 

Wendy

We opened our garden to the public a fortnight ago, within a small window of half decent weather, although we did get a cloudburst which lastest ten minutes. WE attracted about 100 visitors and raised over £300 which was divided between the local hospice and the Friends of the local ancient church.

DFA

We have a 'Bobby James' which has clambered 30ft up into the branches of a mature willow and I expect 'Rambling Rector' do be as vigorous. A neighbours Leylandii we've together pruned back to 8ft tall but it was overhanging on my side. I've now hacked this back and the unsightly mess will never grow back so my intention is that 'Rambling Rector' will scramble amongst the hacked off Leylandii and give us an attractive screen.

Graham Thomas took his collection of old roses to Mottisfont and I hope to visit there in the next few weeks, although as my rose collection has now reached 80 or thereabouts, a rose has to be truly exceptional for me to want it. I have two in mind - 'Climbing Rusticana', a Meilland rose (also known as 'Poppy Flash' - our grandaughter is a 'Poppy', born on the 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year ) but I can't face the £25 postage, and 'Papa Meilland', allegedly the World's most fragrant rose, and 'Surpassing Beauty', a rose found in 1980 in Woolverstone Churchyard in Suffolk by Humphrey Brooke, and now sold only by Peter Beales. 

I've recently began to take cuttings with mixed success. October cuttings seem to work for me, which I grow in a 50/50 mixture of GP compost and vermiculite. I wait a full year in the pot before separting them into seperate pots plus a further year and the roots will have developed sufficiently to plant out. I find they make a much appreciated gift for friends.