Wollerton Old Hall climbing roses
I have 2 of these, planted just over a year ago, either side of a garden seat and against a fence with horizontal wires. My idea was to train them to curve towards each other and eventually meet on the fence above the seat, so as to enjoy the perfume from all angles whilst having a coffee/sandwich/cake. Perhaps I was being a bit ambitious, but you have to try, don't you? I am now frightened about getting the pruning wrong. I know I have to get the canes as horizontal as possible, but what do I do about the ones that have grown out at right angles from the fence? I've taken out the ones that are rubbing against each other, but don't know if I should trim anything else. Also I think there may be some suckers on one. I'm going to try and put up some photos, so you have a better idea!
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bumping this up for you happyct.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don't think they're suckers - just healthy new shoots from a very happy rose bush.
It's description here http://www.davidaustinroses.com/english/showrose.asp?showr=6883 says that they throw out lots of new shoots from the base.
As these new shoots get longer you can gently train them backwards towards the fence and then up and over your seat (sounds lovely). You might even want to consider making a sort of a wooden rose arch over the seat - the roses look as if they'd be perfect for that.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks Fairygirl - I had guessed most people would be too busy in their gardens on such a beautiful day!
Dove, so glad you said that they didn't look like suckers. I was about to pass the death sentence on them because they had seven leaflets! However, I've just examined some of last year's canes and am relieved to find they are sprouting seven leaflets at a time! So do you think I don't need to do any more pruning of last year's canes?
I think they'll be fine left as they are - there's some discussion and diagrams etc on pruning climbing roses here http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/plants/rose-pruning/258467.html but I think you've got the gist of it anyway.
That old myth about seven leaflets meaning it's a sucker only applies to Hybrid Tea roses. I know someone who dug up a wonderful rose after her OH had passed on 'because it had seven leaflets so must be a sucker'. It was a wonderful old bush rose that her OH had been nurturing
I think your roses would cover an arbour seat like this
Have you got a birthday this year?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.