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When a plant isn't anything like the description...

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  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    Yes it's a climber, although you can keep it as a shrub rose too.   I choose to keep it about 6 x 6 as it would be unsuitable to allow it to grow much taller in its location, but it wants to do so, and by quite a bit... I prune as I deadhead...  it's a China/bourbon hybrid - Geschwind 1902... 
    East Anglia, England
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    It looks stunning. I will be investigating.
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    Yes Nollie, in warm climates, like Spain, the Med, and hotter parts of the U.S. and Australia, roses will grow quicker and larger, but what they get in growth, they lose in colour.  Yellows, oranges, deep pinks and crimsons are often much lighter, with a washed out look in warm climates, whereas for us here in UK, the growth may be less, but the colour saturation is much deeper.   Personally, I prefer it that way.. take roses like 'Munstead Wood' and 'Lady of Shalott'... 'MW' will rarely be the rich dark colour in strong sun, it turns lighter and more pink.   'LOS' can even turn pink in warm climates, and is nothing like how it should be...
    East Anglia, England
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    edited May 2018
    This photo taken a year ago show the strong colours that I enjoy on these roses.  'Gruss an Teplitz' and 'Lady Of Shalott'.. both are kept at about 6 x 6 but both will grow much taller if trained as climbers, to at least 10 foot or more I should guess...
    East Anglia, England
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Are there one plant of each rose? They look amazingly vigorous and happy.
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    Yes one of each Fire...  that would be enough for me to deal with... 
    … thanks..  they are growing in ground fit only for lavenders and Cistus, as you see, but these roses don't need luxuries... 
    East Anglia, England
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Wow, they are a lot more vigorous than mine. But perhaps also more sun. And a lot more experience :)
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    A lot of what I do is trial and error... I just bung them in and see how they get on, wherever I want them, sun, shade I don't care... they tell me if they're not happy... I don't water except new ones, and I've never sprayed a rose in 35 years...  but I like to feed them..
    East Anglia, England
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    ... and lots of manure?
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    edited May 2018
    Most of my roses I give some composted manure in late Winter, but not these two because it makes the ground there too rich for the Cistus and other things.  I've got Delosperma cooperi underneath the 'Lady of Shalott' rose, as ground cover, it's a South African daisy plant... 
    You can see the rose sending up new shoots from the base, under the Delosperma here.

    There are lots of new Delosperma on the market now that I'm looking at too..  more colourful than the purple one I've got..



    If you like single roses, I recommend 'Kew Gardens' it's just about my favourite rose, or plant, ever... I absolutely adore it... I let it grow to about 8 x 8 feet, and it blooms all season, and the foliage is without a blemish...
    This was it at the end of May last year..


    I should also add that it's totally thornless...
    East Anglia, England
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