Rambling or climbing rose

lucy_lister · June 2021

I have a very long narrow garden with 10 fence panels on each side. I would like to grow a rose on one side - not necessarily all the way along, but looking for good coverage. The height is standard height fence, so maybe 6ft.
Would a rambling rose be better or a climbing rose?
Thanks you

Dovefromabove · June 2021

Hello @lucy_lister and welcome to the forum 😊

There are small well behaved ramblers and rampant ones that will overwhelm a large tree, and there are climbers that’ll cover the face of a three storey house and others that grow just enough for a small fence or pillar.

If I were you I’d have a look at a good rose site ... this is one, there are others ... https://www.classicroses.co.uk/
and use the search engine on it, putting in your requirements in both the climber and rambler sections ... you’ll have an amazing choice.

😊

Obelixx · June 2021

If you get the supports right - tensioned wires are cheap, discreet and sturdy - then a rose can be trained horizontally along your fence so it's fine to select one you like that gets to more than 6'. Much will depend on which way the fence faces as some roses do better in full sun whilst others are happy in partial shade.

There are now quite a few repeat flowering rambling roses available. Have a look at the David Austin website. I have Malvern Hills and Lady of the Lake from them and a Ghislaine de Féligonde given as a cutting. All very healthy and growing well.

I also have a once flowering offspring of Kiftsgate which I brought from my last garden and it's covering a big rusty trellis already and I have Teasing Georgia, Graham Thomas and the Pilgrim as small climbing roses elsewhere.

In my last garden I had The Generous Gardener which is another good do-er. I expect @Marlorena can recommend a few if she sees this thread - very knowledgeable about roses.

Rambling or climbing rose

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