One of the most beautiful focal points in gardens and parks are rose trellises and arbors with their abundance of flowers. They are a perfect choice for English-style or formal gardens. I recently had to find two climbing rose plants in a certain color and it took a while until I found them in a nursery that was far out of my way. I was surprised that not every nursery or garden center was carrying these marvelous and long-blooming additions to every garden.
An obelisk or pillar adorned with roses adds a strong vertical dimension to a flower border. Create a beautiful focal point in the center of a bed, or place two or more along a long border to create a visual rhythm.
For pillars: train the stems in a spiral around them to encourage the flowers from the ground upwards. Tie-in at ten-inch intervals, attaching the rose to the pillar. And for obelisks, train a couple of the main stems straight up to the top of the structure. Then spiral the other stems around the structure, tying in as you go - this encourages flowers from the ground upwards.
Training roses up an arch: An arch is perfect for linking different areas of a garden and forming an entranceway with flowers overhead. Train your climbing roses on either side of your arch, upwards and over the top of it, tying in to the arch. Create an even coverage with your two roses meeting in the center point at the top of your arch.
Roses over a pergola: For the uprights of a pergola, train your rose in a similar manner to training it up a pillar, training the stems in an upwards spiral.
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Climbing Rose Care
For the first year or two, climbers should be trained in the direction you want them to grow. Prune only to remove dead or diseased branches. This will allow the plant to establish itself and expand at the base for a fuller appearance.
Roses need at least six hours of direct sun every day. If your climbing rose is not getting enough sunlight, it still may produce leaves, but it will not have the energy to produce flowers. If shade is impossible to avoid, try to plant your climbing rose in a location where it receives morning sunlight.
Climbing roses prefer slightly acidic, well-drained soils. Dig your planting hole wide and deep enough to accommodate the plant’s roots when spread out. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole to allow the roots to easily grow deeper. Before you plant soak the pot with the roses in a bucket of water for an hour, and water well after planting.
Water deeply in the first year to establish roots. Mornings are best. Water the soil at the base of the plant - not overhead leaves or flowers!
The best fertilizer for the roses is compost, also a bit slow releasing. Other than that, liquid fertilizers, have the advantage of getting the nutrients to the roses' roots quickly. A monthly application of a high phosphorous fertilizer, such as 9-14-9, encourages blooming and provides adequate nutrients for your roses.
Deadheading (removing spent flowers) will encourage more flowering on repeat-blooming varieties. After the first year or two, you can begin lightly pruning as needed in early spring for maintenance and shape. This will also help promote new growth. The main canes that come directly from the base should be pruned after flowering. The lateral canes produce the flowers and can be lightly pruned any time of the year in order to keep the climber in shape.
You can even propagate climbing roses from hardwood cuttings or semi-ripe cuttings. Hardwood cuttings are taken in winter when the plant is dormant, and semi-ripe cuttings are taken in late summer after flowering.
With the proper initial training and regular maintenance pruning, climbing roses can be a glorious garden backdrop and will bring joy for many years.
Happy Rose Gardening!
Resources:
https://www.thespruce.com/prune-and-train-climbing-roses-3269551
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-climbing-roses/
https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/all-about-climbing-roses
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/climbing-rose-growing-well-but-not-blooming-flowers-96860.html
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