A rambling rose will grow against almost any garden structure and can be encouraged to scramble into a tree. Most ramblers need to be tied to, or woven around, their support while the canes are still young and flexible.
If you only check one thing before buying a rambling rose, make it the height, which should be a good match for the structure it’s going to be growing against. A common mistake is to choose too big a rambler: you’ll have to keep cutting away potential flowering stems to prevent your rose from completely swamping the arch, arbour, obelisk or trellis. Here are some ways to support rambling roses that will show off these beautiful plants to their best:
I thought I’d end today with one of nature’s own designs. Sorry the detail is a little blurry – this was the best of the bunch on a windy day.
The white flowers are a rambling rose that is scampering through woodland. If roses can ever be weeds, this is it, but they look wonderful to me.
Very sound advice with your usual excellent illustrations
I was thinking of one of your roses while I was putting this together.
Wonderful is right. Love them all, even the ones that spread like weeds.
I was quite surprised to find the woodland ones the other day. I’d guess there were twenty plants, although I’d hate to try to count them. The flowers were a little past their peak or I’d have gone back to have another try. If they make hips, the birds are in for a treat.
love climbing roses, they are so free spirited! I have to share my climbing rose berries and cream!
https://surreyfarms.net/2018/05/12/berries-and-cream-berries-and-cream/
I think I might have sent an different (earlier?) post of yours about Rosa ‘Berries and Cream’ to my sweetheart a few weeks ago. He was talking about getting a rose and yours facinates me because it is bi-coloured.
I took a peek. Wow. So beautiful! ❤
I thought I’d learn a lot from this post, even though my roses are all climbers, not ramblers, but you didn’t say where I could buy the lovely old cottage or place the white picket fence! I loved the illustrations though, and can match the ‘roses swamp an obelisk’ although mine is an arch and my climber has totally taken over with shoots flying into the sky which no one can reach! The ground beneath it is very uneven and I’m loathe to allow anyone to get on my flimsy metal ladder to cut them. Thanks for really gorgeous images.
Or how both of us could get the funds for the cottage. 🙂
I did consider writing more instructions, but so much prevarication is needed when writing about rambling roses and Google tells me that there are already ‘about 69,700,000’ articles online about training roses, so I decided to let the pictures tell the story. And it seems like you already know the number one tip on pruning – always keep both feet on the ground!
What a glorious set of roses. I had no idea you had to pick the right one for your particular structure though.
Some rambling roses are like Saint Bernards, others more like spaniels. You don’t have to take a rambler for a walk, but it needs space and will find a way to take it even where it’s not provided. Buy a rose arch and put one of the classic monster ramblers against it (Rosa ‘Wedding Day’, ‘Kiftsgate Superior’, ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’, ‘Rambling Rector’, ‘Seagull’) and most likely you’ll soon have a broken arch. If you have lots of space to cover – a wall, a walk – they’re all great choices.
HOw lovely! I enjoyed seeing them so much. I have two, both of them relatively diminutive. One is called ‘Rambling Rosie’ and it has deep crimson blooms. It repeats well and never gets too tall to prune. The other is ‘Perennial Blue’ which has deep violet/purple blooms, repeats well AND has lovely scent. Again, it won’t get out of hand. They are the epitome of cottage style aren’t they. 🙂
I know R. ‘Rambling Rosie’, but not ‘Perennial Blue’. You make it sound very alluring!
And yes, they are!
the climbing roses are beautiful! so photogenic 🙂
It’s one of my rules to find a moment to take a picture whenever I see a good one.
No one grows roses like the English! The climate favors them, I suppose. Beautiful photos, Susan.
Well it’s kind of you to say so! I ought to confess that some of these were taken in Wales (Bodnant) and two, possibly three, were in Mississippi. 🙂
An excellent collection.
Thanks, Louis.
All so gorgeous. 😍
Most of them only flower once but what a show they put on.