I have a madame alfred carriere climber rose which is out of control from 0-10 feet.. way too many shoots.. I want it growing up over a trellis up to 25-39 feet. If i trim the lower braches am i not telling the plant to produce more shoots at that level? how can i get all the energy to the top end of the plant? thanks for any input
Alfred Carriere I will be interested to hear about replies to this query. We are in the process of putting up a deer fence (critters are no longer cute, they decimated my garden overnight) and I want to lessen the "fortress" look of a fence with climbing roses. For shade tolerance Alfred Carriere has been recommended (and ordered) and we'll be fall planting it next month. All information welcome.
I don't think climbers on a deer fence will work, if you are using the black plastic mesh the weight of the plants may pull it down eventually. Also, the deer would be able to reach the roses and browse them if they were on the fence. You'll probably have to plant shrubs and trees near the fence to conceal it, but keep the fence itself clear. As for 'Carriere', I think you will find that it doesn't, in fact, bloom well against gloomy walls. It can also get a bit of mildew, something proximity to a concrete foundation would probably worsen. Better to plant it in a sunnier spot, where it will make a bushy, semi-climber that flowers for months each year.
It's the heavy-duty wire fence that is going up, posts cemented deep into the ground. I've seen this with climbers and it looked great. It will be a matter of trial and error with choices of climbers/ramblers!
If you can find it, G. Thomas' book on climbing roses has them grouped by size expectation and usages in the back. Perhaps the same information was carried over into his more recent compilation (The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book).
It might be a little late for this, but you should find this helpful. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/rose_gardening/7429 http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/rose_gardening/7430 Newt
Greetings from Sydney Australia, I'm unsure whether tea roses are fully hardy in your part of the world. If they are and you are still looking for a climber to reach 40ft then you can't beat Rosa "Devoniensis" She's a powerful grower and the white to pink, cupped and slightly quartered flowers smell devine. like most tea's she gets a wee bit of mildew in spring. I find two or three sprays of pottasium bicarbonate through spring fixes the problem.
Roses, Roses, Dear Roses We are working on a new garden I have visions or a rose cover cottage. We are in Zone 4, Any recommendations of hearty sweet smelling roses would be helpful. I have already called our garden supply house about Devoniensis. Thank you for the suggestion. We are looking at an english country garden theme, any suggestions would be helpfull. Myrna
i have a recipe for deer that i have used in the gardens i work in for over five years with great success: 1Tablespoon baking powder, 1 egg yolk, 1 litre of water .. blend gently in a blender .. put in spray bottle and spray freely every 2-3 weeks - or when the idea of 'deer' comes into your mind .. we've had a veggie garden that has no fence and hasn't been touched by the dear creatures .. maybe it will work for you ... this was sparked by a reply to the climbing rose question .. although pertinent to climbing roses, this is for plants in general .. i'm still trying to find my way around forums ..
I had a Madame Alfred Carriere rose, which was incredibly vigorous. (It died when we had a Boston winter with prolonged temperatures at -15) If you clip back shoots part way, they will branch out. To encourage tall, narrower growth, take out excess shoots from their base. Mine grew about 20 ft in 12 years, but I live in zone 6 - maybe it gets taller in warmer areas. Visit Heirloom Roses on the web (or order their paper catalogue) to get reliable, detailed descriptions of all kinds of roses, great photos, and descriptions of scent, including ratings for intensity. It's a wonderful nursery.
Our Mme Alfred Carriere grows on an almost completely shaded wall. She is spindly and tied-in to wire supports, but the amazing thing is she still produces some bloom ad is healthy despite the poor growing situation.
Jane, you just happened to have chosen a monster of a climbing rose. Mine has reached a lofty height of 15 feet in two seasons. I deal with it by removing the smaller canes and older canes at the base of the plant. It's fan trained and is intended for an site requiring an overall height of close 20 feet - which Madam should achieve easily by next year. I love it's fragrance - don't you? And for AIH NSW's information, Vancouver is USDA zone 8 - should survive here. Mine has been through -10 Celcius without any hint of winter kill on it's canes.
