Wow! I am shocked about your Fourth of July!!! Mine is 12 ft. tall and has been the most amazing rose, very vigorous. In fact, it has just put out a couple more canes. I routinely have to chop them off or it would take over. BS is an issue early in the season and I have to spray -- but other than that, it's blooming right now and has been continuous all summer. What kind of soil are your roses in? Could it be the colder climate?

I can relate to your situation. There is a space next to my FoJ -- In this location I have had a Joseph's Coat (horrible rose), Westerland (blooms shattered shortly after opening), Don Juan which reverted to Dr. Huey. I now have Allablaze there and am praying that it does well. In another location, I rolled the dice and put in the JP rose, Social Climber. This is another rose which has nice blooms but if it is over 80 degrees, they melt, so I moved it into a partially shaded area and it loves it there. Would not have known it was even a climber until now.

At Heirloom, I saw the Clements rose, the Impressionist. Wow! Absolutely gorgeous! And they also had Polka. Wonderful climber -- at least 10 ft. tall. Since they are a no spray garden, you are able to see how a rose performs in this climate at least.

Of course, you are in a colder area, so I'm not sure how they would do. Some roses to consider. Happy rosing, CJ

Fields of the Wood; Alchymist.

Amy
As long as we live in zone 5 and experience these cold winters with all that dieback requiring such severe pruning, we'll not have climbers that get very tall.
I have two Fourth of July and, like yours, they only get about 6 feet tall.
Ditto my experience with William Baffin.
Keep in mind, our shorter growing season doesn't exactly promote tall climbers.
I've planted a dozen various climbers that are suppose to be somewhat cane hardy. How much so remains to be seen. One, 'Berlin', is eight feet tall and blooms well but you have to like singles, and it's red, not pink.
Although they all had canes that survived the winter, the April freeze killed the canes that had come out of dormancy so they all required severe pruning.
cjrosaphile doesn't grasp the difference three zones higher makes in the height of a climber. Yes it is the cooler climate. Although we live in similar latitudes, the warming effect of that huge radiator, the Pacific, makes a big difference in our climates.
Our modern climbers will never achieve that 12 feet height.
And Amy, a pink Ramblin Red would be a Ramblin Pink.

While I don't have personal experience with William Baffin (hated that pink from the very beginning) all of my own-root Explorer climbers have been between slow and painfully slow to really get going. Captain Samuel Holland, which is sort of like a 12 ft tall Knock Out that doesn't die back, took at least five years to repeat. John Davis started to repeat at about five, but didn't start climbing for another five years.

If you don't like the look of the Captain, and remember that this is a cluster bloomer whose individual flowers aren't impressive, look at Felix Leclerc. It's a new introduction, but I think it's the same cross.

MG wrote: "all of my own-root Explorer climbers have been between slow and painfully slow to really get going"

Ditto. Quadra is no bigger after a full year in the ground than a band. Capn Sam put on a little growth this season (inches, not feet). John Davis just sat there all summer.

The Mordens fare loads better on their own roots... I have NO idea why I have so much trouble with Explorers.

Cheers,
Michelle

"Where is a pink RR"??? Maybe you should try Brite Eyes. I don't have this one (yet) and don't know anyone who does but it sounds really promising to me... I've had very good luck with my Radler roses.. Brite Eyes

My own root John Cabot is in its second year with me and it is huge! My trellis for it is only about 6 feet tall and I already have it wrapped around the top and headed back down again. I need to tie a few more canes to it soon as it grew a lot this summer and I still have one cane that isn't attached at all. I think it is at least 8 feet long. It didn't have any winter dieback except maybe a bit on the tips that got nipped by the late freeze. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much repeat yet but I hope that will improve. I think there are some posters that have older John Cabots that get some repeat.

I'm glad to hear that Ramblin' Red does so well. I decided to try Quadra instead but I might be able to find a spot from Ramblin' at some point. I hope Brite Eyes is as good.

Which explains why I don't ever want to live any place colder than USDA Zone 6.

For a deep pink have you tried PARADE? It is a cross between New Dawn and a climbing hybrid tea. HelpMeFind rates it for zone 6, but might still be worth a try. At this point you don't have much to lose.

Have you tried some of the annual vines? I'm particularly partial to Sweet Peas and they won't take over your garden (unlike Morning Glory). Cup-and-Saucer vine is also pretty and fragrant.

In zone 5a in Iowa we have to tip (bury) our climbers or we have shrubs. My huge Eden was frizzed solid into the ground when I got around to it and I was unable to tip her last year. She was bloomless this year.

Bummer!

Here is a link that might be useful: MN Tipp

both,

Ditto on the Rosarium Uterson. Mine did similarly to yours and I cannot figure out why it doesn't climb like it is supposed to. I purchased it about 3 years ago and it is barely 2 feet tall.

If you want a really easy nice pink climber you gotta try American Pillar. It is a once bloomer BUT, the blooms stay on the canes for a long time.

I had a bad year this year w/ my roses due to that late frost that killed many emerging buds. Oh, and I almost forgot the very cold snap we had that burned all my canes to within an inch of their life for some of the roses including my AP. No blooms this year but the climber looks just like it did last year, tall full and lush. It'll climb about 10 feet here in Mi.

So again, American Pillar may be worth a try. Bloom time is late spring early summer, I also grow clematis which bloom on the AP canes after it is done blooming for longer vertical color.

Good luck!

Betty

Amy, Applejack is a dynamite rose but in my experience it does not repeat well-- and may not repeat at all. Ditto Alchymist which is definitely a once-bloomer. Darn those catalogues which put in gorgeous pictures of Alchymist but often neglect to mention it is a once-bloomer. (shame)Back in Ohio I put a trio of roses on my big trellis-- that way I always had SOMETHING blooming.

Quadra is over 8' high in its second year and has never stopped blooming. Ramblin Red finally went in the ground and I'll see how that does but, let me tell you, in a cold climate, Quadra is hard to beat.
I'm very happy with White Mountains, a once blooming cluster flowered white that is over the top of an 8 foot trellis and starting to droop over to the other side. Never a bit of winter kill on that one. Mike Lowe has it up 14'.
Incidentally, I see my De la Grifferaie (another once bloomer in pinky mauve to purple) is up to the 10
level and climbing. I only have a seven foot pyramid for it so it's going to get cut back. That one is totally hardy too. It's mixed up with a clematis for extended bloom.
Also very tall this year is Heritage - up to 10' and blooming away up there at the top.
Alchymist is gorgeous - and winter kills badly. Ditto most other climbers.

Twohuskies, Thank you! I called Star Roses and they gave me a number for a guy in a zone 6 that sells Brite Eyes. I spoke with him about repeat and he said it repeats well, as does everything in zone 6, smiles. I was worried about the hight because it is listed at 6-8 feet and RR was listed at 8-10 feet and he said he has had to prune his twice this summer to keep it at 6 feet to sell it. I am realy thinking of trying it. Has anyone in zone 5 tried this rose? The desciption about Brite Eyes says nothing about repeat unlike the RR's description that says it repeats all season, according to Star Roses. This is why I am sceptical.

Barbarag, thankyou for the heads up on Applejack do you grow Carefree Delight whick looks similar but no fragrance and maybe more repeat.

Betty, when I was talking to this guy, from the nursery that sells Brite Eyes, about Rosarium Uterson he told me that it was not growing well because it is own root and that this rose will grow better grafted. Is yours own root or grafted? This is somethig to look into!!!

Oldroser, I bought Illusion and Quadra last year from Pickering and two weeks after planting I lost the Quadra. I realy should try it again. I have seen it at the botanical garden and I looks so leggy maybe a clematis will help it. They have their selection of Quadra growing is part shade and the red of the rose is so dark like a gothic red. The pics on HMF look so much brighter. Please tell me about your Quadra. The height sounds wonderful! Is yours own root or grafted?

Molineux, I have a Parade in a very sheltered location between the house and an air conditioning unit. I know this sounds crazy but it made it thru the winter last year with no die back. It has one cane that is about four feet tall. Now it gets a lot of sun so we will see how the cane does this winter being past the unit and getting less shelter from the wind.
Thanks for all the ideas! Amy

OldRoser, I'm interested to know your soil type. I wondered if the Explorers don't like my soil or alkalinity.

Cheers,
Michelle

I did a quick search and found a Star Roses info release on Brite Eyes. They call it an everblooming salmon pink climber with a light spicy fragrance. For some reason GW is not letting me attach the link... I also remember Jung having it available in this year's catalog. I'd expect them to have it next year too. If I can find a spot I might have to get one next year.

I found the page that calls it everblooming. When I called yesterday to ask, after being on hold and two people asked the lady told me it repeated. Everblooming sounds more promising. I will be getting this one next year.

Beth- how has your Illusion done? Do you like the blooms? Has it been disease resistant for you? I have been told it is very disease resistant and I ordered it from Pickering. It's due to arrive the beginning of Nov. Thanks, Brandy

I am still experimenting with what good roses are truly climbers for our zone. Unfortunately this has led me to more once bloomers, esp. OGRs.

The only "repeat" my Wm Baffin ever did was a hot pink bloom or two way at the top of it's sprawling canes. It was also a monster, not fragrant, and I hated the color. He is gone now.

I have had New Dawn for about 5 years, and this year I am finally beginning to appreciate her. For the first time ever, it is totally reblooming (right now). Not just a few stray flowers, but nearly as much as in June/July with loads of buds. What a treat for Oct.! Maybe it takes that long for New Dawn to get going.

As for once bloomers, I love my Chianti and Constance Spry. They are both early Austins, but once-blooming. They make a gorgeous show in June, and later in the season I have other roses and clematis forward of the trellis fence for color.

I also have an unknown alba that looks very much like Queen of Denmark but is a climber, my earliest rose to bloom.

I think I would rather have knock-your-socks-off, fragrant once-bloomers that put on a big show in June than struggle with roses that neither want to climb nor repeat in zone 5.

I planted Quadra (Explorer) in my client's garden this spring, so I can't comment yet.