What I have to say will be of limited use to you, I'm afraid. Several years ago I got Field of the Wood for my mother who lives almost 100 mi. from me in z6b. (The new zone map places her in z7a, but no plant rated to z7 has ever survived her winter.) FotW is given almost no care but grows and blooms well. The flowers are lovely and fragrant. It's red but blends well with her other roses. I don't think disease pressure is as high there as it is here, but blackspot hasn't been a problem. She planted it near the edge of her porch. It matured reasonably quickly for a climber but I don't think it has ever gotten tall enough to climb. Whether due to winter damage from a late freeze or pruning or both, I don't know. It does make a nice sized shrub.

I don't know about the rest of your roses. Hopefully someone else will be of more help.

Thank you so much, Kes Z! That does help a great deal. From my research, it sounds like a very hardy and lovely rose, and I really wanted to hear that from someone who has grown it. :-)

I'm not familiar with any of these, but am wondering how you're planning on growing them: on supports, and how big? or freestanding? I've recently been doing cleanup around a number of ramblers and climbers I grow without support, and it's made me aware of how much habits of different varieties vary: some are fairly upright, like large arching shrubs; some are stiff-caned enough to make spreading, humping mounds; and some are very lax and trail through the grass, tip-rooting as they go. The last category really needs support, I think; the other two can do without but will develop different characters. And they certainly can take up a lot of room. It will be interesting to hear how they do in Florida.

I’ve got about 180’ of fenceline, 120’ of which is chainlink that I’m hoping to cover. There’s also a couple water oaks I’d like them to climb into, so I was hoping for some guidance in terms of which ones will do best where. Behind the fence, the neighbors let is get completely weedy & only mow like 4 times a year. One neighbor already said he was fine with the roses spilling over. The other two neighbors will probably have the lawn company weed whack them back when they get more than 5-6 feet deep. So I’m trying to do my due diligence before digging holes. With your ramblers, are there certain classes or lineages that tend toward more lax? And do yours need chill to bloom? Many thanks Melissa. :-)

That’s super-helpful—steers me in the right direction for more research. Thank you so much!! :-)

Hello. I grow Fields of the Wood in zone 6b. It was just planted in May so my input is limited. So far it has grown and bloomed consistently without disease. I am growing it around an obelisk and the canes are flexible and not too thorny. The blooms are a lovely medium red and last well on the plant and as a cut flower. Foliage is medium green. It is rarely without a couple of blooms. I think I will like this rose a lot, unlike more vigorous growers (Florentina, is one), I find the growth, foliage and blooms of FOTW to be more balanced.

That’s what I was hoping to hear—thanks so much Deborah! (I realized after posting that FotW is not really a rambler, but was ordered at the same time.) I’m really looking forward to my first true red rose! :-)