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katyajini

How to support Darlow's Enigma on a trellis?

katyajini
4 years ago

back story: maybe 10, maybe 15 years ago I planted 13 D'sE to form a hedge along the pavement edge of my front yard. I know I got them fro HR. I must not have read the description completely because I did not know know how big they were going to get or how thorny they were. I had heard they bloomed profusely, superbly fragrant, super easy maintenance, white and could take some shade.

My front yard is all white fragrant flowers or rich greens. I just dreamed that when I came home or someone walked by, there would be this fragrance enveloping us.

Well I cannot begin to tell you how many hundreds of dollars we have paid in fines for even itsy bitsy thorny stems sticking out into public space. Eventually my husband or someone else would just sheer those bushes down to become well contained and any old boxy hedge. No flowers, no scent, no grace. This is at a time my life was going true south and we never removed them. Besides, I dont know how else to put this, thorns dont bother me.

No water, no fertilizer for over 10 years and each one of those bushes is ticking just fine. They are really, really tough.


This summer I let them bloom a little on sideways stems. The tiny white flowers are soooo fragrant!


I want to salvage several of those bushes and give the others away. I have an area along the side of my front yard where I can build a trellis and plant four or five bushes there. It would fit in well. The bushes are made up of dense and wiry stems. How would you anchor such stems to a trellis? Or is this wiry habit because of how its been growing and having been repeatedly sheered? And now may throw out normal canes?

I do want them to grow vertically and as big as they want to. But I fear without support they would be floppy and if it rained they would flop to the ground.


I welcome and appreciate your ideas of how I might grow D'sE on a trellis.


Thanks!


Comments (21)

  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    4 years ago

    DE will not flop. It is very self supporting.



    katyajini thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
  • katyajini
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Well look at that! Thanks Sheila. I have to rethink this.

  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    4 years ago

    These two were left alone without pruning, Katya.

    katyajini thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
  • Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I also thank you, Sheila. I recently planted one on my "wild" hill in the hopes that it would form a large bush. Yours is the ultimate!!!

  • Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
    4 years ago

    That's hilarious, mad. It's often referred to as a climber and I've wondered how that worked from the little I know of it.

  • katyajini
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    mad_gallica thats a small tree. beautiful picture. how is it grown as a climber then? thats what I actually want to do

  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    4 years ago

    I don't think it is Katya. It just grows as a large bush. You really would not want to try to subdue it. It would win.

    katyajini thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
  • sabalmatt_tejas
    4 years ago

    Mine grows as a very large, self supporting shrub on the N side of the house next to a brick wall. I think it would be difficult to confine to a trellis.

    katyajini thanked sabalmatt_tejas
  • flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
    4 years ago

    Oh my goodness. I just found this thread. I have to divert a walkway because there's no diverting DE. I once wedged a section of old picket fencing up against it to hold it back, but it is now buried somewhere deep inside the bush. It's never fed and rarely watered. It's about 6' tall and 8' wide. And, this is z5 where nothing gets very big.

    katyajini thanked flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
  • Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
    4 years ago

    Yes it’s such a big and mean beautiful rose !! Mine was such a fav in tn . The bees loved it !! The fragrance was addictive . Then it got rrd and was such a beast to dig out . I vowed never to plant another but I look on fondly at these pics !! It’s a wonderful rose otherwise.

    katyajini thanked Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
  • dianela7analabama
    4 years ago

    Darlow’s Enigma is a definitely a rose that needs space. I have two babies that are on their 2nd year and taking plants of space already. They blooms and bloom and are already making tons of hips since I haven’t deadhead them. They are very self supporting. I wouldn’t try to contain it.

    katyajini thanked dianela7analabama
  • rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
    4 years ago

    How to support Darlow’s Enigma on a trellis?

    is not an enigma, after all.


    katyajini thanked rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
  • katyajini
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks everyone! And I planted 13 of these?? HR really did not give any indication that DE would get that big and unmanageable because of its stiffness, thorns and size. I just dont want to throw away all these buses. Have to figure out how I can use them. Any idea friends just how much shade it can take and still bloom? I have a feeling its going to be frustrating where I want to use it.

  • dianela7analabama
    4 years ago

    Mine is blooming with 3 to 4 hours of direct sun and then filtered light. I hope you can figure something out. This is a great rose it seems you just don’t have the space where you planted it.

    katyajini thanked dianela7analabama
  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    4 years ago

    Katya, this is where HMF roses can help you see photos of roses you want to order and get the accurate picture. For DE, the description has the wrong width, but the photos are accurate.

    katyajini thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
  • katyajini
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks so much dianela. The spot will then work fine sunlight wise. Planting the shrubs about 2-1/2 feet from the edge will be fine right? It wont spill into the neighbors yard?


    Thank you Sheila, I am getting in the habit of looking up HMF. Nothing beats a conversation here though...

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    4 years ago

    No, 2 1/2 ft won't work unless the neighbor also likes roses. Realistically, 5 to 6 ft from the edge can be managed by keeping on top of the pruning.

    katyajini thanked mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
  • katyajini
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks! mad_gallica

  • dianela7analabama
    4 years ago

    I totally agree with Mad Gallica here 2 1/2 feet will get them all in your neighbor’s business (I would love it if I was your neighbor lol). Your real neighbor may not. 5 to 6 feet minimum

    katyajini thanked dianela7analabama
  • katyajini
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thank you dianela! I will remember that. Cant wait till my DEs finally get big and I get to see them grown up.