Help designing a border

6 years ago

Hi!

I asked for some suggestions for heat tolerant roses a month or so ago for the SE corner of the house (pictured here), and I realized I probably need to re-design my entire back fence border. Eep.

Some of the suggestions for roses were:

Viking Queen

Crepuscule

Laguna

Maggie

Teasing Georgia

and America.

All of those are still in the running! I'm also looking at Cramoisi Superieur cl.

Now I'm looking for suggestions roses and companions for the rest of the border, as I realized I should probably design the whole thing at once. The fence faces south and gets LOTS of heat and sun.

Here is the fence:

We just took out an enormous prickly pear (in the mid left corner) and will likely plant either a blood orange, fig, or mulberry in it's place. The fence line border is quite a narrow space, (33") so I'd like plants that can be kept pretty flat or compact. I don't need to walk through there, I just need to provide the plants maintenance.

I'm looking at climbing roses, and maybe some espaliered fruit? a ceanothus? but also other relatively heat/drought tolerant shrubs that will play nicely with roses. I do water, but the fence just gets really hot. I'm open to any and all ideas you might have, as I'm really a border-designing novice.

We're zone 9/10ish in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Thanks for your help!

Lizzie

Featured Answer

Oliver (SF 9A)

6 years ago

Hi Lizzie I live about two miles away from you. i planted several climbing roses by my fence. I too have narrow space (~ one feet) like you. so far (one or two year plant) they grow well. America has beautiful flowers and is prolific but I won’t grow her again due to poor resistance to powdery mildew. I have better luck with newer climbers and Austins. Here is a pic I took this morning. I am so jealous of people who have big yards!

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Comments (6)

ladybug A 9a Houston area
6 years ago
Hi , I'm relatively new to roses, and mostly chiming in to follow the discussion, but at my previous house, I had a Don Juan that did very well in a very hot spot, blazing sun. I dont recollect and diseade.disease. it was a body babag from walmart. Now I have one own roots in part shade and its it's not doing well, so I think a full sun spot will work.

Since the space is narrow, I would suggest having something low thorn...
Lizzie Rae 10a thanked ladybug A 9a Houston area
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years ago
I don't think there's room for more than 1 or 2 plants. If I had a S facing fence in CA I'd be growing fruit, not roses. I see your neighbour has a fig. Peaches? Cherries? Pears? Quince?
Lizzie Rae 10a thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
6 years ago
I agree a better spot for espalier fruit than roses which BTW often have issues against walls and fences with not enough air getting at all parts when watering . What do you grow in the raised beds ? Ithink I would remove those and redo that whole area as nice garden space . With maybe those rearranged . If you post a plan to scale of that whole area there might be more help here.
Lizzie Rae 10a thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Lizzie Rae 10a
Original Author
6 years ago
Hi Oliver, Your roses are gorgeous! What are the climbers and Austins you're having luck with? Your flowers are gorgeous! And it is November! :-)
Oliver (SF 9A)
6 years ago
Thank you Lizzie. I am confident u will do better! We have mild climate here so the blooming season is longer. But I found powdery mildew is prevailing here, compare to the peninsula or east bay. for climbers quicksilver, polka, florentina and lady of shallot all did well for me. Basically most newer climbers are pretty disease resistant. Just need to pick the color / form you prefer. Other healthy Austins (non climber) I have are queen of Sweden, boscobel, gentle Hermione, the wife of poet. brother cadfael is a big climber here but he is always covered with powdery mildew. Am getting rid of him. If you want you can check out the golden gate Park rose garden. They have lots of Austins. The most prolific one (I think) is lady of shalott.