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Suggestions for a short climber for a metal arbour in full sun?

last year

This metal arch was only meant be decorative (it’s not super sturdy) because rose canes and blooms can burn on metal structures in the sun in my very hot summers. However, my wife, who is not that interested in roses, is now insisting it looks too bare and needs a rose!


The criteria would be:


1. Maximum of 3m/9-10ft tall to go up the right hand side and over the top.

2. Tough, healthy and VERY heat resistant - summer temps of 100F +

3. Blooms that don’t ball or spoil in the heavy spring (and sometimes summer) rain we get here

4. The colour scheme is white, various shades of pink, lavender and purple, so no bright red, yellow or apricot tones please.


Big heavy monsters that would overwhelm or break the arch are out, but otherwise I’m open to any rose class, bloom form, once-blooming or repeat, single colour or stripes. Fragrance would be nice to have of course, but I would be happy with anything that could survive and not look a sorry, fried mess.


Any suggestions or advice welcome!

Comments (50)

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    Quick Silver Arborose



  • last year

    Pax - Pemberton, hybrid musk, 1918. Semi-double blooms open to show gorgeous red stamens. Buds are exquisite. Mine climbs to about 9 feet. Our climate zone is 9 trending towards 10. Canes are flexible, not so stiff that you can't train them. Blooms here 9-10 months of the year.


    Jackie


  • last year

    Here are a couple more pics.

    Jackie






  • last year
    last modified: last year

    Do your research on these two Kordes roses, Jasmine and Hella. They are ADR winners so are quite vigorous, healthy, and easy to care for.

    Mister Moses

  • last year

    Meilland's Colette is a favorite of mine. Diane







  • last year

    I second Quicksilver!

  • last year

    No suggestions, as I'm not sure about the heat, but what a lovely garden! Though I must say part of my admiration is due to that wonderful flat ground in the photo: almost all my garden slopes, generally steeply. But your place is beautiful.

  • last year

    Perhaps consider ''Secret Garden Musk Climber'' Nollie, available from Loubert, France. If I recall, Jeri Jennings here in California, has a magnificent specimen on an arch.

    The plant I had might have originated from a cutting of hers. I only lost it when the conifer nearby had to be taken out, and it unfortunately got demolished in the process.


    Upright habit with long wavy canes, flowered for me from late May, which differs from R. moschata with its much earlier start. Superb fragrance, and easily trainable I noted.

  • last year

    That sounds wonderful, Marlorena. Although I note your comments on HMF about pollen beetles, they were a real menace here last year, swarms of them burrowing through buds and spoiling so many blooms. Oilseed rape is a regular crop in the nearby valley, but so far this year they have been largely absent. Perhaps the unusually wet Spring here has kept them at bay..

  • last year

    Oh yes the pollen beetles, I had a bad couple of years with those, but like you I've not seen so many just lately.

  • last year

    Nollie in Spain -


    Re Pax - I have only grown it here, and we have long dry warm summers (we get to 100 degrees F only once in a while, but not ever 110!). So, you have wet, HOT and humid summers? That is very different from what we have here. We frequently have very wet Springs, as we did this year, but by June 1 we do not see another drop of rain until Oct or Nov, guaranteed.


    So, I do not know how Pax would do there - since it is semi-double, it has never balled here even in the wettest Springs. It has grown here happily for 30+ years with no spraying, and only food once a year. I did have Buff Beauty here for a few years, but it died suddenly. I think it is more fragile than Pax. We have another hybrid musk, Ballerina, which has lived here also 30+ years, in a much hotter spot, right next to the driveway and 3 feet from the 3 story wall of the house, in a Southern exposure.


    That's all of the info I have personally.


    Jackie

  • last year

    Thanks so much Jackie, that’s really helpful, sounds as if BB is a delicate child. I think I can safely keep Pax on the shortlist. 110 is pretty rare (only twice in five years, 2019 and 2023) but the couple of days we had those heights is when a lot of rose canes burnt against a metal fence. The norm in the past has been hot and humid because of summer downpours, the last two drought years were hot and dry, this year looks to be heading back to humid. I guess we are all having to cope with more extreme weather and it’s really hard to second guess what the current season will bring..

  • last year

    Pls let us know when you have decided what to plant, and we will also want to have pictures next Spring!


    Jackie

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    Nollie, I am also a Hybrid Musk fan. I grow both Penelope and Buff Beauty in baking hot west sun in a skinny patch between the house and fence. I call the site ”The Oven”. (HMs also grow beautifully in shady locations.) Penelope‘s blooms tend to fade to white quickly in hot sun, but Buff Beauty really holds up and boasts an array of golden to butter to cream flowers as long as it resides in amended soil and is given adequate water. With maturity, sporadic flowers occur throughout the summer months—following the HUGE spring flush. There’s the bonus of a smaller autumn flush. Lovely fragrance. I recommend it! Carol

    PS Buff Beauty’s buds always present with a velvety white sheen. (Not mildew, just a charming characteristic of this special rose.)



  • last year

    Hi @portlandmysteryrose, sorry Carol I missed your post earlier. A good example of how climate and aspect differ so much, Buff Beauty was miserable here!


    An update:


    Rose Barni have just confirmed they will ship bare root roses to Spain, so Quicksilver will hopefully be winging it’s way to me in the Autumn, hurrah! I plan to hedge my bets and also order Pax or similar because I still like the idea of something wilder for the arch. The rose on the trellis to the left of the arch, Mme. Isaac Pereire, is currently under review because it’s rare the weather is perfect for it - the blooms both burn in sun and ball in rain. I like having options! Thanks to all for your help.

  • last year

    I know you have already made-up your mind but perfumed breeze AKA Bride Parfum, A. Barn I bred rose With a wonderful wafting scent Has a natural look and is very healthy here. Always with many many blooms Don't know if it would fry in the dry heat.

  • last year
    last modified: last year
  • last year

    Nollie, it's great that you got Quicksilver! My two cents is, the sooner you train it on its long stems the better as it has very stiff stems. I usually start staking them while they're around two feet tall to let them grow in the direction I want. Really looking forward to your photos next spring.

  • last year

    @Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley I saw Brise on Barni’s website, thanks for the recommendation. It looks delightful.


    Nothing is actually in the bag as their website does’t seem to be open for pre orders yet, probably not until autumn, I will check when with Bart so I can get in fast.


    Thanks for the tip @Feiy (PNWZ8b/9a), much appreciated! I have pre-trained stiff climbers before by gradually bending over and tying to stakes in the ground, so handy to know I need to do something similar with Quicksilver.


  • last year

    Portland Mystery Rose: Thanks so much for the tip about the white haze on the buds of Buff Beauty. I was alarmed when I saw this last week on the specimen at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, since I assumed it was mildew. I always check this specimen out, since it is apt to be blooming even when the other roses are taking a rest..

  • last year

    Poseidon climbs here. It got 14 ft up and over on my old gazebo before I cut it back and brought it to the new place. The stems are thinner than Quick Silver but I agree that QS can be trained when the stems are young.

  • last year

    Poseidon gets huge hair also. I love this rose As well.

  • last year

    Vapor, you keep making me imagine the scene that Poseidon holding a trident and waving his hair. LOL.

  • last year

    Jason mamoa!

  • last year

    Hi, Nollie! Barni doesn't "do" pre-orders, as far as I know. They start sending out bare-roots in November; I think all you'd have to do is contact them , say, in October. Their bare-roots are good-I'm especially thrilled with the bare-root Purple Eden (Ebb Tide) that I got from them last fall. I'm less enthusiastic about their potted roses; they seem to plant them with the graft above soil level. This makes sense for the nursery-they can use smaller pots. But I don't like that way of doing things; I like the graft to be at soil level, or just barely, very slightly, below. However, you may have noted that their prices for potted roses are more than reasonable.

  • last year

    Oh I get it, duh - Jason Marmoa’s HAIR!! I thought that was another rose to look up on HMF, Vapor 😆


    Hi Bart, thanks so much for the shout out about Rose Barni, I will do that! I much prefer bare root via mail order. I got a couple of potted roses from roses.it a couple of years ago and they were not great. Not helped by the fact some couriers can never find my house or take so long to get to my rural area they are dried up and battered when they do turn up.

  • last year

    I have admired Frances in NJ's John Cabot. It looks like it's growing on an average size metal arbor. I bought John Cabot after seeing it but don't know yet how big it'll get here. I enjoyed the color this spring.




    Another pink I like which is a moderate grower in my zone 7a, NC is Blossomtime.




    Blooms are very full but I haven't seen them ball and mine's in part shade.


    Clair Matin



    The buds may be too coral for you , I don't know.

    I got a new climber this spring called Meg. Looks like a beautiful blend of colors but it sounds pretty vigorous.

    Prosperity is another pretty white hybrid musk.



  • last year
    last modified: last year

    I think aquaman is just another name for Poseidon! I've never actually seen the movie. I'd love to see what a rose named after him would look like!😉

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    Erasmus, All of your choices are beautiful. I grow blossom time And prosperity And count them as Necessary roses in my garden. I have always wanted clamaton but worried about it's hardiness. Sort of reminds me of Cornelia from pictures. I've never seen it in person.

    That should be clear Claire Martin.

  • last year

    Thanks, Vapor. I think climbing teas and tea noisettes make pretty plants. They just don't have the beefy, fat, thorny canes that some have. I am not sure which would be manageable on that arch. I like Elie Beauvillain but in some places it can get pretty big I have heard. It also might have more apricot than you'd like but here's mine. To me it's a friendly looking plant...not too thorny.


  • last year

    Your Ellie Beauvillain is scrumptious, Erasmus. Mine is not that good yet, but I really like the thin, pliable canes. Climbers that shoot straight up on thick rigid canes aren’t usually my favorite.

  • last year

    Oops, apologies for not keeping up with my own thread! Some further gorgeous roses suggested and those are stunning photos, erasmus, thanks.


    My main concern remains survivability. I do have problems with teas and noisettes suffering in my heavy rains. Blush Noisette, Alister Stella Gray, Lady Hillingdon and Mme. Antoine Mari were all sodden, browned and balled disasters earlier this year. Mme. Alfred Carriere shrugged off the downpours, but would demolish that modest arch, plus she much prefers her current, shadier location.

  • last year

    Thank you. What makes a rose not ball? If you got a single it would be a lot less likely to ball I think. A pink honeysuckle would be pretty on that arch or a clematis. If the heavy rains are in early spring there are clems that bloom a bit later.

  • last year

    Avoiding balling is part of why I think I’m still drawn to a simpler, wilder rose for the arch, Erasmus, although I do have other OGR and modern, multi-petalled shrub roses that don’t ball or fry. I’m less familiar with climbers though, because I have few places to put them. I did try a Jackmanii clematis on a metal obelisk and that fried and died despite copious water. My Etoile Violette growing through the wisteria is surviving, but that only gets morning sun. I really should stick to wooden structures in future!

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    I am currently obsessed with John DavisDavis.

    Be sure to look at the photos and CommentsComments

    It is meant to be lower thorn so that might be nice under that arbor Arch.

  • 9 months ago

    Update:


    After experiencing a horrendously hot summer, combined with scorchingly hot saharan winds, I have regretfully decided not to subject ANY rose to death by metal arch in full sun!


    Thanks again for all your ideas and wonderful photos. You have given me plenty of suggestions for climbers in the future, so your input has not been in vain.

  • 9 months ago

    How about morning gliry or honeysuckle

  • 9 months ago

    Kristine, yikes--morning glory. It lasts forever. I mean you can never get rid of it, and it pops up in strange places. I removed some growing up through roses just this year, and it had been many years since I'd "officially" grown the stuff in that area. . Diane

  • 9 months ago

    Nollie, a wise decision concerning death by burning on metal. Diane

  • 9 months ago

    I’m afraid I wouldn’t risk a Morning Glory or even a honeysuckle there, Kristine. The hedge you see through the arch is an inherited honeysuckle one, which rarely flowers but the rampant growth is a nightmare to keep in check. I’m wondering if something like a solanum crispum or jasminoides might survive both summer heat and winter cold, but in a more mannerly fashion..

  • 9 months ago

    I wouldn't add a morning glory on your beautiful arch - it's SO aggressive and such a heavy seeder that you'll be pulling it out all over the place! I planted it years ago and regret it - lesson learn. I would recommend Jeanne Lajoie. It's a beautiful short pink climber. Jeanne Lajoie

  • 9 months ago

    Jeanne Lajoie here.


  • 9 months ago

    Do you have access to Lemon Zen? It seems like it might be a good fit for your arch but it might not be available to you.

    My experience with Lemon Zen:

    It isn't happy in shade. Most of my hybrid musks accept some shade and some require it. Not Lemon Zen.

    It is slow to mature. You'd think it would crank out boatloads of blooms in a few months, being a healthy single. You'd think wrong. This rose takes awhile to come into its own but it will- eventually.

    It does not like being cut back and/or moved. I learned this by doing both and nearly killed it. Mine is still recovering from being cut back and put into a pot till I can find a better spot for it.

    LZ has a nice fragrance that might be easier to appreciate on an arch.

    Once LZ gets going it will bloom in bunches, almost like a hydrangea with larger yellow blooms.

    While this summer was long and miserably humid and hot for me , Lemon Zen seemed to like it that way. I don't think East TN gets quite as hot as you do, but this rose has done well in the Southeast in places like Florida and South Carolina and I bet it would do OK for you too.


  • 9 months ago

    Karen, You and I must be the only 2 people growing lemon Zen on this forum. I just planted my replacement that I got this After my 1st 1 died from RRD. I love the color change on this rose also. I have it planted with autumn sunset...

  • 9 months ago

    I hope someone else will be tempted to give it a try. I like mine a lot. I'll bet it's really pretty with Autumn Sunset.

  • 9 months ago

    They both look terrific roses, Bellarose/Sheila and Karen, thanks for sharing. Not seen either in Europe, but it’s always great to get acquainted with roses new to me. As I mentioned below, I’ve decided not to subject a rose to that scorching position after all, and MG is a definite no no. I have yet to break the news to my OH that she won’t be getting a rose on the arch after all. Wish me luck with that!

  • 9 months ago

    Nollie, I’m not going to contradict you. Whether you grow a rose or not on your metal arch is your decision, but I would recommend you give it a try. I have several roses growing on my homemade rebar (metal) arches and arbors and I’ve not had any problems. I was pretty leery about it, given our intense heat here all summer, but decided it was worth a try. I have tried Perfume Breeze, Pretty in Pink Eden, and Lavender Crush on metal arches here. None of them have shown any stress. Perfume Breeze is my favorite because it blooms most of the time and the smell is like nothing else in my garden! It really does perfume the air even in my very dry climate here where humidity often drops into the single digits by mid-day. We have days on end with dry winds and most of those days rise into the high 90’s and over 100 occasionally.

  • 9 months ago

    Here is Perfume Breeze right now. Poor photo because I’m a poor photographer and I took it just now in the bright sunshine rather than in the evening when the lighting is good. Also, it’s wild and woolly and needs some pruning and tying in quite badly just now. But it’s blooming so much of the time that I haven’t the heart to mess with it.

  • 9 months ago

    Nollie, I think I agree with judi that it could be worth a try...

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