Roses

[Dutchoma]

We have had some railings installed at the front of our house. Behind them is a small strip (about 1m wide) of nice garden soil. I would like some rose to grow against the railings.
What do I plant? Climbing or rambling, one colour or several, scented if possible.
There are several roses in the strip already, a big red one, a little red one and a white one.

Any ideas?

how high are the railings? Check out davidaustin roses, lots of gloriously scented ones there. I'd go for climbing rather than rambling - easier to tame.

I have bought some roses from here and found them very good with a wonderful perfume.

A climbing rose would soon scramble over and through the railings but you could add height in a frame and train the rose to cover it.

Thanks for the information

I've posted a picture of the railings on my profile, they are 1m20 high.

The websites look amazing, such a choice. I think I shall buy 4 in different colours.

What about some hedging roses? They are not too invasive or tall and would offer some privacy and a lovely smell.

Good idea, but I don't like the flowers as much as of a 'proper' rose. Also it might be a bit too much of a hede rather than a decoration to the railings which I think are so posh that I don't want them obscured completely.

1m 20 isn't really high enought for climbing roses. I'd just stick to a row of shrub roses all the same colour, then underplant with cranesbill.

Dutchoma rhubarbgarden brings uo an important point about colour- are you going to go for one colour eg reds and purples (which could be good because there are lots of lovely scented climbers and you could have a mix of musks and bourbons and old english roses and so forth all in the same range of colour) or are you going to go for mixed colours and are you going to try and get a mix of early and late flowering roses?
In some ways if you have posh railings I would go for roses in reds and purples and not mix the colours up but add in colour with the geraniums like rhubarb said. So if you go to red and purple in david austin's website you get loads and the same for Peter Beale
www.classicroses.co.uk/
I have to say that although Peter Beale's stand far outshone David Austin this year at the flower show, they are not nearly as good at prompt delivery. I wonder if this is because they showed their best roses at the show and don't have such good ones in their nursery stock. Whereas because David Austin supply to so many retailers they have a larger stock.
Rose Munstead Wood is lovely as is Nuits de Young as is Darcy Bussell. I planted Dr Du Jamain but he has proven delicate, and though hanging on in there in his third year, is not as floriferous or healthy as I would wish.
I think it is best to get climbers rather than shrub roses.
If you mix the colours I do think some of the orange roses like Mrs Oakley Fisher are beautiful and cheering.
As to the perennial geraniums there are so many varieties and Hayloft plants have a good choice.

funnyperson how are you? That is a very full answer and I will look them all up. The thing so far that I have found is that I want a rose with a proper rose shape. So many look like a cross between a tulip and a daisy, I wold like the sort of rose that you would make out of marzipan, not sure that makes any sense whatsoever.
Anyway, I'm going to have a look at all the ones you have mentioned. I'm a bit surprised at the price of David Austin roses, not seen any other prices.
And I will find one that looks like a 'proper' rose.
It's funny about the geraniums, did that come up because there is already some of that in the patch? One is a deep purpley blue, the other one pink.

Oh yes I see what you mean- that is a hybrid tea rose-lovely shape but sometimes have little scent.
Are you still knitting dutchoma?

what about this
www.unwins.co.uk/youre-beautiful-rose-of-the-year-2013-bare-root-pid7248.html
it is pink and not a climber but nice, and cheaper than david austin

here is another good (and reasonably priced) rose grower
www.oldroses.co.uk/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=22

You bet I'm still knitting. I lost touch with you when your father had just got home?

I'll have a look at the roses in a little while, have just been placing an order with Real Dutch Food.

So what are you knitting these days Dutchoma?

PS I had a look at your photo and think that as your railings are quite low you can also plant shrub roses and dont need to stick with climbers
You could plant some allium christophii between the geranium and roses they will keep greenfly away and add a lovely balance.

At the moment I am knitting cardigans and a jumper for grandchildren nd the daughter of a friend. Also a SANDS blanket. I have not been able to do anything very difficult as I have not been able to see for six weeks due to a cataract operation. If you want to see a bit of my knitting, have a look on Ravelry, same username.

I have been looking at Peter Beale's website and found the following:
Red: Dublin Bay and Deep Secret
Yellow: Golden Dawn
Pink: Maiden Blush, Eden Rose '88 and Handel
Orange: Compassion.

Never had an idea there is so much to choose from.

Any suggestions as to how to take it forward.

I have been looking at neighbours gardens thinking about yours and think if you have too many colours in a small space it will look patchy.

So what would you suggest? Three colours maybe? Orange, yellow and red? Or all pink, maybe of the three varieties?
Been looking at alliums and geraniums too, again, what choice.

Compassion's been my favourite for years, classic tea-rose shape, very strong scent, repeat flowering (even today) and the most amazing salmon-y cream-y colour, I always plant one of these!

Dutchomer I recommend you look for ones marked 'good disease resistance' (David Austin shows this - eg Susan Williams-Ellis). The ones of this type that I have are so much easier to look after than the normal ones. The disease resistant ones tend to be more recent introductions think.

That's interesting Bearleigh

Dutchoma it is such a pleasure choosing roses that of course the choice should be yours. However if you have not already done so, do get the David Austin Catalogue just for the pleasure of looking through it even if you don't end up with any of their roses!
I think red and orange could be a lovely combination (but you would need to chooses reds and oranges which work well together) as would lots of pinks of different varieties.
Yellow roses are really cheerful too.
I have the following roses:

White/cream: Mme Alfred Carriere, Coopers Burmese, Sally Holmes, Generous Gardener
Pink:Gertrude Jekyll, New Dawn, Rosa Magenta bleu, American Pillar
Red: Dr Du Jamain, Munstead Wood
Orange: Mrs Oakley Fisher.

Some are climbers, some are shrubs in the border, and some are in pots. I choose roses which are hardy, don't mind shade and are scented.

My mother has another 20 or so varieties in different borders. However
the very 'seventies' overpruned roses of my mother's garden, with no companion planting - a bit like the roses in Queen Mary's rose garden in Regents Park don't really appeal to me. For me the best way to grow roses is the Sissinghurst or Giverney way - to let them either climb freely (and well supported) up a warm wall or to grow as large and vigorous shrubs to really let them flower abundantly in a mixed border.

Yesterday I saw a very pretty rose border in a front garden- palest yellow and pale orange roses (a bit like Compassion) interplanted with pastel ivory and lemon and pale pink dahlias- a very very pretty mixture of flower form- and quite an unusual colour scheme as it was all about light pastels, rather than the more modern deep purple/maroon themed borders. It was also very feminine, and made me think about how much garden design these days is male dominated.

I didn't decide on anything yet as I hoped you would have another bit of input.
Good idea to get the catalogue, I always feel a bit bad getting a catalogue from someone and then not buying from them. I think they were the very expensive ones? I'll order one now.
Compassion seems to be a good choice, very much a 'rosey' rose, if you see what I mean. Just not sure as there is such a lot of choice.

How is your mother doing?

www.pinterest.com/optimistic51/cabbage-roses/

Link is not working for me. I even signed up and it froze.

BUT: I now have the David Austin catalogue and you are so right: it is beautiful even to look at. Still not made any decisions.

It is so difficult to visualise what it will look like.
I like the look of the Compassion, but am wondering if it is too orange when I am thing of plating some 'mourning widow' and 'album' geranium, 'Mars and Mount Everest' allium and some late flowering asters, the type that is out everywhere at the moment. That's all very purple, so would pink or yellow go better?

For such a small patch I am having a lot of fun.