In nature there are around 100 different species of wild roses and many more hybrids. People have been growing roses for over 2,000 years, so that today there are thousands of cultivars - from tiny ground cover plants to large shrubs and meter-high climbing roses.
What are climbing roses and how can they be used in the garden?
Climbing roses are shrub roses with long shoots that require climbing aids and come in different varieties such as Rambler and Climber. They can be used individually or in combination with other plants such as clematis in the garden and offer a wide range of design options.
Roses have been grown for over 2000 years
The first garden roses were probably bred in the Middle East and reached the rest of Europe via ancient Greece and Rome. The first species were the French rose (Rosa gallica), the Damask rose (Rosa damascena) and Rosa alba. These are robust and intensely fragrant varieties that only bloom once a year. In the seventeenth century, Dutch and French breeders crossed Alba and Damask roses to create large-flowered varieties with over 100 petals. Chinese roses (Rosa chinensis) came to Europe from around 1780 and have been crossed with European species since then. In this way, numerous new types of roses were created.
There are many thousands of wild and cultivated roses
Different groups of roses can be distinguished. Wild roses and their hybrids are large, arching, overhanging shrubs. These only produce simple, strongly fragrant flowers once, usually in spring. Decorative rose hips develop from them in autumn. A distinction is also made between old and modern garden roses, with the varieties also known as historical roses all dating from before 1867. The modern species include the so-called tea hybrids (large-flowering shrub roses), floribunda roses (cluster-flowering shrub roses) and various dwarf shrub roses.
The group of climbing roses is also very varied
Climbing roses are not climbing plants in the true sense, but rather just shrub roses with particularly long shoots. They have long, very strong shoots and large flowers that - depending on the variety - grow singly or in small clusters. Some only bloom in summer (single-blooming climbing roses), but many are multi-blooming species that show their flowers well into the fall (often-blooming climbing roses). So-called rambler roses are strong spreading climbers that usually develop small flowers in large clusters at the beginning of summer.
Which type of climbing rose is suitable for my garden?
Like all roses, climbing roses are quite sensitive and require careful care in addition to a good location. The historical varieties in particular are quite susceptible to disease under today's conditions, after all, they were cultivated under completely different air and soil conditions. So they need particularly intensive care. Instead, you can also choose more robust rose varieties. A good indication of this is the ADR seal, the so-called “Rose TÜV”, in which newly bred roses are subjected to strict testing.
What is the difference between rambler roses and climbing roses?
The large group of climbing roses can be roughly divided into ramblers and climbers. Rambler roses have particularly long and soft shoots, which is why they definitely need additional support. The climber's shoots, on the other hand, are strong and usually prickly and can grow upright to a certain extent without help. Rambler roses generally form much longer shoots than climbers.
Climbing roses need climbing aids
Ramblers are ideal for greening entire trees, but are also wonderful for planting pergolas, arbors, etc. Climbers, on the other hand, do not grow as tall as rambler roses and are therefore best grown on trellises or arches. Whichever climbing aid you prefer, without one your climbing rose will grow more like a shrub - which it basically is. The shoots are always tied to the climbing aid with raffia (€11.00 at Amazon) or another soft material, because they cannot hold on securely on their own - a strong gust of wind and the unattached climbing rose will be torn off its climbing aid.
Design options with climbing roses
Remember that not all roses bloom at the same time. Therefore, choose climbing rose varieties with different flowering times so that you can enjoy their blooms all summer long. In addition, cultivars reach different heights, which should also be taken into account when planning the garden. For example, you can green a house wall with various climbing and rambler roses, but you can also combine climbing roses with garden roses. The climbing roses add greenery to a wall or hedge, while the smaller shrub roses are arranged in the foreground.
Climbing roses in conjunction with other plants
If roses stand alone or a part of the garden is dedicated to only one type of plant, it can quickly seem boring. Roses are sociable and look great next to smaller plants as long as they don't compete with them for light or nutrients. Many smaller types of geraniums make very pretty additions to roses, but clematis also makes a good companion plant. The climbing plant, also known as clematis, provides more color in summer, when the blooms of the climbing rose are less intense.
Cultivating delicate climbing roses in the pot - the best varieties
Climbing roses can even be grown in large pots or half barrels on a wall. 'New Dawn' is one of the best and most vigorous modern climbing roses with clusters of silvery pink flowers; 'White Cockade' grows rather slowly, which is certainly an advantage in a planter. 'Danse de Feu' has multi-flowering, semi-double bright orange-scarlet flowers and is even suitable for a north-facing wall.
Tip
Roses and lavender are often planted together, but they don't complement each other much as planting partners. Both plants have completely different requirements in terms of their location and care needs: Lavender prefers dry and nutrient-poor soil, whereas roses need a humus-rich and slightly moist subsoil.
