Rambling Rosie Rose

Guernsey Donkey2

Has anyone successfully grown this rose - I have ordered one (David Austin) and would appreciate any photos or advice.  I am thinking of growing it up a wall approx 4 foot high with the rose spreading along the top of the wall which is approx 20 foot long.

Marlorena

I don't know this rose so cannot be of much help but I would think your wall would be ok for this with appropriate training...  as far as I understand, it doesn't have much scent, but that may not be an issue here...
A Colin Horner rose... he bred good roses and one of its parents is 'Super Excelsa'  I have grown that one.. but that means it has Rosa wichurana lineage, which should make it easy to train - i.e. pliable canes...

Guernsey Donkey2

Thank you Marlorena.  I am not sure if the Rambling Rosie has pliable canes.  I have an issue with fragrance so I tend to plant those that do have a scent as far away from our patio and windows as is possible.  I am attaching a couple of pictures of the wall where I may plant this rambler and intend to use some wire attached to the wall to tie the rose against as it grows and the stems can fan out on the top of the wall. So the rose will be planted behind the yucca - left of the wooden stake in picture 1 and along side the Michaelmas daisy which is waiting to be pruned right down. In picture 2 the new rose would be where the short bamboo stakes are marking the spot for it.

Marlorena

Yes they will be pliable too on Rambling Rosie, in fact if you don't train them along, they will likely flop forwards to the ground...  I had Super Excelsa on a 3 foot high fence 15 foot long, and it was easy to train, but you do have to tie the canes back... In your case with that lovely old wall, you could just leave it ramble along the top and across... 
..it will look great, especially from a distance..

Glossy foliage and long thin rambling canes produced from the base, are typical of this group of roses..

Guernsey Donkey2

Thanks for the advice Marlorena, and the thumbs up.  What I am wondering is how I am going to attach the rose along the top of the wall, otherwise if I don't it will flop forwards to the ground as you mentioned.  The top of the wall has recently been cemented with more granite stones laying on the top to give it a "finished" look.  As you can see we have so much granite here, so a colourful rambling rose will add interest to the wall.

Marlorena

I've never had a wall like that..but I think I would try and hammer in a few nails here and there, in those crevices, see if that would work, and then tie with string as it grows...  I'm sure you'll work something out...   is that your garden over the other side too?.. 

Guernsey Donkey2

Disaster - well not quite but disappointingly I was told today that this rose is not available to Garden Centres, they suggested that I contact David Austin direct to ask if they will send me one of these roses. No reply as yet - I have dug the hole and set my heart on receiving the rose. 

Marlorena

That's a shame.. well I hope you get it very soon... I don't see it at garden centres either, but mail order would be the way to go I imagine..