Anybody grow the rose "The Simple Life" with another climber?

FiddlingOn

I have recently planted up a gravel strip that runs along the side of the front garden where our caravan stood and now fancy getting "The Simple Life" to grow up the side of the shed at the far end.

The space is 9 feet across including trellis to the side and probably 6 feet high and south west facing. I'm wary of a planting a clematis as there is one that grows close to a rose climber in the back garden and its tendrils seem to strangle the new shoots on the rose.

So, I'm thinking of another climbing rose to put with "The Simple Life".  I've been dithering for days over the vast choice available and have simply stalled. I thought maybe there could be somebody on here who is already doing this with "The Simple Life" who might be able to give me some clue.

I had thought of Susie as the colour might tone in with the stamens of "The Simple Life". Or am I trying to shove too much into too tight a space? Although I'm not that fussed about colour if it's an easy grow plant.

Any ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Marlorena

..that's a nice rose..I confess I hadn't heard of it before... I wouldn't mind one myself actually but I'm out of room, however that doesn't stop those of us addicted..

...it's all according to taste and I'm not clear about where you will be planting your roses from the shed picture, there seems to be reasonable room in that corner for a couple to run riot together which is the way I do it..  but I like to pair contrasting colours..  it's really your choice and yours only as you know what you like and you should stick with that.. so if it's Susie you want then you should go for it... but..

...this is 'Purple Skyliner'... with 'Kew Gardens'... 






...it's just to give you an idea … best of luck and happy roses !!!....

FiddlingOn

Oo, that is a gorgeous coloured rose and a lovely combination with the pale one. From your postings your garden looks filled with lots of beautiful roses. I'm afraid I wasn't very clear, I intend to grow the roses up the side of the shed but from what you've said it sounds like I needn't be concerned about space. Trouble is, we have so much choice it leads to endless prevarication!

Thank you for your reply.

Marlorena

I might do something like this with that corner... I would remove that grass, just to clear the decks in that area, and plant it somewhere else... then where I've put black smudges I would plant a rose... with a group 2 clematis to grow up that corner trellis...


..you could have 2 fairly substantial roses that way without getting in anybody's way, or theirs... 

..oh and thank you!... best of luck..

FiddlingOn

Now there's an idea...although the grass is evenly placed against the other 2 grasses I've planted but I will go out and have another look at this area and see what I could squeeze in. I think there's more space there than perhaps the photograph suggests. Thank you very much for your advice on this...it's got me thinking!

Ffoxglove

Hiya sorry if I'm too late on this thread but I have both these roses! They're both really healthy easy to grow roses. Simple life I had in a pot in a shady alley and it still flourished so I'd say it can handle a clematis with it and susie, which smells really nice too, I grow with clematis niobe.
Simple life is the taller of the two but both good choices. 
I hope that's helpful in some way 

FiddlingOn

Hiya Ffoxgove, thanks for your input. Nice to know that The Simple Life and Susie are easy to grow. Judging by the growth in Winter and Spring, SL seems to be getting off to a healthy start (despite my not conditioning the soil!) but I put off buying another clematis/rose to plant with it as I just couldn't make my mind up!

However, your post has nudged me into making a decision. Harkness Roses, probably a lot of other plant growers too, are selling off their Chelsea Flower Show roses that they won't be able to sell as the event's been cancelled. So I've just ordered a 7.5 litre potted Susie!

Here's a picture of the bare root SL that I planted.

Ffoxglove

Such a healthy rose this one and it smells really nice too. 

alison.carr

Hi as a lover of Simple Life I planted another climber of a complimentary shade nearby so they would look good growing through each other. The second is the peach/orange Bridge of Sighs. Two beautiful examples of similar shades creating an eyecatching display. 

rachelQrtJHBjb

FiddlingOn said:

Hiya Ffoxgove, thanks for your input. Nice to know that The Simple Life and Susie are easy to grow. Judging by the growth in Winter and Spring, SL seems to be getting off to a healthy start (despite my not conditioning the soil!) but I put off buying another clematis/rose to plant with it as I just couldn't make my mind up!

However, your post has nudged me into making a decision. Harkness Roses, probably a lot of other plant growers too, are selling off their Chelsea Flower Show roses that they won't be able to sell as the event's been cancelled. So I've just ordered a 7.5 litre potted Susie!

Here's a picture of the bare root SL that I planted.

@FiddlingOn have you been to the Harkness nursery near Luton? It's attached to a larger garden centre (Used to be Wyevale, not sure what it is now). I see you're in Herts so it probably isn't that far for you. 

Athelas

Harkness have their virtual Chelsea stand open to the public until 23rd May at Woodlands Plant Centre in Upper Caldecote, might be worth a visit.