A rose to live happily with honeysuckle

Allyblueeyes

Evening everyone.   I have an established Lonicera periclymenum 'Graham Thomas’ which I am training to go over trellis on a large bare wall.  I would love a climbing/rambling rose to grow with it but is this a recipe for disaster?  Is there a rose that would happily live alongside it?  It’s a south facing wall of approx 4m in height x 3m width and it gets sun pretty much all day.  When we get sun that is 😉.  Thanks in advance.

Nollie

Hmm, my first instinct was no, as lonicera are so vigorous and tend to spread everywhere, but actually I think it could, maybe work, that’s a reasonable width of trellis, if the rose is planted as far apart as possible from the lonicera and kept well fed and watered. Assuming the lonicera is in the middle, I would plant the rose at one end and train it over. The potential issue I envisage would be training and pruning the rose and the possibility of mildew if there is is abundant lonicera foliage and not much airflow there. It would need to be a vigorous rose to complete, but not so vigorous it all ends up a tangled mess! Now I think I am talking myself and you out of it 😆

Maybe a tall shrub rose would be easier?

Allyblueeyes

Nollie said:

Hmm, my first instinct was no, as lonicera are so vigorous and tend to spread everywhere, but actually I think it could, maybe work, that’s a reasonable width of trellis, if the rose is planted as far apart as possible from the lonicera and kept well fed and watered. Assuming the lonicera is in the middle, I would plant the rose at one end and train it over. The potential issue I envisage would be training and pruning the rose and the possibility of mildew if there is is abundant lonicera foliage and not much airflow there. It would need to be a vigorous rose to complete, but not so vigorous it all ends up a tangled mess! Now I think I am talking myself and you out of it 😆

Maybe a tall shrub rose would be easier?

Thank you @Nollie … I can feel a Hmmm 🤔 coming on too.  What else would work other than a rose do you think?  Trouble is, my love of roses might just tip me over to the ‘go for it’ method of gardening 😕

Nollie

Well my obsession with roses would mean I would be tempted to have a go too, it will either work or it won’t!! However, subject to sufficient width of the border/planting space, I think would decide to play safe and go for a tall, upright shrub rose instead, or even two - one either side. Easier to deadhead and prune the roses and more airflow around, but still giving you some height and prolonged season of interest. Also easier to move or put the roses large pots if it became overcrowded,

If you decide no it must be a climber, a semi-evergreen rambler that has excellent disease resistance might work - Some ideas here:
https://www.trevorwhiteroses.co.uk/product-category/rambling-roses/?swoof=1&pa_special-feature=semi-evergreen,excellent-disease-resistance&really_curr_tax=28-product_cat

Marlorena

Have a go.. if it doesn't work well you just remove one..  I no longer have this due to new fence, and they both grew into each other, scrambling across.. sometimes I think it looks better if kept a little apart, as here..
..the honeysuckle is 'Red Gables'..

Allyblueeyes

Nollie said:

Well my obsession with roses would mean I would be tempted to have a go too, it will either work or it won’t!! However, subject to sufficient width of the border/planting space, I think would decide to play safe and go for a tall, upright shrub rose instead, or even two - one either side. Easier to deadhead and prune the roses and more airflow around, but still giving you some height and prolonged season of interest. Also easier to move or put the roses large pots if it became overcrowded,

If you decide no it must be a climber, a semi-evergreen rambler that has excellent disease resistance might work - Some ideas here:
https://www.trevorwhiteroses.co.uk/product-category/rambling-roses/?swoof=1&pa_special-feature=semi-evergreen,excellent-disease-resistance&really_curr_tax=28-product_cat

Thanks @Nollie.  Unfortunately I’ve only got patio to the right of the trellis so I’ve chickened out and left the honeysuckle growing merrily on the left and I’ve just planted a climber called ‘Compassion’ which I fell in love with at my local GC.  I do wish I’d have seen your post sooner as those semi-evergreen ramblers look wonderful and would have been perfect.  I’m hoping ‘Compassion’ which I know little about (do you?) will be vigorous enough to climb quite quickly.  I’ll play safe and keep them apart.  I appreciate your help and knowledge as I’d have probably gone for it and regretted it later!  Thanks Nollie 😊

Nollie

Ah, there goes the real voice of experience, that looks wonderful @Marlorena! Sorry, no I don’t have compassion, looks a lovely rose though. Good luck!

Allyblueeyes

@Nollie @Marlorena.  Thank you both so much.  I have left the honeysuckle to do it’s own thing, it will find its way up to the ‘Compassion’ at some point so I’ll leave to its own devices and see what happens.  So helpful both.  Thank you.