Suitable rose / clematis combination for trellis arch
emmalouisehall84
Posts: 13
in Plants
Hi everyone
I have a trellis arch which I am looking to cover, and understand that for full coverage roses and clematis are recommended. I have a couple of questions... Firstly, are climbing or rambling roses better? I am looking at planting 'The Albrighton Rambler', has anybody used this for an arch? Also, I am looking at combining with the clematis 'Etoile Violette', but purely because I like the colour, is this a combination that any of you have used before or is there a better combination that you could recommend?
Many thanks in advance! Emma x
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I would say stick with what you've chosen there, they are excellent choices, and whilst I could give you lots of different options, they wouldn't necessarily be any better than those...and they would be my choices, not yours...
Don't expect too much in their first season, they both take a while to settle down and grow up..
Last edited: 14 February 2017 13:40:20
Thank you Marlorena for the reassurance! I really struggled with knowing whether to go with a climbing or rambling rose.
It depends on which way your arch faces and how much sun it will get. Some clematis like more sun than others which prefer dappled shade or else fade if in too bright sunlight at the height of summer.
A climber is usually stiffer and less biddable than a rambler when it comes to winding up and over an arch and most ramblers are once flowering but some aren't. The one you have chosen is a repeat flowerer and should be lovely.
The only thing word of warning I would say about Etoile Violette is that the one I had, and the one I knew in a friend's garden, became more and more vigorous with each successive year. Mine had a 100cm deep arch and 2.5m high arch to scramble up and covered it completely then headed down the other side to meet Little Nell who was much more restrained. The first year I had about 5 stems appear form the roots. Last spring there must have been 50 new stems............. I expect t plant another here in this garden as it is a very good doer but I shall give it trellis fence and room to spread.
You might want to consider Rahvarinne or Star of India or Jackmanii or Gipsy Queen to get a similar deep purple without the swamping effect.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Thank you very much obilexx, have never planted a Clematis so need all the advice and help I can get!
I that case you need to know they are hungry, thirsty pants and one or two group 2s suffer from a problem called clematis wilt which they usually grow out of after a few years.
The best way to deal with clematis - and any new plant - is to make sure you soak their pot in a bucket until no more air bubbles appear. Meanwhile, for clematis, prepare a planting hole twice as deep and wide as their pot and mix in plenty of well rotted garden compost or bought planting compost or soil conditioner and add a bit of blood, fish and bone or pelleted chicken manure to the soil.
Remove your clematis from its pot and gently tease out the fleshy, yellow roots so they don't wind round themselves and then plant it about 4" deeper than it was. Back fill and water generously then give it a mulch of more soil conditioner. This will encourage new shoots to come from below the ground and make your clematis stronger and more floriferous. Keep it watered in dry spells and feed generously every spring. Occasional liquid tonics of tomato food will help too.
Tie it in as it grows so it doesn't get blown about in the wind. Same goes for your rambler. It will appreciate being tied in as horizontally or diagonally as possible and also a spring feed with occasional tonics up to but not after mid July so any new wood has time to harden off before the frosts come in autumn..
Last edited: 14 February 2017 18:14:10
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Thank you so much for all of your advice!
Clematis Etoile Violette is one of the best clematis ever raised, it has been around since c.1885. The deep violet purple colour is outstanding, over a long period, I personally think it grows best with a much stronger coloured rose, deep yellow looks really good with the yellow stamens on the clematis. In other words I think the Etoile Violette colour will make your rose look wishy-washy, just my opinion.
did yu purchse the albrighton, how did you find them so far