By Twohomes
Gers, France
I am about to buy 5 or 6 bare rooted roses for a new bed in front of the house. Can anybody suggest a good selection? I would like disease resistent varieties and if possible a good scent. They do not have to be all the same colour but I do not want wildly clashing shades.
I would also welcome advice on 2 or 3 good climber/rambler roses for an unsightly fence.
- 21 Nov, 2011
Answers
Also ... ramblers tend to only flower once, though profusely, and their rapid growth could compensate you by covering fence quickly. Susceptible to mildew if directly in front of a wall of any kind, but so easy to prune with a hedge trimmer!! Check out Adelaide d'Orleans, Goldfinch, or Paul's Himalayan Musk. Climbers - may depend on where you are in France. Check out Rosa Leverkusen, Rosa New Dawn and Rosa Parade. These will need tying in and training along your fence - just bend the shoots gently down to shape and length required, and then prune back to the fence to any outward shoot in Feb/March.
21 Nov, 2011
I planted 7 floribunda roses in the summer - I got mine from Harkness and Cants roses. They're in shades of amber through to tawny, all repeat flowering and scented.
I can especially recommend 'Hot Chocolate', 'Easy Going', 'Easy Does it', 'Pensioners' Voice' and 'Tawny Tiger'. All the roses are in my 'garden' list on my page if you want to see any photos, or else have a browse on the rose growers' sites.
Climbers - so many. It rather depends on what colour you'd like! 'Alibaba' (coral) would tie in with the floribundas I recommended, but 'Dublin Bay' is a gorgeous red rose that just keeps on and on flowering. 'Zepherine Drouhin' is a beauty - a lovely pink.
22 Nov, 2011
if you are still looking for roses your best bet in the Gers is Becky Hook in Bouzon Gellenave.
She and her husband grow and sell the best roses around, the old french varieties which are particularly suited to the climate, many of the david austen ones just cant stand the extreme conditions here.
This is their website
www.frenchtearose.com/about
good luck
12 Sep, 2012
Try the David Austin web site for a wide selection of quality roses.
21 Nov, 2011