and I forgot why I posted the message.. basically I wanted advice on a free carefree climbing and ground cover roses. I have a water garden on a natural slopped yard. My yard is enclosed with a UGLY chain link fence. it varies from very steep to just sligly sloped and I wanted to grow massive roses to cover this fence. ( 1 Acre). The soil is very sandy and dry. I plain on digging out huge holes and use rocks/boulders to keep the good dirt in place and to help it hold water but alot of them will be in places that would be hard to water on a real regular basis. any suggestions appreicated!

:)

tinkster

Hi Tinkster --

Don't be discouraged! I bet there are many here who began by planting all the wrong roses for their conditions. Some of us went along for YEARS struggling to grow roses that didn't want to be here. But the best roses for you will be roses that love your climate.

The best way to find out which roses will grow well for you is to find out what roses grow well in your area.

I'm not sure where in KY you are located, but at the website below provides a whole list of gardens in Kentucky, several of them featuring roses.
There's also a link in there, to the Lexington Rose Society. They might be a starting point for some suggestions for "first" roses.

Your BEST choice of rose sources might not be Wal-Mart. You know how it is -- they buy roses in huge quantities and sell them all over the country. You might have better luck at local nurseries.

I notice, also, that the State Botanical Garden of KY has a new rose garden:
http://www.volunteersolutions.org/uwbg/org/224148.html

Here's more on Kentucky gardens that might help.
http://www.visitlex.com/quick/gardens.html

Jeri

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardens In Kentucky

You are in luck...Climbing Pinkie can help cover that fence. It is hardy in zone 6 and mine gets no extra care or water from me and does beautifully. You likely won't ever see any disease on this rose.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Cl. Pinkie at Helpmefind Roses

Tinkster -
If you are planning to spray for blackspot and fungicide, Angel Face and Chicago Peace should be okay. I have Angel Face but I do have to keep her sprayed. I spray all my roses with Bayer Advanced Garden Disease Control on a weekly basis. You can buy the concentrate at Lowes, Menards, or any of the big box stores. Buy a cheap one-gallon hand sprayer and mix up the spray and apply weekly. This should control the BS and mildew so the rose doesn't defoliate.

I have had Angel Face for 15 years and it is one of my favorites. Don't be afraid to try a rose if it appeals to you. I've found by reading different posts is that what grows for one gardener may not grow as well for another. Climate, soil, rainfall, humdity, etc. all play a big difference in how a rose performs.

BTW, I bought my Angel Face at Wal-Mart several years ago and it has outlived some that I have purchased from nurseries.

A garden is always evolving...like a painter's palette. Have fun and don't stress out. Enjoy and plant what appeals to you. If the rose doesn't work out, there's always many, many more to choose from.
-terry

I like both Jeri's and Terry's advice. Bottom line: be smart and don't stress. It'll all work out.

I had Golden Showers. It was the first rose I bought. I started training it against a fence and had it for a year and a half even though I knew fairly early on that I should have bought it on Fortuniana. It was stressing me so bad to think it would "die young" that I took it out. I couldn't stand the thought of investing all that time & effort into a plant I was sure wouldn't last more than a few years. Of course, I could've been wrong cuz maybe I didn't have nematodes. But the stress of it got to me. It did have beautiful flowers. Yes, they didn't last long but what the heck.
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Don't worry! Be happy!

Sherry

Well I can't say much for Chicago Peace or Angel face because I have had neither but I have had 2 golden showers. They have very lovely flowers but they last about a day, if that. I didn't have much problem with blackspot with it though. Personally I wouldn't buy another one simply because there are better choices out there.
Where you buy them is a matter of prefrence. Most of my roses come from Lowes but I have purchased some roses from Wal-mart too and have had good luck with them. I do buy online too when I see something I just have to have.
Just like many of us, we have all bought roses in the beginning that were duds. Sometimes it's just that certain roses prefer certain clomates and has nothing to do with how you personally cared for them. Good luck.

Tammy

Carefree climbers with a lot of fragrant blooms and good repeat I would recommend would be: Colette (Romantica) Compassion, Ilse Kron Suprior Laguna, Papi Delbard and Filed of the Woods (spelling?)

But I doubt that you will find them at Walmart.

If Noisettes are hardy in your area, I would add Crepuscule.

I had Golden Showers for years - it was lovely and bloomed lots, but the blooms fell apart [blew] quickly. Still, it was a good rose. Just concentrate on growing the ones you bought well. Plant in good soil, mulch, fertilize, water, spray, plant in lots of sunlight. You can shovel prune or buy more later. Just have fun!
Judith

I have Golden Showers, and it does very well. It's usually among the first that bloom. It does need spray in my yard. You'll have to give it a few years to get there though, but that is true of most climbers.

A great carefree climber in my garden is New Dawn. It blooms in part shade as well. I had two one on an arbor and one on a chain link fence. Unfortunately I don't have pics of the one on the fence but it grew very large. As with all roses the best shows are when the rose has had a chance to establish itself.
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I picked both of mine up from Home Depot.

Tammy

Tink:

I am a pretty new rose grower also. One of the first roses I bought was Joseph's Coat and last year a friend gave me Angel Face. Both have a reputation for being high maintenance and contrary (although worth the patience when they cooperate). For me they have both done well. Of course I am in California which makes things easier and I believe I was very smiled upon by Mother Nature. Just saying if you like a rose try it. Don't give up until you give the rose a chance. If it fails after a year or two go out and buy yourself TWO new rose plants to replace it:)

Kate

thanks so much for all the great info!!! I might find other places for these and give them a try.

I might have made a wrong choice in roses to try to cover the fenceline behind the pond. I have koi and due to it being a pretty steep bank everything runs down and possibily into the pond so I never use any chemicals above my pond. Dont want to harm the fishies :)

I really like the pinkie climber. That would be so pretty up on the bank if I didnt have to spray it.

again thanks much everyone!

tinkster

You might try Silverlace vine to cover the fenceline. It grows quickly the first year and never needs spraying. I grew it around my swimming pool and it completely covered the trellis the first year. Blooms white blossoms all summer. The only thing I didn't like was the little blooms blew into the pool so I had a lot of cleaning to do. Might not be a problem if your fence is far from your koi pond.
-terry

I really like the looks of that to! My fenceline is probably 25 ft from the pond so maybe woudlnd be a problem.. sounds like a one very good choice for a dry bank. Now if I could only find it and the pinkie climbing rose. Seen some seeds on ebay for the vine.. is that the way to go??

thanks much!

tinkster

Tink:

Do yourself a giant favor and buy the rose 'Pinkie' from a reputable vendor and get yourself a great plant. And your rose growing off to a terrific start. I checked HMF and Antique Rose Emporium carries that rose. Personally that would probably be my first choice. For about $30.00 shipped (to CA) you will get a happy, healthy rose in a two gallon pot. Yeah! Must more satisfying than searching Ebay or Home Depot for the rose you really want.

Kate

Oops. Just realized you were asking after a source for the vine not the rose. What I say about acquiring Pinkie still stands though.

I bought my Silver Lace Vine from Forest Farm and at that time was very satisfied with it. However their shipping is fierce. If you have a local nursery perhaps they could order it for you. They say that vine can grow 30' in a season. From what I've seen of its vigor I don't doubt it for a moment.

Kate

Tink: Bought my silver lace vine from Bluestone Perennials.
Here's the link:
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com
They have it for $6.95 and I buy from them all the time.
Their plants are healthy and cheap; and shipping is reasonable. They will also send you coupons for 20% off periodically. Do a search on their website as SILVER LACE VINE. They have it in stock now.
-terry