Josh, you might want to try 'Confederate Jasmine' (Trachelospermum jasminoides) instead. I'm in 8a, too, and while they seem hardy here, and quite a few people have them planted, they don't seem to get out of bounds. At our garden center, I've noticed a tri-color variegated Asiatic Jasmine. No blooms, of course, but the foliage would be interesting, and the colors (I've just looked at close-ups of both William Lobb and the Jasmine) seem as if the Jasmine would appear as part of the rose. Asiatic Jasmine is mostly a groundcover. However, It climbs about as well as does a Toad (with difficulty). In other words, the Jasmine wouldn't go very far up the rose without your help. This, I would regard as an advantage. Because there is less green to the leaves for photosynthesis, I'm guessing that a varigated Jasmine would be much less rampant. Yesterday, I spotted something sold as "Evergreen Wisteria - Bush Form". It had lime/chartreuse green leaves and wine colored flowers (In August). So, this is apparently a cultivar of one of our native (less vigorous and 'ever-blooming') Wisterias. One of the selling points on the tag was its non-invasiveness.

If you are talking about street-light posts (as opposed to a lamp post on your property) you should first determine who owns the thing. City? Electric Company??? Water & Power Dept??? Other ??? Because if you are planting your rose on -- say -- a city-owned strip of land, and growing it up a lamp post owned by DWP or Edison, I recommend you plant something that is wholly replaceable. Because, eventually, the owners of that pole will wish to service it, or replace it, or or or -- and when that happens, the rose is toast. We lost a mature Reve d'Or that way. It was growing up an Edison-owned pole which also carries equipment owned by a couple of cable companies. Edison didn't mind, but the cable guys (who can be downright nasty) deliberately whacked it to the ground. The pole was on an Edison Co. right-of-way. We had no recourse. Likewise, a second Edison-owned pole, at the other side of our property, was replaced a couple of years back because it was rotted out under ground. The contract workers who did THAT job got the old pole out and a new one installed in one day, with almost no damage to the two flanking roses -- but had they not been as cool as they were, we'd have lost 'Lady Reading,' and one International Herald Tribune. Jeri

I live in a climate similar to coastal California. I have Climbing roses Cecille Brunner -light pink flowers in clusters, little but perfectly formed high centered tea shape - the Buttonhole rose - hugely vigorous - 1.5 storeys and 20' wide in 2 years,(I am training it against the northern side ( in the southern hemisphere) of my house) medium, sweet fragrance, V. FEW THORNS, and I have rooted a few pieces which are now flowering - this has flowered for me all summer still producing 2 or 3 clusters (say 8-10 in a cluster) at a time and its into autumn); Growing beside and intertwining CB is Zephirine Drouhin COMPLETELY THORNLESS deep cerise pink semi double flowers intensely fragrant - the deep pink flowers are stunning in with the light pink Cecile Brunner, but not nearly so many of them. I have read Zeffie has a problem with black spot but I never have and don't spray - its in a good wind area and full sun; I have grown Zephirine's sister Kathleen Harrop and it was not quite so vigorous, paler pink flowers, still thornless and intensely scented. Pierre de Ronsard (Eden), hardly any thorns, medium fragrance, gorgeous shell pink and white cabbage flower, doing well only been in for a year already waist high and I am training it horizontally to get more flowers, but low. Zeffie, Cecille Brunner and Pierre de Ronsard (Eden) are near a path and had to be thornless, or nearly so. Renae - NO THORNS, pretty vigorous and hardy, (but not as vigorous as like Cecille - no rose I have grown is a vigorous as she, except maybe banksia rose) Renae (sister of Pinkie) has lilac, little, muddled flowers in clusters, strong, sweet fragance. This is a very pretty and nicely behaved rose - the canes are pliable and can be trained easily; Icebergs which haven't prospered perhaps because they haven't had full sun I've killed about 3 of them now - succumbed to everything and go into a white scale sulk and fade away; Reine de Violettes - deep purple double old world flowers, medium scent, NO THORNS, in morning sun, doing well, flowers shatter with rain, good scent I love this rose has completely matte, soft leaves it's near a seat; Crepescule - soft coppery apricot semi double muddled blooms, slight scent, HARDLY ANY THORNS, shortish climber doing very well in full sun - I am training this against a 5' wall facing east - the new foliage is an arresting deep bronze; Mdm Gregoire Stachaelin (Spanish Beauty) pretty, pink can be streaky, semi double, informal, open flowers in clusters, sweet fragrance, medium vigorous but too thorny for me but I have struck about 10 pieces it's easy to root - they are growing on fences, over arbours, in trees it's autumn and they are still pumping out clusters of flowers, everywhere I look there is another pink tress of the Madam showing through somewhere; I have just ordered Lady Hillingdon Climber (thorniness rating 5/10 which is too high for me, but no Mdm Alfred Carriere available) - yellow, intensely scented; Also just ordered Nahema THORNLESS, shell pink, intense scent, can't wait till spring; Also just ordered Golden Celebration from David Austin - huge, gold, cabbage style flowers, intense scent, V. FEW THORNS. Then there are the ones in my garden I don't know what they are but I love them still. ....Can you tell I don't like thorns? I grow them for delight not for blood, pain and scars.

Hi Trina !! I had to laugh because I leave Tennessee and I’ve seen a couple new names here right around my old area and it kills me because I was always looking for local garden friends! Ha ! These look like smaller plants from heirloom I’m guessing ? If so they will take some time to grow roots first and then you’ll see the top take off . My teasing Georgia was a lovely shrub , never really a climber like you would put on an arbor. Up against a wall just fine though. It would get 7ft tall and 4-5ft wide. Mine was grafted . Im sorry I don’t have any other advice. I hope they do well in time for you !!