At the Old City Cemetery in Lynchburg (VA), there are two Dortmunds trained up the posts on the porch of the hearse museum. For them, it's a stiffish climber that has reached the ceiling of the porch and is trailing along the eaves. I don't know about disease resistance.

Photo in the blog post linked below.

Connie

Here is a link that might be useful: Lynchburg blog post

You could probably do that. It would be broad,of course. Mine is on a pillar. I think it's a good easy reblooming rose.

Robert, Dortmund in that location is a fine idea, but in practice I wouldn't recommend it. I do a similar thing with a climbing miniature; Red Cascade; on a smaller scale, and Red Cascade would work for you as well and perhaps be more disease resistant, but the drawback is that roses are fairly poor ground-covers in terms of weed control. Now imagine that you're weeding that 1/2 acre bank several times a year, stepping among the canes: got any steel boots?

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings

I grow it against a fence, but I let it be bushy. In essence, it's supported on one side. That works. It isn't fun to work with.

I saw a few Dortmunds around here and decided not to get it. They are disease resistant, but from what I saw it looked like a lot of rather bare thick canes with some blossoms, which overall did not give me an impression of abundance of bloom (that was the spring flush). The ones I saw looked stiff-ish and rather upright, quite thorny also. I suppose he might work well with some other white/light rose/other plant, so the red could be a highlight, but otherwise at least here he looks like a lot of thorny canes and very few scattered blooms.

My Dortmund had a few very stiff canes. When they reached the top of the arbor, they spread fairly wide. The flowers tend to bloom above the foliage making it nice to view from the vantage point of my deck. I do not think it would be a great choice if you are looking for a rose which would reflect back on the water. It is moderately disease resistant, but is normally naked on the 5 feet nearest the ground, which makes it perfect for a clematis to climb. It does not have much rebloom, but I enjoy the shape and coloration of the hips.

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Notice that I said "had" in the first sentence, the snow and ice sliding down the roof nearly destroyed the plant.

Kathy

Mine is next to Illusion which for me is a far better rose. The flowers are fuller and the bush is more "bushy". It also repeats better. Yes D is quit stiff. The red in I's flowers is great.

Robert,
I have Dortmund, and though I love the shiny foliage and like the flower very much, mine has never been very vigorous though it is grafted on Dr. Huey I presume. I just about keep it going from year to year.
Jim

Thanks for your advice on this rose. I will definitely use it in a DIFFERENT situation. I'll find a spot where it can do its thing.

Robert

I grow Dortmund from a cutting and now after 4 or 5 years it's starting to be a climber, with upright growth. Since most climbers tend to be a bit leggy and I took precaution and cut the tip of new strong canes to force laterals. It has bloomed very well the last two years and I cannot complain. For better bloom and shape I think the trick is to remember to force / persuade growth from the ground.

Sympathie have very stiff growth, with new canes that seem to grow 6 feet in a week now in August. Even very neglected leggy old plants shoot strong new canes from the ground, and should not be that difficult to work with.

If you need a rose that can creep or cascade (wish I could find better words) Max Graf can be very good. I believe most of the older wichuraiana hybrids will adjust to this type of condition and even arvensis splendens if you need a really strong grower. Max Graf and arvensis splendens will out conquer any weeds! If you have problems with mildew wichuraiana hybrids tend to be resistant, much more than multiflora hybrids; which often have this floppy-creepy behavior too.

I have Illusion as well (somebody suggested it), but I wouldn't suggest it as a ground cover; Illusion does indeed have great blooms, but it also has some of the most wicked stiff canes I've ever seen. I'm keeping it as a bush, not a climber.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings

I don't know a thing about growing it in your neck of the woods, but its a handsome rose. I'm not crazy about the stiff habit and thorns, but if its grown against a shed or building where it won't be bothered, it sure makes a dramatic statement with its bold color.

Celeste
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