That sounds fine for starters. However, I think it all depends on what rose you choose, and how you intend to grow it. If you really want a "house eating rose" (I have 3 of those climbing up my house) , I think there are 2 scenarios: 1) If you are very meticulous, and have plenty of time, you can take the rose down/ carefully prune it and put it back each year, and it would probably stay on the trellis. 2) I gave up on plan (1) above after the first large climber I planted (banksie lutea) ate the trellis and bounded up 15 feet higher than the trellis, and looked so beautiful I didn't want to really prune it hard to "keep it in bounds". So, we just pruned or tied up (with metal screw-in things that have screw bottoms, and circles on top to tie the rosees to) the long canes that developed every year. When it got really big and heavy my husband started using metal wire cables, attached to the house with more serious hardware. Some things to look out for if you use this plan - the rose will grow UNDER any downspouts or external plumbing pipes or electrical boxes, satellite dish supports, etc. to help it climb upwards, and mine actually grew under the eves (3 1/2 stories up), through the roof, and came out on top of the roof (blooming!). Obviously these tendencies have to be discouraged every year, or the rose will eventually dismantle the down spouts, satellite dish supports, etc. This is not that difficult, but you have to get after it each year. We love this system. We have birds nesting in the rose, and even a squirrels nest - we can watch the squirrels come & go out one of the third story windows, as they made their nest just below the window. Now they have babies, and it is like a nature show. However, I realized that many rose gardeners out there would recoil in horror from the ideas in (2) above, so it really depends on what you want and like. Jackie

Ashdown Videos Don't know if this will work but go to You Tube and Paul Zimmerman has posted several very helpful rose care videos. One of them is supporting climbers, I believe. Carla

I am pulling this thread out of the depths, maybe it will be found by the OP once again. In my opinion, and speaking from experience, climbers are a very difficult way to get introduced to roses. There is extra work and care involved, a different set of guidelines for pruning, and like others have said, dieback could destroy your endeavors anyway. if a shrub dies to the gorund you will get a shrub again a few weeks after dormancy breaks, if the rose is a good, vigorous rose. With some climbers all you ever get is lanky shrubs because of dieback. My advice to newbies, and i am still pretty wet behind the ears myself, is begin with a nice, smell-y shrub that comes recommended as hardy and disease-resistant. Then, as you gain confidence in your gardening skills, move into the more demanding vartieties. Happy gardening! What a fantastic journey you are beginning...

Thanks for the input, everyone. I think the Jeanne LaJoie is exactly what I have been looking for! This project was actually inspired by a tree at a relative's farmhouse that is covered in roses. Looking at some photos, I think they may be Jeanne LaJoie. The flowers are small and pink, and absolutely covering the tree. Sadly there is no one alive that could tell me firsthand what was planted, but the Jeanne LaJoie is the closest I've seen. Besides the ant damage, I think the crepe is suffering more from neglect and old age than anything. It doesn't look sick it just looks...tired and worn out. No shoots, nothing, but I would guess it hasn't been pruned properly in 5 years due to the previous owner being disabled. I probably could nurse back to decent shape, but if I'm going to be completely honest I just don't care to. Crepe myrtles are a dime a dozen around here (we have two others in our yard), and I would just as soon 'sacrifice' it as a trellis. I have considered putting in some wisteria, as well. I love the stuff, and it grows pretty much wild around here. We have a nice space in the back corner of the lot, along the fence, where I think one would do nicely!