I have tried two roses this way, Max Graf and Raubritter. Max Graf threw out too long shoots although that wall is quite high so I've removed the rose. Raubritter is better behaved over a very low wall. The picture is bad but it shows the look. Raubritter is beautiful near the pond at Mottisfont Abbey.

Here is a link that might be useful: Raubritter at Mottisfont by Jon in Wessex

'Sweet Chariot,' a fabulous rose that covers itself with fragrant purple pompons in clusters. Vigorous but not huge, very hardy, repeats.

'Mme Plantier,' a weepy once-bloomer with 2" perfect, fragrant white flowers. It can spread 8' wide or more. Very hardy and disease-resistant, requires no care beyond trimming back with hedge clippers after blooming.

Buff Beauty, Cornelia, Lavender Lassie, all hybrid musks with flexible canes.

I have Sea Foam done just as you say. Quite thorny, but a no brainer of a rose. White clusters...sorry, no pics.

Thanks for all the replies so far. Please keep them coming!

I've always loved Raubritter, ever since I read about it in one of Graham Stuart Thomas' books. But I've never gotten it b/c of two things--once bloomer, and most critically, reported to be blackspot susceptible. Blackspot is by far the only disease that plagues my roses. Knowing this, I've been seeking Raubritter lookalikes with BS resistance, and next year, was thinking of adding Kordes' Pomponella Fairy Tale, which has been described as a Raubritter lookalike, but has also won the ADR and is rated highest resistance by Kordes to blackspot. Can anyone comment on how similar it really is to Raubritter, in terms of flower and shrub, and how well it might cascade over a low wall?

I've also been intrigued by the hybrid musks for many years now, but never taken the plunge. I've always felt like these are large roses that should have a special function in the landscape. Maybe cascading over a low wall (instead of sprawling over neighboring roses in a bed) is the perfect function? Please tell me more about their health, hardiness, growth characteristics, and appropriate landscape usage.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pomponella Fairy Tale (Kordes ADR winner) on HMF

I don't have experience with this rose (and I don't know if it'll be hardy for you), but have you considered 'Mel's Heritage'? Or perhaps 'Ghislaine de Feligonde'? I'm thinking that something bred from R. wichurana is a good place to start.

:-)

~Christopher

IF it is sufficiently hardy (and I don't know that it is) Mel's Heritage could do a bang-up job of this, AND it is very very fragrant.

Somewhere, I have a picture of the big one at the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden, sprawling out in a mass of bloom. What I can find more easily is this, of the bloom.

Jeri

Jeri, is this the pic you mean? It's on HelpMeFind.

:-)

~Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: Mel's Heritage on the fence at SJ HRC

Anything that makes a good weeping standard would be an excellent choice - Renae and Annie Laurie McDowell, for example.

I'm trying to do this with some roses (Running Maid,for example) but they seem very slow to take off. I'm worried that I planted them too close to the "edge" of the wall, and they are cramped or too dry (my climate is very hot and dry in summer, with SW exposure). Does anyone have advice as to how far away from the wall's edge the roses should be planted? thanks, and happy new year to all! bart

Mel's Heritage is 8' to 20'! My terrace wall is only 3' tall. I think that Mel is way out of my league. But what a lovely rose!

Regarding Buff Beauty, Cornelia, Lavender Lassie, and hybrid musks with flexible canes: The planting site is a south facing terraced area mulched with rocks and surrounded by a sea of stamped concrete driveway. It gets very hot in the summer there, and full sun from 10AM to 9PM in the summer. I've always read that hybrid musks prefer moist and shady locations. Is that the case? If so, they would wither there.

I've been really enthralled with the idea of Renae and Annie Laurie McDowell, especially after reading about them. But my worry is hardiness. Are they hardy enough at least to make a cascading shrub in Zone 5b? I don't expect the kind of cane hardiness required to make them into climbers, but is a 3X3 or 4X4 cascading shrub possible in my zone?

Please comment on my other potential drapers--I've seen photos of all of these kind of drape downward when in bloom to hug the ground, so they have some cascading potential.
Larissa (Kordes ADR)
Pomponella (Kordes ADR)
Carefree Beauty
Bishop's Castle (Austin)

Peggy Martin?

Here is a link that might be useful: Images of Peggy Martin rose

In my garden setting Bishop's Castle doesn't grow large enough to form a draping shrub. It's about 4 1/2 feet tall and 3 feet wide, with an upright vase shape. It arches a bit.

It has incredible fragrance and beautiful blooms. Repeat bloom is good.

I could see our Bishops Castle cascading like you want. But I think our "maybe Princess Alexandra of Kent" drapes more.

Peggy Martin looks like exactly what I need! And I love the story of her triumph over Katrina. But 15'! Can all that length be redirected to drape downward instead of to rocket upward? I don't want to add a lot of height.

You're right in that Princess Alexandra of Kent drapes. I have two of her planted next to a walkway, and she drapes elegantly over the edge of the walkway.

I started another post on this, but I'm also considering using Annie Laurie McDowell as a draping shrub on my terrace. Would that work? I'm posting another picture of my front terrace, which is in a sea of hardscaped driveway.

Pretty!

Alba Meideland (sp!) drapes really nicely for me and doesn't grow tall. I'm not sure of the hardiness of these for your zone, but I'll avoid mentioning any I know won't do :) AM is thorny and just has a mass of cute blooms. It's a great rose, but individual flowers don't impress or anything.

A rose Pickering carries called Frau Eva Schubert worked as a draper as long as I had her (which wasn't very long because someone wanted her really badly for a gift). She didn't look like her canes would ever get really stiff, but it's possible she'd change habit older than I had her. She's so pretty, btw! (I want her back!)

Bow Bells and Cinderella (Fairy Tale) might work this way in your climate, but do ask around. My Cinderella would look so good at your place! I can't promise she does the same thing up north, though :) Bow Bells is more upright for me than Cinderella, but I've seen that some people's are quite sprawling -- in a good way. Austins can be weird with growth habits, though, so keep that in mind, too!

Alba Meidiland is completely hardy in my zone 5b without snow cover or winter mulch. It's planted very close to a rock which may help to keep it warm.

How about MayQueen ? I dont have her but she reads good and the pictures and zone looks good.

This post was edited by julia034 on Thu, Jan 3, 13 at 11:57

After seeing the picture of your house (beautiful, btw), I have to second the earlier recommendation of 'Sweet Chariot' for this space. There are a few pictures of it on HelpMeFind by Dave and Deb Boyd in Billings, Montana. That comes up as USDA zone 4, so if it's hardy for them, it should be for you.

:-)

~Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Chariot on HMF

How does Sweet Chariot compare to Electric Blanket?

Currently, my thinking is to grow Bishop's Castle, Pomponella Fairy Tale, and Larissa on the terrace immediately to the left of the steps. This photo shows daylilies growing there. but I clear those out last spring.

I'm just not sure that the mini-floras like Sweet Chariot and Electric Blanket would cascade enough. I'm afraid that they'll just sort of sit on top of the terrace, instead of tumbling over it. Thoughts?

I've seen pictures of 'Sweet Chariot' growing in a hanging basket, and it drapes well below the basket. Its name refers to its semi-trailing habit. I think it is just right for the pictured space, where a lax climber would be too aggressive.

What about Weeping China Doll?

Have you considered using something that can be pegged down? I'm thinking you could utilize the spaces between the blocks for this. If you do that, you won't be limited to something that will naturally weep -- you'd just need something flexible enough to "encourage" to weep by tying its canes down. I mentioned 'Ghislaine de Feligonde' before, and wondered after looking at this pic if it would work for your situation, as I described.

:-)

~Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: Ghislaine de Feligonde

Sweet Little Lies.

Another possibility might be a mini climber like Jeanne La Joie. I have that one climbing about 5-6' up a shepherd's hook in prime sun, and she blooms pretty steadily and has mostly flexible canes that could drape down the side of your slope if you planted her mid-bed. She's ridiculously hardy in our zone 5b, and can easily be trimmed back if she gets out of hand. She's at least average on the thorniness, however, which might make Sweet Chariot a little less risky for your purposes.

Cynthia

Somebody said Sweet Chariot grows more upright in the ground than in a basket. I had some fabulous potted ones and they are in the ground and not doing any trailing whatsoever. This rose seems not to like alkaline soil so I'm thinking of moving them to a big barrel with more acidic soil like they had in the 3 gallon pots when they were covered in blooms.

I've always like Raubritter and wished some day there will be a repeat blooming version. I have Pomponella but that's a huge upright reaching shrub.

Here is a pic of Climbing American Beauty - it is very flexible, although you would probably have to train it sideways along the wall. HMF says it is hardy to zone 5b.

Jackie

Weeping China Doll would do what you want it too but not sure how winter hardy it would be in your area. I have a weeping standard and its still in heavy bloom now on this Thanksgiving day Nov. 2013 in California. Found this picture on the internet.

How about Red Cascade? HMF says it is hardy to zone 5b. It also shows it growing upward, but mine only wants to go downward.

'Green Ice'

I have mine growing in a container, but the photo below shows its weeping habit.

I had a 'Sweet Chariot' as a four foot standard and loved it when I live in Socal, but I had bush form located in a cold micro-climate in my Nocal garden and it really didn't take off until I transplanted it to a different location.

btw ... if you can't peg a rose, you can still train it to grow downwards by tying weights to the canes. Just be careful that the material you use to tie the weight to the rose will not damage the cane.

Smiles,
Lyn

This is an unknown old rose. When I first planted it near the rock wall I didn't expect this trailing habit, but I absolutely love it and wanted more of the same atop this wall. To achieve this style, I say look for a rose where folks complain about weak necks and floppy canes. What's a disadvantage on the ground is an advantage when elevated to eye level.

This year I planted Weeping China Doll, chosen on the recommendation of Two Sisters roses, who describe it as a cold climate rose. I'll try to remember to report back in the spring to let you know how that turned out. I also considered White Meidiland which would be great if you have the room. Unfortunately one of my challenges in planting this wall is that further down it's close to a property line so I needed compact varieties. I grow Green Ice, Red Cascade, Sweet Chariot, Gourmet Popcorn, which are all really nice on a rock wall but don't have the same scale to achieve that elegantly draping character. Green Ice, by the way, looks great tucked in with old garden roses.

Another rose that I could suggest is The Fawn, it is sold at Heirloom roses and possibly others. It has pink very full flowers that look like and old rose or an Austin rose but actually from France I believe. The Fawn has shinny mid green leaves that are very healthy and the plant grows to about three ft maximum but at least five ft wide and cascades very nicely. Sorry I wish I had some pictures as I do grow it in my own garden but I have no good photos of it, try HMF.

If you like red, there is Red Cascade.

Here is a link that might be useful: red cascade at help me find

ratdogheads,
I like what you said above: "What's a disadvantage on the ground is an advantage when elevated to eye level." This gets my imagination going! Thank you all for your helpful comments.

'Bubble Bath' is extremely flexible, has somewhat thin canes, and has a fragrance that wafts on the air. I don't know how hardy it is though being a Hybrid Musk, possibly bred out of 'Kathleen'.
Spray 'Cecille Brunner' has wonderfully good re-bloom compared to the climbing forms,is fragrant and very pretty, those would be my first choices. Both c. 6'-8' tall in cool-cold climates

Since hortico.com is located in Ontario, Canada I would check their catalog for cold hardy Hybrid Musks, which they list under "Musk" roses. They give the climate zone for each of the roses they sell.

Lux

I looked up some cold hardy roses for you, that could be used to drape over a wall, that are in commerce this week. These roses are available at hortico.com, as of Oct 14, 2014

I would just plant the larger climbers, such as A.S.Gray further away from the wall, allowing them to grow as a shrub and then drape over the wall, ;
all of these re-bloom;
-Alister Stella Gray' a beautiful small flowered Noisette. One of my favorite roses. A friend used 'Alister Stella Gray' to make her bridal coronet. She had more than 200 other roses to choose from our garden, but this one won her heart.
hortico.com lists this as hardy to zone 5, which surprised me, but their company is in Canada so I would expect them to have a lot of experience with roses that are cold hardy.
-'Blossomtime' zone 5, I grow this both as a climber and a shrub, the shrub grown one naturally sends out longer canes that droop down at the ends covered with fragrant pink blooms. (I prune the climber in a columnar shape) Because the roses bloom in small clusters with side buds, each bloom cycle is extended. Very fragrant. When I bring mixed rose bouquets to my friends they almost always ask "What's this rose?"
-Golden Showers' zone 3, artless golden yellow roses.
-Lichtkonigen Lucia' zone 5 (Lucia, saint of light, a saint popular in Scandinavia) beautiful shapely yellow roses. grows to be c. 8 feet tall here, near san francisco california

Good luck choosing a rose that you will love for many years,

Luxrosa

Mountie, thank you for the revival of this thread, I had forgotten about it and my intention to comment of the survival of Weeping China Doll. I had planted WCD last summer, purchased as a band, placed directly in the ground. I don't pot up my bands, our growing season is so short. I also don't winter protect. WCD was in an open, windy spot. We had a very cold winter with a lot of snow, and luckily she remained covered with snow. Then an early spring thaw followed by some near zero freezing. Everything suffered badly from the spring freezes. She began the winter about 2 feet tall and emerged pretty much intact. So I'm calling her A+ for winter hardiness. I had to move her in April and she did not like that one bit. She sulked all summer, did not bloom, and is just now filling out with new growth. Still about 2' tall but several new basals appearing. Incidentally I have a grafted non-weeping China Doll which has also proven quite hardy over several years, though it's planted in front of a protected south facing wall.

There is another thread right now, maybe a couple, about weeping and cascading roses. I have another suggestion, new to me this summer: Vineyard Song. Planted as a band, 1st year growth about 3' canes, low, lax, floppy. Perfect for a wall.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vineyard Song

ratdogheads,
I hope your Weeping China Doll will come back nicely for you in the new spot. Thank you for the suggestion and photos of Vintage Song. She has a pleasing form in a lovely shade of pink. I plan to research this rose : )

What about "The Fairy". It's a shrub, and in my zone 5 garden, she get's around 3-4 feet. She's a blooming machine and is super hardy. I don't winter protect my roses either and she's definitely a favorite out of all of my 30 or so roses.

Thank you all for your gorgeous pictures and links to follow with even more stupendous pictures. Never mind that I don't have a single wall or staircase to replicate any of these beautiful examples except the long, low stone wall that reaches about 1000 degrees on a hot day. But never mind, I'm so happy for all of you. Oh, all right, frankly I'm jealous and miffed. This is the kind of feature that can turn a garden into a romantic fairy tale. Sigh....

Ingrid