Help me choose a climbing rose for a north wall

15 years ago

I'd like to plant a climbing rose on the north side of a summer cottage on an island in Maine. It's zone 6. I'm not close to the beach, but my water table is fairly high.

The David Austin catalog that just arrived says New Dawn is good for North side plantings, and cold hardy. Last summer I noticed that on Martha's Vineyard, which is obviously south of me in Massachusetts, New Dawn seems to be the most popular rose.

All things being equal, I like red roses, but I'm mostly interested in low maintenance, high climber with prolific blooms.

Thanks!

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Comments (6)

carol_se_pa_6
15 years ago
How much sun do you get on the north side of your summer cottage? I have New Dawn in zone 7 at the Jersey shore and she is just about bullet proof - somewhat disease resistant, great first bloom, lightly fragrant and a sporadic rebloom afterwards. But ND is located facing south with plenty of sunlight.
veilchen
15 years ago
Where is this island that is zone 6? I grow New Dawn and she does fine, although a few winters ago was very very cold and she lost a lot of growth. Since then she has been hardy to the tips pretty much. The only time she significantly rebloomed for me was when I pruned her hard after the first flush--then I had a nice fall flush.
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I know all about the first come, first served policy! To my cost! Some trees were taken out before I moved in, so shade is not really a factor. The lot lies on an East/West axis, with a fence and cedar hedge along the long north edge. The house sits at the east end of the lot, so the back yard is actually something of a u-shaped suntrap, with the empty part of the u facing south. The most difficult part of the yard for roses is along the west, which is where the trees used to be. I have the albas there. Some roses are wrapped in burlap, two are tipped and covered with dirt and compost, and all but the albas, rugosas, and a hybrid setigira are mounded with dirt and straw. This last winter has been quite mild, with only one night of lows near 0, and the ground not staying frozen--I am glad I mounded, even if I do get some canker.
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msjam2. beautiful picture! i have ZD and she doesn't like me. and the rebloom is scant. but she is certainly happy where you have her! campanula, i will check into MGS, lovely foliage is a real plus!! and Snowgoose, as the David Austin usa location is close to me. I have MAC, and she does have a mind of her own, but i do like her. haven't heard of Open Arms or Laura Ford...i'll investigate. vicky and merilia, while i do love New Dawn, I have it, and hate to repeat flowers. I don't get alot of repeat with mine, a shame, as the bloom is so lovely and delicate. lou, yes, i left out some basics!! what i mean, is on the front wall of my north facing khaki/green tinted painted brick home. soft colors look best, and whites with a tint are a good choice here. i have mainly old roses, so pastels and reds. but, i think pastels for the front would be my first choice. all good ideas, should have specified a few things... REPEAT BLOOM, MANAGEABLE, NOT KILLER THORNS, PASTEL, NOT A HOUSE EATER!! AND of course, NORTH FACING WALL OF HOME. TWO STORY. thanks!!
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Colette is very good at resisting BS here where we do get lots. She's gorgeous, but she's not a bright rose in my sun (I like that where I have her). I can't think of non-fading climbers I have whose canes are flexible except her. Maybe Cl Caroline Testout, but mine's too young to know if her canes are normally as pliable as my young one's are. They got much taller already, but I have yet to see whether big, tough basal breaks are in the future :D Jasmina is one I have who is pliable and nice, but is she too short for your tastes? She may fade too much for you, but she does it so charmingly! It makes her a multi-color in mauves and pinks.
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Study name "Darlow's Enigma" (it came with an original name which D. didn't keep track of) would probably be a good bet merely because it is so clean. But it often starts out twiggy and small parted, like a miniature, and produces many prickles that are like fish hooks - and also often produces a dome-like, semi-shrubby habit. So those factors need to be considered if this is a narrow space, with a lot of walking by involved. Probably by now somebody has imported this to Britain under the study name - if it was not already present under whatever its true name is. (If the latter is the case you would have to find a supplier that knows the stock under the correct name is the same as the one being grown under the study name over here). Otherwise I have seen 'Climbing Etoile de Hollande' and 'Zephirine Drouhin' flowering on shaded house walls in Seattle (USDA 8, dull climate like Britain except summers are quite dry every year). Also maybe 'Old Blush' - it's another you see growing adequately where nobody is rose gardening - or doing much actual gardening at all - and dating from plantings probably multiple decades beforehand. I'm just not sure I've seen it on the north side of a building. As mentioned previously 'Madame Alfred Carriere' mildews a bit where site conditions encourage this, so the recurring recommendation to use it for shaded walls seems like it wouldn't be apt - the chronic drying of the root zone by a concrete foundation is just the thing to get a susceptible rose covered in mildew. That said I've seen it on the north side of a largish house here once, don't remember the mildew being hugely worse than on other infested examples that were growing in the open. The usual thing is a light coating of mildew with a little puckering of the newest leaves during peak mildew time in later summer, when soils are dry and the atmosphere is becoming foggy. I've never seen a level of affliction on this one where the plant looks like it is painted white or covered in mold. 'Carriere' in west-facing planters against a building at the local waterfront, where presumably they are never sprayed - as they look like they are seldom even fertilized - I don't think mildew much at all. Maybe the salt air has an effect, or they are just being kept watered enough in summer.
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albartsch
Original Author
15 years ago
Oops- my bad! I checked again and I'm 5a according to the zip code/zone map-- it's Chebeague Island, off the coast of Portland in Casco Bay.

There are few trees shading the north side of the house, so I think we'll do fine on sun.

Thanks!
sherryocala
15 years ago
I never get ANY sun on the north side of my house. In high summer the sun comes to within 3 ft of the building but never closer. Can roses really live & bloom in such a situation? And is the north side of a Zone 5A house the best place to put a climbing rose?

Sherry
truli
15 years ago
Veilchenblau does excellent for me and i love it although it is only a once bloomer the show it puts on with hundreds of violet/white striped/yellow centered blooms along with that heavenly fragrance more then makes up for it! It is very cold hardy here and will also tolerate and do well with some shade.
~truli
sandy808
15 years ago
I tried many, many "shade tolerant" roses on the north side of my house. I get full sun for 6 months and shade for 6 months when the sun angle changes with the season, (my house interferes with receiving any direct sun at that time). There are no trees on this side of the house.

I have never found a rose that remained happy or healthy in that situation. I don't think you should waste your money putting a rose there. Plant something that is pretty, and that will enjoy that spot. I have camellias planted now that are extremely happy, and look nice all the time. I am sure there are some native bushes, or some other types of plants that would love to be on the north side of your house. Then, if you have the room, plant some roses out in front of those, maybe with a little path in between, if there is some full sun there. The combination can be quite striking.

Sandy

Help me choose a climbing rose for a north wall

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