Zéphyrine Drouhin is a pink and thornless climber. Has a great fragrance too!

Subk3, I love the poultry companion. Ha!

Seil:
Thank you for your suggestion, but I'm hoping to get another color other than pink since Annie Laurie McDowell is pink....unless I get another Annie Laurie McDowell. That's a possibility. She is fragrant, disease resistant and thrornless. Who could ask for more?

By the way Seil, I'm so sorry my Marriotta rose propagation failed (using the Mason jar technique). I was so hoping to send you a rooted cutting and to have one for myself. But all the cuttings turned black. I'll have to ask my friend that has the rose if she can root it for me since her thumb is greener than mine. I appreciate you replying to my posts.

My great hope was that Rex the Chicken would develop an insatiable appetite for sawfly larva and work her way through my bands each day picking the slugs off. That would have made her a fantastic rose companion! Alas it was not to be.

My 2 ALMDs will grow on matching trellises but with clematis as their companions, a dark purple and a fluffy white. In front of them will be false indigo, geranium rozanne and Becky shasta daisies. All thornless, but not roses. ;-)

What about Sally Holmes? Large, single, white with yellow stamens would be a really nice contrast to ALMD's pink. It's thornless and the foliage is dark and glossy, again a contrast to ALMD softer more matte green foliage. I'm not personally familiar with SH's growth habit, but HMF lists them as having a similar size.

Here is a link that might be useful: HMF Sally Holmes

This post was edited by subk3 on Thu, Dec 5, 13 at 23:21

Thank you, Jasmine. I'm sorry the cuttings didn't make it. If your friend can spare some more maybe you could send me some and we could both try to get it to root?

I was just thinking that Annie is a very pale pink and Zephy is a much deeper pink and they might look nice together. Maybe the dark red of Night Owl would be more of a contrast?

Berrries n Cream is almost thornless and would make a good contrast. Otherwise, I'd probably use that Jackmanii Clematis. The biggest issue you want is to stay away from anything that mildews -- so please stay away from Zephrine Drouhin. She's good some places, but in California she's constantly white.
I do like the Sally Holmes idea though.

If the "thorns" issue can be overlooked, I highly recommend Lady of Shallot as a climber that would look terrific side-by-side with Ms. McDowell. Ms. Shallot, I would like you to meed Ms. McDowell.

Jasmine, if you're on a waiting list for Annie, it may be some years before you have to worry about planting her in anything but a pot. That is one slow-growing rose, at least at the beginning, and you may be staring at an empty wall for quite some time. Sorry to be so negative, and there may be some people who have been able to make it grow more quickly, and I'd love to know their secret.

Ingrid

Subk3, your garden sounds just beautiful and I'm noting down the flower possibilities. I wonder about the shaded root requirement for clematis in southern california. Maybe when ALM gets established, she can provide the shade.

Because of the recommendations here, I looked up information on Sally Holmes and see why she is well liked. There is a very detailed video about this rose from Jeff Wortham on You Tube. I'm still considering Night Owl, even though I don't know much about it.

Thank you everyone.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sally Holmes video Jeff Wortham

Look into 'Yellow Sweetheart, Climbing' which is a rediscovered Ralph Moore thornless climber. I got it as a band this year, and the flowers open lemon-yellow and fade to almost-white. It's supposed to be very fragrant, but I get only a little scent from it so far (then again, it is still a baby). I got mine from Rogue Valley Roses.

:-)

~Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Yellow Sweetheart, Climbing' at HelpMeFind

Thank you, Christopher/AquaEyes! I think "Climbing Yellow Sweetheart" will go very well on my wall adjacent to Annie Laurie McDowell. I wonder why it didn't come up on my search before? I enjoyed the article about how this once thought extinct, Ralph Moore rose was found. And what a ya know, Kim wrote the last part of the story :)

Here is a link that might be useful: What was lost is found

Climbing Yellow Sweetheart would work just fine, as would Renae, Annie Laurie McDowell's mama. Both are as prickle free as Annie is. Renae is more highly scented than Cl. Yellow Sweetheart. Kim

Kim beat me to it, but I am enjoying Renae and from the photos I think ALMD is more lavender toned than pink. Renae is a pale pink and smooth canes.

Thanks Kim. I'm looking forward to the scent of Annie Laurie McDowell, but I know I have to remove the buds to get her to climb. Perhaps I can keep just one bloom to find out what she is like? Just one?

You're welcome, Jasminerose. Of course you can have "just one". You can have all you want. It's simply the more you let her expend that energy flowering, the longer you WILL wait for the climbing growth. She's like any other climber...she's going to follow that three year cycle of "sleeping" the first year; creeping the second then beginning to leap the third. Own root, she'll take longer and the more you let her flower, the longer she WILL demand before she begins climbing. So, let her flower all you want and enjoy the dwarf plant. Eventually, she will develop all the roots needed and she'll start to climb. Preventing flowring simply gets her up on the wall or fence sooner. Kim

Sounds like a good plan, Kim. Three years sounded like such a long time when I was a child, but really goes by so quickly.now. I'm looking forward to the beautiful investment in my garden.