My rose was only a couple of years old and at the time about waist high. You might be okay on a big old rambler. I dug up some of the root of Polish Spirit and planted it with an ornamental wire climbing structure well away from any rose. That was the last time I saw the structure. The clematis completely swallowed it. It is happy there and wishes the structure were larger. I do too; I get tired of whacking back the clematis. You know about three types of clematis, and how you should prune them at certain times? PC is group 3, blooms on new growth, and should be hard-pruned in spring. I was just reading that unpruned it will grow to 20 feet. I believe it. Pruned you can maintain it at 8-12 feet. Apparently it is the house-eater of the clematis family. On the other hand, Polish Spirit is very pretty, and eager, hardy, healthy plant. After all, it is a viticella. As long as you keep it away from your roses, an excellent choice. I would be sorry to be without it in my garden. Polish Spirit, leafing out after pruning I whacked off lots and lots (and lots) extra growth this fall. It needs to be taken down more, which I will do in spring at the proper time. There is straw waiting to be used as mulch on a nearby vegetable bed, but what looks like straw at the bottom of the wire structure is the bare stems of the plant. You can see a bit of a gallica rose on the left, and a bit of the multiflora rambler Violette on the right, giving you an idea of what I consider a save distance for this plant. Rosefolly

I am somewhat technologically challenged - don't know how to post pictures - but will try to once I have the roses trained onto the arbor and the clematis are planted. Right now they are on the porch getting used to the New Mexico sun - gradually moving them from the bright shade next to the house to the full sun at the end of the porch. Don't want them to turn into Post Toasties. I think the colors of the clematis flowers are going to be a great contrast to the white of the iceberg roses. My flower beds are all cool colors - white, pink and purple. I am trying to work in some more intense shades.

Ordered 4.....3 for me and 1 for DD....and I have 8 on my deck waiting to be planted! And I am searching for space....oh, dear. Brushwood was out of stock on most of my wish list which is probably a good thing! Marlene

You know what bothers me? Two total strangers sign up just to ask for an invite, I send them both one and neither has bothered to post a thank you. I didn't do it for that reason but don't you at least think they could make one more post?