I am going to plant a Social Climber rose on each end of my arbor because I want to make sure that it is full and covered.

For faster coverage, it would be best to plant a bush on either side of your arbor. Some of the other gardeners can give you suggestions as to what sort grows well on an arbor, available colors, and such. Steven posted a beautiful photo of his arbor which I think he said has white ice roses, but I don't remember which thread (on our gallery page) has the photo.

Lorna

I'm planting a rose on each side of my arbor but it's pretty big (sides are 5 ft wide, center walkthrough is 4 ft wide). I'm planning on either using two of the same rose or one of each (either Zepherine Droughin or Veilchenblau since they are both relatively thornless). This will eventually be the main entrance into my front garden, and connected to the white picket fence when it's installed.

"Will one plant do for the climbing, or should I plant one at each end of the arbor stand?"

This really depends on the arbor's size and the rose you intend to grow. Some are wimps and some are beasts. lol! For a beast like my two Westerlands you need a strong arbor cemented in the ground. Also, if you have a lot of wind make sure the arbor is securely in the ground.

I see your zone is 24. Is that Sunset? If so, you are So.Cal. coastal - lots you can grow. Check the roses forum for more advice. Oh and do check out the rose gallery - lots of lovely arbor pics. You may have to do a search to find them but I seem to remember some recent pics. Coastal will probably mean dealing with PM so I'd look for a rose that was PM resistant.

My rose hoggin' Westies. : )
{{gwi:722980}}

Also, welcome to the Cottage!

Diana

I plant a rose on each side of my arbors and/or clematis. What does zone 24 mean? You should get recommendations for varieties specific to your climate zone.

Diana - Oh my goodness - those Westies are gorgeous on that arbor! Just breathtaking!

Hi Mangomoon. I'm the Steven Lorna was talking about earlier. I planted Iceburgs on either side of my arbor, but only after a lot of consideration. The rose I chose (I'm a poet and didn't know it) had to meet a set of criteria. It had to be a prolific bloomer. It had to thrive on a windy, sunny slope. It had to be less viciously thorned than most. It had to be among the most disease resistant roses available in my zone. And it had to produce supple enough canes to train easily. Scent and color took a back seat on this decision. To find the right rose drive around your area and take note of successful roses. I'll bet you find several candidates to choose from. Last but not least, talk with a trusted local nursery. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Here is a link that might be useful:

You should consider one of the antique rose varieties, they'll go better with a cottage garden than most of the moderns. It is definitely better to plant one on each side of an arbor, you'll rarely get a satisfactory look hoping the rose will cascade over and bloom on the other side as well as the planted side.

Also, consider planting a clematis with it.

Do not plant any of the banksias (lady banks roses), or climbing Cecile Brunner, those are roses that get 40' or more, and will overwhelm nearly any arbor. People see the cute little flowers on those two roses and think the plant will stay correspondingly small or something. Quite the opposite, since they're not making big flowers, than can make big branches and big growth!

--Ron

Hi Diana,

Yes Z-24 is Sunset. For some reason when I signed up with Gardenweb a long time ago, 24 wasn't a choice for some reason, but my horticulturist friend, showed me the Sunset book and told me I was in Z-24. The climate is marine layer, slightly foggy, misty until about noon, but still it is a cool climate. I have gorgeous Icelandic Poppies that enjoy the cooler climate. My 'to be' arbor will be similar to Steven's photo.

Your roses are gorgeous!