So many helpful & descriptive responses! From what almost everyone says about Crepuscule, it seems to be the perfect rose, fragrant, constant bloomer, almost thornless, disease resistant.. what more can you ask for?! I decided that this one would be my first climbing purchase ever, and I found a website through "Dave's Garden" for a nursery called Niche Gardens, which had it in stock in 1 gallon containers. I am excited to see how it does, however now I have all these other amazing suggestions to consider as my second and third climbing roses. I think I will put in an order at RU for the cl. Lady Hillingdon for next year because I just cannot get over the beauty in all the photos I have seen & I must give that rose a try. Reve D'Or looks very intriguing as well, it seems to have as good of a repeat as Crepuscle, with a softer yellow/apricot coloring that looks almost ivory.. very lovely. Buff Beauty looks lovely as well but I am not sure that I will have room for another rose that gets huge, I am sure Crepuscle will give me a run for my money in the garden space department in a few years. Kingcobb, I know that Don Juan is a red, but since everyone seems to comment that he is so fragrant & such a heavy bloomer I think I may have to add it to my ever increasing "find a place for this rose" list. I think it would add some nice contrast to all this yellow/apricot. I actually already have a rose that I have decided must be Teasing Georgia, I bought it cheap as an unlabeled, abused little thing from the "alley of impending doom" at my local nursery, and I have been nursing it back to health for a few weeks now. I posted photos of it here and a few helpful members have convinced me it is probably a Teasing Georgia. So if I can get it looking good and strong again, there is another climber for me to play around with! I'll link that post at the bottom. Has anyone had any experience growing Pat Austin as a climber? I saw an image of it on this site somewhere and it was jaw-dropping, it finally made her "weak necks" seem like a good thing, because she looks beautiful from below. Thanks again all! Jessica. Here is a link that might be useful: Mystery rose - Pretty sure it is Teasing Georgia

Cameron - got this newsletter from White Flower Farms in my e -mail the other day and thought of you immediately. Definitely relates to growing Clematis in shrubs, roses, ect......... "Large-flowered Clematis usually grow about 6Â8 feet tall, making them ideal companions for Climbing Roses and many shrubs. The wiry vines will scramble through the branches without adding excessive weight to their hosts. Clematis like full to partial sun with a bit of shade on their roots, so this pairing works to the vine's advantage. Clematis climb by means of grasping petioles -- the stem-like base of the leaves. When it meets a potential support, the petiole coils around it tightly. The best support is therefore rather narrow, such as the branch of a Rose or the crossbars of a wire or steel trellis. In the Reading Room section of Gardening Help on our Web site, you'll find Christopher Lloyd's article, The Virtue of Vines, with an illustration of how to lead Clematis vines up into shrubs using bamboo stakes. Sweet Autumn Clematis is the exception for partnerships. This vigorous plant is likely to overwhelm most hosts. Instead, provide a sturdy support, such as an arbor or fence. Indeed, it is the perfect way to camouflage a chain-link fence. Plant your new Clematis with the crown three to four inches below the soil level. This protects future buds, and allows the plant to re-sprout if its top growth is damaged. The pruning of Clematis vines causes lots of trepidation, but it doesn't need to; the plants will keep growing after their haircut, and you will learn timing by experience. The general rule: prune out four-year-old stems after bloom, because flower production tends to decline. Varieties that bloom on new wood (including Sweet Autumn Clematis) can be cut back severely early every spring, if desired. Plants that bloom on old wood (last year's growth) can be pruned lightly right after bloom, if needed to control size. For plants that bloom twice, you may remove weak growth in spring, then prune lightly if needed after the first bloom. Our Clematis growing guide gives a list of varieties and their pruning groups to help you decide when and whether to wield your clippers. The Gardening Help section of our Web site contains an A-Z list of growing guides plus articles and tips on gardening and design, videos, and much more." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lynne

Update. Pearly Gates, as usual, is lagging behind its clematises. Both the blue one and the white with lavender edges have started blooming, with PG just not ready. Hope it catches up before the clematises are done. And, I have searched everywhere but no orange snapdragons. I think they must be bought in fall here because no one has them. I have noticed that ALL the stores around here carry the same annuals. Must all be using the same supplier. Boring! Kathy

wow, thats gorgeous.Some thing ate all my buds and bunches of leaves off mine.Don't know if the deer got brave and came and ate them or them pesrt caterpilars ate them up.I have had a pile of caterpillars and little green worms eating on mine. Jean