astonishingly, there are roses grown all over Europe in the tiniest holes and as long as the roots are actually getting to ground soil and not contained within a complete container, the minuscule surface opening won't matter at all - heck, there are immense street trees grown with the entire trunk encased by pavement. As for oxygen, there will be plenty of it in the interstices between the soil grains, even heavy clay, as long as drainage remains good - the big issue will be that compacted earth but 3 feet down is a fair depth. For some plants, the shading by pavers is an absolute bonus since the roots are cool and as long as they manage a decent run underground, there is no need to worry - although you will have to water patiently and slowly, dripping a can over the course of a few minutes to allow water to penetrate deeply enough and not simply run off. Once the rose is established (after a full growing season, ideally, but certainly for at least 3 months), irrigation will not be a major issue either. All Austin roses take a few years (at least 3) to make fatter stronger canes - for several years, they will nod and flop - pruning will certainly help to thicken the woody stems but as with most things, time is the answer.

Hi Strawberryhill, I got my Golden Borders from Eurodesert. I was actually on a quest for yellow at the time.;) Wandering through the gardens and looking for yellow roses to bring home. It was a VERY hot day as I recall--over 110 I believe with no shade. So a pretty good test to see what did well in that heat, and also who still looked yellow. I came upon Golden Border and recognized it from pictures on HMF. I'd previously searched Cliff's inventory and noted this rose but neglected to ask him about it as I assumed such a wonderful thing would be long sold. I was delighted to come upon it in his garden. Covered in bloom as is characteristic of this plant. There were 2 and I brought 1 home. Didn't take me long to realise I wanted the other! So I contacted Cliff and reserved the second. I think Hortico has or had it. I've never ordered from them so don't have an opinion on their plants. I brought home some other yellows that may also not be all that well known in North America. So I don't know that much about how they'd fare in zones other than mine. One of these is Eurostar which has about a gazillion names on HMF. Looks like an Austin and packs a powerful fragrance. The blooms are chalice-shaped and remind me of a bowl full of lemons. Gorgeous! It grows in a narrow, rigidly upright shape (perfect for the spot I had in mind). But it has one very big drawback--it is heavily armed, and I mean HEAVILY! The thorns are like harpoons.:( Thick, long, hard, and deadly sharp. They can slice through tough, reinforced rose gloves like a hot knife through butter. In order to remove it from its pot I had to tie a rope around one cane to pull it out, simply no safe spot to get a grip on with my gloved hands! But now that it is in the ground I love it. It will be staying where I put it permanently.;) The other one that not so much is known about in North American gardens is Emil Nolde. I didn't get to see it in flower at Eurodesert as it had just finished a flush when I came for yellows. I picked it from descriptions/pictures on HMF. It grows sort of low and spreading. It was pruned heavily back for its trip here and did start growing and budded up. But some creature ATE all the buds and I haven't seen its open flowers yet. I also got from Eurodesert some yellow species roses. I like all of them A LOT! Rosa foetida persiana to me is stunning. Love the globular flower shape and the intense yellow color. I even like the linseed oil fragrance, which I associate with happy horses munching a meal that includes flaxseeds warmed in hot water. This rose bloomed profusely at Eurodesert. It came into my garden and began growing right away and favored me with a second flush (surprise!) as some say it is a once-bloomer (not here!). Another is Rosa alabukensis. Cute beyond words. Single yellow fading to cream. It grows as a small rounded mound. Produces pretty red to black hips. Very prickly and suckers happily. Pretty, small, dark green foliage. It also surprised me after I planted it here with a solitary late bloom in July, so I wonder at the potential to rebloom (maybe I can do more to make it happy). Smells of linseed oil plus something sweet. One of my favorites, so I intend to encourage it to sucker and give me more pups! Supposedly from Russia, and depending on where that might mean it could handle more cold than in my area. A nursery in Canada carries it I think (Brentwood Bay). I also brought home Rosa xanthina. It is a graceful, large species with single yellow flowers. Plentiful small foliage. Melissa

Here's my 2 year old G.C. that began its life with me as a band. It is naturally forming a full bush ( I only dead head blooms). As of today, it is about 5' wide and about 3 1/2' tall. Morning sun only. I had a grafted G.C. in the past, and it naturally grew into more of a climber. At no point was it bushy. However, it was growing in a filtered sun location. Lynn

I had heard this rose might get tall, but things don't usually get huge in my climate as it's just not that sunny, so I thought I'd try. However, rather than growing up, my two-year-old GC seems to be growing "out", like a wild thing... I have never quite seen a plant grow in every direction like this. When I stake it, branches tend to grow out sideways, then flop over, or flop, twist and grow upside down. Worse than any raspberry bush. Like a Clematis on steroids. It's in the back of a border, I can't seem to keep it from learning on, or hugging branches around its neighbors, and it grows fast. It's like The Stranger Things vines this year. Some shrubs like this start to grow straight-up better with time, is this one of those? Or will it need its own yard? Is there any kind of pruning that reigns this in? And how to do it? Pruning it after the first flush last year seemed to kill part of it off, which was surprising, so i don't want to go too hard on it.