I planted 5 sombreiul near my house and although the blooms were lovely, the stiff nature of the canes and the thorns were a disaster and they were moved - to a site that they died in. Much much happier now with others. I have a Alfred Carriere in one of these positions and while people tell me she is very very vigorous, so far I am very happy. My Leonie Viennot, 2 of them planted together, is blooming now - masses of them and gorgeous +++

Hi Tom
I can recommend Constance Spry-she is vigorous and the blooms are so gorgeous-she only blooms once a year but is worth waiting for.Mine spans two bedroom walls at the front of the house right to the eaves.On her own roots or planted with the graft below groundlevel she will sucker out as well.

Kathleen Harrop is really lovely too-mine is in a tough position with shade most of the day but she soldiers on.
Others I have of the climbing type Bourbons are Mme Isaac Pereire,Louise Odier,Honerine de Brabant and climbing Souvenir de la Malmaison-I love them all.
Sombreuil has the most exquisite blooms I have ever seen-I had her when I was in Perth(very vigorous) and have just last year planted her here.
I don't have any others on your list but can also recommend
Blossomtime-A perfect two toned pink bloom on a medium climber.
Lamarque and New Dawn are both wonderful and vigorous too.
I grow all these and know them-there are many I don't know
so can't comment.
Have fun choosing.:)
best regards
sandie

Thank you so much for your inputs. Sandie, I'll take a closer look at Lamarque; I think I'll find some place for her too!

Climbing roses really look good with some other plants underneth or growing together. I was thinking to plant star jasmine together with them. What do you guys think about that? Has anyone tried something similar?

Also, I have a sunbathed fence facing street and two beautiful spots underneath to plant two more climbers; what are your experienced with growing roses facing street?

I'd like to make fence look beautiful but I'm also afraid that some vandals may damage my roses or even worse, someone may steal them (especially when they're young).

Thanks a lot!
-Tom

Hi again Tom,
I grow wisteria up a pole with Albertine-I wouldn't do it with any rose but Albertine is tough as.
I also grow Jasmine with Constance Spry,New Dawn and Lamarque and it doesn't affect their vigour either.
I'm with you for covering all fences with beautiful roses and climbers.For an easy to train pliable rose I would choose one of the Banksia roses-they only flower once a year but are gorgeous and thornless too.
Also any of the (small)climbing type Austins would suit-William Morris is one of my favourites.
To discourage theft you can tie the roses to the fence or put in deep stakes and tie the roses to them.
Again-good luck and have fun choosing.
regards
sandie

Tom, I have star jasmine growing through Larmaque, Devoniensis and Lady Hillingdon and it works really well, also have clematis scampering through. I have a hedge of roses, Mutabilis, as a street barrier and have not had a problem with vandals or theft. Guess you just have to give it a go.
Cheers
Melda

Tom I'm growing them all except for Kathleen Harrop, but I have her sister, that behaves similarly I believe, Zepherine Drouhin. All are doing famously.
Lamarque is a better than Mme A Carriere, in most respects, having a better habit, flower form, vigour and floriferousness, but M.A.C. is no slouch in any of these categories.
Desprez A Fleur Jaune is only two years in the ground, doing well, flowering without balling and promises to be a beauty when she matures.
Sombreuil has such beautiful blooms and the canes are flexible enough to train.
Crepuscule is another climber that I wouldn't be without.

maybe I should try again with Sombreuil - it was a walkway and the thorns really put me off - but I do remember the beautiful blooms so next winter will plant some more.

When I met the Rosie Ladies in Brisbane there was a Lamarque in the bunch of Roses on the table.
It had the lovely fresh scent of citrus and was such a lovely rose I decided to get one, unfortunately it was too late to buy this year but it is on my list for next year.
Please , please tell me that it will grow happily in my hot, dry, humid, windy situation in Central Queensland.
Marion

Dear Tom and everyone
Climbers --ah yes I have as many questions as anwers to ones on Tom's list. I have am trialling (and erroring) my way through some of these beauties but feel the single qualifying thing is to ask for some WA opinions as to how they find the ones you have listed suit your conditons there Tom. I know some of the perennial favourites such as Albertine , Mme Alfred Carriere,Zephourine D. etc will grow in a wide range of conditions but will they 'prosper'? For example I grew Zephirine's sister Kathleen Harrop and she was very reluctant flowerer and there are plenty of better climbing pinks so she was turfed.
My quest re climbers is to get as long a flowering season as I can out of them. I have decided to limit myself to a precious few spring flowerers--I could never be without Mme Gregoire Staechelin(aka Spanish Beauty) or Albertine but I have wait 11 months for the spectacular 3 week flowering and then it's all over until next year so I am continually trying to find the floriferous long flowerers. In my (Canberra)climatic conditions anything with floribunda/polyantha or glandiflora will flower its head off. Noisettes(Crepuscule)and hybrid musks Cornelia,Felicia, Penelope)are also great in cold climates like ours in Canberra. I know you can grow 'sunlovers'like the Teas (of which Mme Leonnie Viennot)in the west so perhaps look for some climbing teas. I envy Kevarose with her description of Mme Leonnie flowering now in Kangaroo Valley but teas don't prosper in our frosty conditons. What do others think? (ps, you wouldn't be able to give us a photo of your Mme Leonnie would you kevarose?)

Hi guys!
Today I've visited my local nursery and saw one great looking climber: Ritter van Barmstede. Has anyone tried that one? Looks very, very pretty and has some nice perfume (although it was too hot outside to enjoy it properly).
I have decided to go for more climbers too, as I'm now all in building all new, raised rosebeds and preparing some biiiig pots for some of them too. I won't recognise my home one day, I hope :-)

Anyone in Melbourne grown any of the following climbers? BLUSH NOISETTE, AIMEE VIBERT, MAY QUEEN,MADAME SANCY DE PARABERE, AWAKENING (sport of New Dawn), BLUSH RAMBLER, CHINA DOLL CLIMBING, AMERICAN PILLAR, VIOLETTE, R. GLAUCA RUBRIFOLIA, VEILCHENBLAU, TRIER (a short pillar rose, of Hybrid Musk Polyantha lineage), BOBBIE JAMES, PHYLLIS BIDE, FRANCIS E. LESTER, CELINE FORESTIER, CASINO, LEVERKUSEN, BLACK BOY (Clark - foliage seems a bit sparse), SOUVENIR DU DOCTEUR JAMAIN (Hybrid Perpetual from Portland/Bourbon crosses), CL. ETOILE DE HOLLAND (1931 Hybrid Tea). And shrubs: MEG, DUCHESSE D'ANGOULEME, BELLE ISIS. I am considering all of the above for my garden but they will almost all have to go into large pots for about 12 months. Any advice or experience appreciated. From Janine J9.