I've found climbers frequently take a while to establish dominance in their area before blooming like crazy.

Both Jasmina and Kiss Me Kate are the slowest climbers imaginable for me.

Matt from HCR recommended KMK to me and said it was a really good rose, but after reading so many people on here having a years old plant that just won't bloom, I was too hesitant to try it. @oursteelers 8B PNW

I’m okay with them right now but as room starts to disappear I will have higher expectations. I have a hard time shovel pruning something that isnt spreading disease-so many other things to do in the garden

Now if my yard ever gets full like Diane’s then I will start digging!

Oursteelers - My KMK has done the same thing for 3-4 years NOTHING in my So Cal inland garden. I also moved her this spring to a shadier location, hoping for blooms or next stop is the bone yard for KMK.

(Looks like Houzz has changed my name again)

I hate that Haku, who are you?

I got KMK bc of Kenneth’s, mine has been ehh so far- I’m hoping year three will be better. 🤞🤞 Mine is on a west facing fence and gets 6+ hours of sun, but sends out more blind shoots than any other rose I have, it’s annoying. It didn’t bloom much the past two years, but on a positive note, it has put on great growth. I’ll see how it does this year, but I’m toying with moving it to replace one of my two Quicksilvers, or replacing it all together.

Sheila - I had my zone and location in my name(Haku94_Inland SoCal Z9), but Houzz knew better and got rid of it.. lol.

Just checked on my KMK this evening, she has 4 buds all were covered with aphids, cleaned them off.. still hoping for blooms.

Hmm, just planting my KMK by the porch, should get about 6 hours of sun. Fingers crossed. Any other ideas for a soft-medium pink rambled/climber for along my 4ft fence? I like an informal cottage look. It receives a mix of direct sun and dappled sunlight for a lot of the day. I like nice big blooms - as often as possible! Because I am greedy. ; ) Less concerned about fragrance, but always a bonus.

@Liz Bell i dont know where you garden but consider Mel’ heritage if you are not in a super cold zone for a nice repeat rambler, (repeat ramblers are not as common and they ussually do not have large blossoms) Blossom time can be a gorgeous climber with large pink blooms.

You also might want to take a look at Mary Delany, The Wedgewood Rose and Spirit of Freedom

And Renae

Where do you garden Liz And what is your zone?

Hi - I am in Marietta, GA, zone 7b.

I am thinking of going with Scepter’d Isle’ along my fence. Lovely color, shape, with a strong fragrance. I've read that it does Ok with some dappled shade. Ay recommendations as to how far apart I should plant them?

Scepter'd Isle was A HUGE bush in my zone 5a as own-root. Like 5' x 3' in its 1st year bought as gallon-size. I got rid of it & didn't have much sun nor room back then. It's the fastest growing among my 34 own-root Austins.

@strawchicago z5 How far apart would you recommend planting the SdI? Also considering Gertrude Jekyll. So many choices!

Gertrude is stingy on most people (including warm zone). Scepter'd Isle repeats better. David Austin catalog lists Scepter'd Isle as 4 x 2.5 feet, but mine was bigger in hot & humid summer. If you don't have winter die back, then it should be at least 3 feet apart.

Roses in my zone 5a are widest the first & 2nd year, then they get more slender with more canes dying.

I would NEVER buy this rose again, So incredibly infested with Japanese beetles that the roses are too heavy to stay upright. All the stalks are breaking, I have sprayed and sprayed and handpicked the beetles to no effect. I cut all the roses off today to soak them all in hot, soapy water hoping to have something left later in the year. It's planted quite close to a climbing rose I have had for years without issue, That too has become infested, too a lesser degree, Such a disappointment.

@Marilyn O'Hare is this rose your only infected rose? I do not understand why you wouldn't buy this rose again? The japanese beetles eating the rose has nothing to do with rose performance, they just eat everything including many non rose species. The roses do not become infected with Japanese beetles, they actually mate and "infect your soil" they place their eggs in the lawn/grass, the larvae goes deeper into the soil for the winter and emerge to eat plants.

I debated getting this Kiss Me Kate rose or Summer Romance. I decided on Summer Romance instead because I read that some thought it flowered more. Maybe it's just slower than others but Summer Romance has been the slowest growing with pale leaves out of all the roses I planted. Both planted in different locations, one own root from Heirloom Roses and one from Chamblee's. Only rose with weaker start has been own root Collette. I'm just going to be patient and see what happens. Violet's Pride from Heirloom has only flowered once and she gets the most sun in a prime spot which is extra surprising and frustrating. Gertrude Jekyll only flowered once for me but I had some drainage and pegging issues I had to correct so it might have stalled it's establishment. Honestly the blooms are so fragrant on Gertrude Jekyll and abundant in spring, I might not mind if it's only a once bloomer. Sorry to go off topic but maybe they like Kiss Me Kate just need a little more time.

Kit, im glad that you said that about Violets Pride. I have 2 and they are both duds.

Summer Romance is a heavy feeder. When its in bloom I cant count the flowers.

Marilyn I'm surprised JBs bother your Kiss Me Kate. They totally leave mine alone but go for earth Angel 5 feet away.

Summer Romance is a monster here (N. FL) It climbs the nearby Dwarf Mulberry tree -12 ft up.

I just cut it way down and moved it to our new property. Some of the canes were so thick that they required a saw instead of pruners. Think 3 broomsticks tied together..that was the thickness of one cane!

It kinda sat there the first 2 years that I put it in the ground, then went crazy after that.

I still have it in a pot at the new place as I have no clue where to plant it. I have a few Dwarf Mulberries I started from cuttings, maybe I will put SR by one of the mulberries to continue its assault lol.

~Sjn

My summer romance hasn't done anything in 3 years. Good to know that it is a heavy feeder. I will try giving more food.

FINALLY after heavy feeding and extra water my Kiss Me Kate is full of buds. Was worried when I only got one bloom last month, and what a pretty bloom it was. Once she goes into full bloom i will update with a photo.

SO beautiful! Just wow. This is my Kiss mMe Kate's second year - and I only see one bud. You give me hope. What do you use for fertilizer? What is your regime?

At the beginning of the growing season I use bone meal, rose tone, and Alfalfa meal, then each month I fert with Alaska Fish Fert, and/or Grow More Super Bloom that was recommended by a local Rose Society Chapter. I also use Dr. Earth Flower Girl Bud and Bloom, all in alternation of the others.

I can see better results now that I am fertilizing regularly, I used to just fertilize two times a year. Everyone has their own magic potions and their way, just need to do what works best for you and keep your roses happy. My way may not be the recommended way but everything seems happy and blooming.

Still not sure about this one after 2 years. Blooms are pretty and fragrant. No disease. But didnt produce many blooms so far. Put out many thorny, thick, stiff, and upright branches last year with a few blooms at the very top.

@sbrklyn_7bny Looks like you were able to train horizontally, hopefully that will help. So beautful. Love the color with the clematis - what kind is it? And how tall is your second year KMK? Someone mentioned in another thread that she is a heavy feeder so am going to up my fertilzation schedule a little for her.

@Liz Bell the branches in this pic were growth from the prior year. New shoots came up in the summer and they were thick and tough, probably 8 ft tall! I managed to bend them a little bit this spring to about 6ft tall. It seems that all the fertilizer I applied last year went to the new shoots.

The clematis here is called Lucky Charm I believe, from Brushwood.

I've got one (!) bud about to pop....

Mine is loading up with buds for the spring flush and a few have opened. Can’t wait till it puts on the show! I’d like to think it will repeat this year.

Ann - they are gorgeous. I planted another bare root KMK this spring and she has several buds about to bloom - will post a photo tomorrow.

Sorry. I was having problems writing comments. My KMK is 2 years old and this year has been the best blooms.

So far this season, KMK, has been a joy. The fragrance is dreamy. I actually made rose water today with some petals.

@Ann, how big are your KMK blooms? Hmf says 2.75” but from the pictures the blooms seem bigger than that size

Still not a huge fan of this rose but the blooms on mine are at least 4 inches across

Thanks oursteelers for this information.

I'm going to say 3-4in across. Depth 2-3in.

Thanks Ann for this information

I was so ready to shovel prune KMK! Now I'm glad I didn't. This is her 3rd year in my garden and in spite of to the ground winter die back, I'm starting to love her. I counted 50 bids and wasn't even 1/3 done counting! Only problem is the bloom edges are a little crispy.. maybe someone can tell me why.

A couple of my blooms did that as well, I assumed it was the heat.

FINALLY my KMK has started to produce more than one bloom. I would say its taken 4 years. I've been feeding it a lot more too this season.

I moved mine early this spring and it seems to be responding better to the new location. As to be expected, the move set it back, it’s just starting to bloom now. IKD if it’s a Kordes thing, but I have noticed it sends out a lot of dud shoots with no blooms.

@Nick 10bSW17 Mine has done the same thing... I have cut those back. Is yours tied to the fence or self supporting?