Suggestions for supporting English roses
Hi everyone! I’m pretty new to growing roses (on year 4), and live in costal BC Canada. I’ve found that in our climate the David Austin English roses do very well in terms of health, growth, and flowering.
However, practically all DA roses that I own arch and nod down, some even more so than others.
My two St. Swithun, for example, are having their blooms literally down to the ground with their very soft stems& canes. When I bought them, I was told they could be grown either as short climbers or shrubs, and I intended to keep them as the latter. But now I’m thinking I need to support them in some way, without turning them into “true” climbers up a flat trellis or fences.
Does anyone know/have experience supporting these English roses? I kind of still want them to remain “shrubby” looking, just more upright and shapely (maybe add some vertical height). I’m thinking obelisks, but the ones i see are all very narrow (small in diameter) while I still want some width to them. Would penny rings or big tomato cages/towers work?
TIA everyone!
Here are some pictures of St Swithun. I love their blooms just wish I could enjoy them better and not have to smell them/take pictures by putting myself on the ground!
If this turns out well I may do the same to my Teasing Georgia...
Comments (14)
Minshen (8b/9a Victoria BC)
3 years ago
totoro z7b Md
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Planning an English Rose Garden Trip
Comments (24)I'm envious, too! I would strongly urge you to get a map of the London Underground as well for the London area. I was there 10 years ago and there wasn't much we couldn't get to that we wanted to see (including Kew) that wasn't too far from the Tube. (Oh, that we had something like that in L.A.!) And no, it wasn't creepy like you might expect a subway. Of course your mileage may vary, but if you plan ahead, you can take advantage of discounting by buying several days or however it works, I don't remember anymore. London city may be the worst of driving by car so you won't miss anything except angina ;-) We also found the Tube to run often enough for convenience. Whatever you do, Mind the Gap!!!! 'Nother thought in London if you have time, there are walking tours here and there, most meet near a Tube station. Most tour guides have some sort of schedule. We took the evening Jack the Ripper tour by a guy that wrote a book on him, as he was the most recommended. Your taste may vary! But there are all kinds of these for what was reasonable pricing. A good time filler per one's interest and time offered. You might also do the London bus tour early on to get an over view of the city and decide what you'd like to see. If you have time for anything not garden related (!?!), the most wonderful time we had was at the Tower of London / White Tower where King Henry killed many of his wives, and little princes were bricked up in the masonry and so on. As I recall, there are also replicas of the crown jewels, the armory (fascinating!), the tower ravens, and many, many more things. I cannot begin to say what a good time it was and we both wished that we had planned a FULL day to take it all in, imho, if you see nothing else touristy in London, this is a MUST see. The Beefeaters were MOST excellent tour guides. If you're lucky, you might also find one of your relative's names carved in stone before they were executed! Alas, poor cousin Henry T!!! My cousin wanted to go to the pottery district, dunno about pricing with the dollar now, but we both got stuff for ourselves and Christmas presents. We went to Wedgewood only due to time (took the train, I think from Manchester, I'm not sure) but worth a stop for you if it is on your way to somewhere else just for the tour of how they make the china. There are many other companies like Spode in the area so something to check ahead to see if it fits in (if you do buy, we had our pieces shipped home). Nowadays with these shops more common over here and online, I dunno that it's worth to stop to buy except for the memory, but again, the tour was a great memory of something we don't have over here. Have fun!!!...See MoreWould like to buy some english roses
Comments (12)Vintage Gardens and Heirloom both have many of the OOP Austins. Some of those are very nice. I also garden in hot, dry zone 9. Whatever you do, I suggest DO NOT BUY Geoff Hamilton, Mayor of Castorbridge or Glamis Castle. Graham Thomas, sometimes listed as AUSmas does very well in desert heat with adequate water. Winter irrigation is essential. Evelyn and Golden Celebration are also good in our climate, and have more reasonable water requirements. Swan, The Nun, Symphony, English Garden, and Dove all are good in hot climates; all are available from Heirloom. You might want to order now for fall delivery. Your plants will be bigger and you won't have to baby them in pots through the summer heat. I have also had good success with Charmain, Eglantyne, Mary Rose and sports and The Prince (in a shaded location). I did not like: The Pilgrim--no rebloom, Heritage--flowers last about half a day, Sceptered Isle--monstrous growth in every direction, Lilac Rose--wasn't lilac, Kathryn Moreley--boring, scant bloom on a too big plant. If you are willing to give lots of TLC, Radio Times can be fabulous, but can't be neglected. DA's roses are very climate specific. I spent a lot of money finding out that some just weren't suited to my climate....See MorePruning David Austin English roses? Japanese beetles?
Comments (3)Wait until spring to do any pruning because cutting them back now will trigger new succulent growth that could be damaged during freezes this winter. That said you may want to just let Abraham Darby be the short climber it wants to be by letting the long canes arch over (if you have the room) or tie them to a short trellis, although some people keep cutting it back to make it into a tall bush. Jude may throw out a long cane occasionally which you can cut back in the spring or summer. It is more likely to be happy as a bush than Abraham Darby. These are two of my favorite Austin roses, by the way. It may be that you have flower beetles rather than Japanese beetles. Both are a pain to have in the garden, but flower beetles are less of a pain I think. They are easier to control by hand picking and spraying the ground with beneficial nematodes in spring and summer to kill the grubs from which they hatch. After treatment with beneficial nematodes a couple of times I didn't have flower beetles (Euphoria sepulcralis, Fabricius) for years, but they turned up again last year so I treated again. You can google them to see what each beetle looks like. Here is the flower beetle on Prairie Sunrise last summer: Applying insecticides won't do much good for beetles, but unfortunately they will kill honey bees and other beneficial insects. You can buy beneficial nematodes at plant nurseries or on line. They will stay in the soil and do their jobs of killing a lot of unwanted insects that live in the soil like grubs, fleas and ants as long as the soil doesn't dry out. Here is a link that might be useful: How to Use Beneficial Nematodes...See MoreBest Austins or English Looking Roses for Vase?
Comments (53)I’m glad to hear that you like ‘Sister Elizabeth’, Dan! I’ve always wanted to grow her, and my given name is actually Elizabeth. I hear she does remain small, and that’s important to me. Do you know if Sister Elizabeth makes a good cut flower? Do you think Sister Elizabeth and Young Lycidas would compliment each other, colorwise? I’m getting SO excited, now! Too bad it’s already after 5pm in Texas. I can’t call them until Monday morning. I sure hope it’s not too late, by then. I know they’re already shipping bareroots to my zone. I’m glad to hear that you call and change your order frequently, Dan. Now, I don’t feel so bad about doing it:) At least this gives me until Monday to find out what the largest Young Lycidas has ever grown to. That will likely be the size mine would get. I should have never looked at this thread! Thanks a LOT, Sultry and Helen!!!!!...:) Lisa...See MoreMinshen (8b/9a Victoria BC)
3 years ago
flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
3 years agoMinshen (8b/9a Victoria BC) thanked flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WAMinshen (8b/9a Victoria BC)
3 years agoflowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
3 years agoMinshen (8b/9a Victoria BC)
3 years ago
Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
3 years agoMy st swithun came with a wooden stake . I tried to remove it this spring (it’s second year here ) and it promptly flopped over . So I reattached the canes and the stake and that’s what I will be using . Ive recently bought these stakes in a plastic green coated metal too so they last , as I’m sure they’ll rot eventually. I have eglantyne on one as well . Here is a pic , it’s terrible bc I was just taking it to show you , and there’s no blooms now. :)
Minshen (8b/9a Victoria BC)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoThank you Lilyfinch! Do you just wrap your St Swithun canes around that stake? Or do you tie all long canes back to that pole? Sorry I’m really new at this and I’m a bit confused!
I went to a garden tools store called Lee Valley today and asked them about this situation. They suggested this thing called flexible trellis
You could connect multiple of these together to essentially make you own cage (since I wanted a support structure that’s not as narrow as most obelisks I saw).
And it’s got very easy to assemble hook-and-eye thingy at each end.I was pretty much sold on the idea and ordered 6 of these to store, thinking each rose bush would probably need three... But if the simple stake/pole works just as well I might change my idea!
PS: I’m surprised and sorry that your St Swithun isn’t blooming for you yet! Did you put yours in some shade? Mine have been good bloomers since their first year, and grew oh so fast with super long soft canes that are now on the ground.
paint girl 6bNJ
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoMinshen (8b/9a Victoria BC)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
totoro z7b Md