ROSES FOR A NORTH-FACING BORDER

Roses grown on a north-facing border, even if the rose description says they are suitable for such a situation, have a lot to deal with and it shows, I think.  They tend to be more lax and need a bit more support.  Without much interference from me, except for dead-heading, New Dawn, Wild Eve, Aloha, and Golden Showers are surviving and blooming.  They do get some sunshine in the afternoon when the summer sun swings around but in early spring and late autumn their time in the sun is quite limited.  If prizes were to be given out for the best rose in my north border, it would have to go to David Austin's 'Wild Eve' because, dare I say, I am wild about the way it looks and its fragrance.  She produces extremely large and showy blooms quite shamelessly.  Wild Eve can be grown as either shrub or climber and it has been left to scramble up the fence between New Dawn and the honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum Scentsation. 

Wild Eve - a David Austin rose



Wild Eve - a David Austin rose

New Dawn  is such a favourite of mine and, for some reason, I feel quite sentimental about it.  It's quite special in that it is a sport (a sport is a shoot from a plant that is different: a spontaneous mutation) of Dr. W. Van Fleet, a Wichuriana climbing rose.  Wichuriana roses are species roses and natives of Japan. Typically they are vigorous with lax growth and glossy, disease resistant leaves.  New Dawn has those Wichuriana qualities and became the first rose to be patented by H. A. Dreer who bred it in 1930.   What I love about New Dawn, I suppose, is that it has always, wherever I have grown it, served me well.  However, the first couple of years that I grew New Dawn (a medium-size climber) in my present garden, it took a bit of time getting going.  I thought at one point that it was going to be a story of no success as the first year, I think it was the first year, it succumbed to blackspot and seemed rather sickly.  I was so surprised and disappointed.  I sprayed it for fungus diseases and now it is ambling happily and healthily between the Jasmine Officinale and Wild Eve.  It's such a pretty rose with a silveriness to its petals and a sweet fragrance. 





New Dawn climber

I bought Aloha (bred by Gene Boerner in 1949) because it was yet another rose that was advertised as tolerating some shade.  There aren't that many of them to be found in garden centres.  It can be grown as a tall shrub or a short climber in the way that Wild Eve can (which is fine by me as my fence is only 6ft high) and has double blooms and a strong fragrance. 







Aloha - a modern climber

My yellow Golden Showers climber (bred by Dr. Walter Lammerts, 1956) is another rose for a north border and it hasn't quite taken off as I had hoped but then it has more to deal with than the other roses in that it gets a bit less sunshine being nearer to the house.  It's growth is very lax but it is growing all the same and has several buds on it.  I'm watching out for any sign of pests and diseases as they do rather take advantage of struggling roses - a struggling plant will succumb to pests and diseases; and a plant with pests and diseases will struggle.  Is that what you might call a Catch 22 situation, or a paradoxical situation?   Golden Showers is a short climber, has semi-double blooms and a light fragrance.  My idea is to allow it to grow up and over a gateway.  All I have to do is hope and be patient.

Golden Showers - climbing rose

I know Golden Showers might seem an odd choice, growing on a fence where there are three pink climbers, but I am hoping it will be balanced by the centrally growing yellow honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum Scentsation and a jasmine at the top (other end) of the border next to the shed.  My plan is to try and get the jasmine to climb over the shed.  I have to say, while I'm on the subject of jasmine, that I am so pleased that my patience has been rewarded.  I planted it three years ago and have had about three flowers on it but now it is absolutely full of bud and I can hope that they don't fall off (on one of our windy days here in West Yorkshire)and that I, at last, get to enjoy a showy display of fragrant, creamy flowers. 

Jasmine Officinale