Climbing roses and vines are beautiful and visually appealing. The easiest way to achieve this is to use a trellis. Below are 12 helpful tips to get you started.

1. Twiners

Honey suckle, clematis and morning glories are among the many vines that twine. These plants have one of the following: twining leaves or twining stems. Plants having twining leaves use their leaves like a stem, or a tendril; the leaves are capable of twisting around strings, wires or twigs, but it has to be thin enough so the leaf could curl around. Twining stems however can twist around to whatever they come into contact with.

2. Scramblers

Climbing roses and bougainvillea are the best example for this category. Scramblers have stems that are very long and have thorns. They look like vines, but are unable to climb on their own. They should be supported by an arbor, pagoda or a trellis and be tied unto the structure.

3. Adhesive Pads

The Virginia creeper and the Boston ivy possesses stem tendrils which allow them to stick to any surface by means of their touch sensitive adhesive pads.

4. Clinging Stem Roots.

The stems of such plants cling and stick itself to any surface. These plants stick so well, that they can damage the paint of the wall if you try to remove them. Examples are the

- English ivy
- Irish ivy
- Euonymus

5. Choose what type of vine to plant

Roses need to have at least six hours of sunlight and a well-drained, fertile soil.

6.Plant your rose as soon as possible

Buy climbing roses as bareroot plants. When at this stage, they are dormant and easy to handle as well as to plant. In the early spring or late winter is the season to plant bareroot, when the soil is not frozen anymore and can be worked on. At this time, the roots will have plenty of time to get established before summer.

7. Choose a type of support

A trellis will be a good choice. Roses will grow more flowers if the structural cane is growing horizontally. Select a trellis that you have easy access when pruning time comes. Also, it should be sturdy enough to hold the rose vine in wet as well as in windy weather.

8. Installing the trellis

Ideally, you should install the trellis first before planting the roses. Make sure that the structure is secured well into the ground, as well as it should be strong to handle the weight of the plant when it matures. If installing it against a wall, set it a few feet away from the wall to provide air circulation and easy maintenance.

Plant The Roses

When digging a hole, it should be about eighteen to thirty inches from the base of the trellis. A mixture of compost and superphosphate is then added to the soil.

Attach The Canes

Choose the strongest structural cane and tie them onto the trellis with a loose and stretchy cloth, a panty hose is a good example. Evenly space them and preferably close to the horizontal.

Maintenance

For at least two years, let your climbers grow and do not prune them. Just remove the dead leaves and branches. Once established, you can then prune damaged and overcrowded canes, and be sure to tie in new canes as replacement. Also, during the dormant season, flowering side shoots are to be pruned two or three buds above the structural cane.

9. Selecting a trellis for your garden:

Strength

Consider the strength of the trellis to be put up in your garden. Climbing vines are heavy, so the trellis should be very sturdy to withstand the weight of the vine.

Durability

The material to be used in building a trellis should be weather proof. Pressure treated wood, galvanized bolts and nails are sturdy enough to endure outdoor climate.

Shape

Fans and arches are the popular shapes in trellis forms. Consider though, the look of your garden. If you have a Victorian garden, then an arched trellis would match with it. However, if you have garden with a Japanese theme, then consider too, a trellis with a somewhat Japanese form.

Height

The height of your trellis will also depend on your garden. Before buying a trellis, take the time to measure your desired trellis height.

Our most popular plant category is roses and for good reason – everyone loves roses! This week we are featuring a new climbing rose that our rose lovers will adore -’Brite Eyes’. Bred by the famous Knockout rosarian William Radler, ‘Brite Eyes’ is virtually the most black spot resistant climbing rose ever introduced – requiring the least maintenance of any climbing rose.

‘Brite Eyes’ has single blooms that are salmon-pink with yellow centers and that emit a light pleasant fragrance. Expect several cycles of repeat blooms throughout the summer and into the autumn. It has a compact growth habit, reaching no more than 8 feet tall, which makes it perfect for the smaller garden. ‘Brite Eyes’ works well climbing on a trellis, an arbor or a fence. On fences, we suggest planting at every other fence post. Most trellises are 6 to 8 feet tall and most climbers grow 10 to 12 feet tall, requiring regular pruning to keep them in bounds. At 6 to 8 feet ultimate height, ‘Brite Eyes’ is a perfect low-maintenance trellis rose. ‘Brite Eyes’ is sufficiently winter-hardy and restrained in habit to be excellent for container use.

Planting and Care

• For best results plant in the spring or fall.
• Plant in full sun for best blooms, but will tolerate partial shade.
• Plant in well-drained, compost-enriched soil.
• Mulch well the first winter.
• Pruning and shaping, when necessary, should be accomplished after the initial spring bloom.
• Fertilize with Rose-Tone monthly from early spring until late summer.
• Hardy in Zones 5-9 (possibly 4 with further testing).

Click here to view ‘Brite Eyes’ on the Carroll Gardens website.

A Color Break-through in Climbers!

I can remember the excitement of the first lavender rose, ‘Sterling Silver,’ exactly 50 years ago. Everyone wanted one. It has taken a long time; but the lavenders have deepened to purple, especially in the last decade. Vigor, hardiness and disease resistance have also improved considerably. Finally we have a true claret purple climber. And it may just be the best purple rose of all – a truly distinctive addition to your garden.

‘Night Owl’ – a unique new climbing rose with extraordinary features:

Clusters of rich wine purple blooms with contrasting yellow stamens; a color like no other climber. The blooms do not fade even in the hottest of climates. Combines beautifully with the soft yellow climber, ‘Lemon Meringue’ or the deeper yellow ‘Autumn Sunset.’

Blossoms are very long-lived and repeat cycles come quickly and dependably.

Sweet fragrance is a combination of clove and spice.

Profuse foliage with exceptional disease resistance.

Prodigious, vigorous grower – up to 14 feet. Ideal for fences or large trellises. On fences, we suggest planting on every other, or possibly every 3rd fence post. Picture ‘Night Owl’ on a trellis against white or soft pastel-colored siding.

Unlike many climbing roses, ‘Night Owl’ should bloom the same year if planted in early spring.

Planting and Care

Hardy in Zones 5-9.

For best results plant in spring or fall.

Plant in full sun for best blooms, but will tolerate partial shade.

Plant in well-drained, compost-enriched soil.

Mulch well the first winter.

Pruning and shaping, when necessary, should be accomplished after the initial spring bloom.

Fertilize with Rose-Tone monthly from early spring until late summer.