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Planting Climbers

In planting climbers the bed should be prepared in exactly the same way as for an ordinary bed, excepting that it should be much smaller, but the roots of the climbers will naturally take up more space underground than the roots of the dwarf bushes, and climbers should have a bed of some extent. This is particularly necessary for the Hybrid Teas, Teas and Noisettes. The bed should be made of the same depth and drained as the average rose bed noted under "Preparation." For each plant the bed should be at least two feet wide and not less than four feet in length.

In planting climbers, especially the Hybrid Teas, it is hardly necessary to say that they will not do well on the north side of any arbor or wall. Roses must have the sun in order to flourish and, besides, many climbers on a north wall would be winter killed to a very great degree. It would be easy in the case of all rustic benches, with rustic tops and arbors running east and west, to plant roses on their southern, eastern and western sides and secure plants which would entirely cover the structures. For an ordinary six-foot bench with a rustic top the same length, one good climbing rose planted on the southern side would be sufficient to cover the entire structure. The very hardiest climbers would make a brave effort to do well on a north wall, but unless this is the only available space we would not advise its use. There is one exception to north wall planting, as explained later.