Climber or rambler?

A froth of roses scrambling over an arbour or smothering a wall, filling the air with a heavenly rich scent, turn a garden into a romantic paradise. Among the many climbing rose varieties in our garden centre, though, you'll find both climbers and ramblers – so what's the difference?

  • rambling roses usually flower just the once, in a huge and spectacular display, with clusters of smaller flowers
  • climbers are a little more restrained, but they'll flower throughout summer producing larger individual flowers
  • ramblers tend to produce lots of whippy young growth from the base: they're generally more 'tangled' looking.
  • climbers are more sculptural, with stiff main branches often forming brown bark, like trunks - and secondary younger green branches
  • ramblers are pruned by cutting out around a third of the oldest stems each year after flowering right to the base, to encourage plenty of healthy young growth: train horizontally for more flowers
  • climbers are pruned into an arching horizontal framework of permanent mature branches in winter,cutting back sideshoots to two or three buds to encourage plenty of blossoms next year.

Here is a list of the Climbing & Rambling roses we are stocking for 2021

CLIMBING ROSES TYPE COLOUR FLOWERS SIZE FRAGRANCE OTHER
             
ALBERTINE RAMBLER LIGHT PINK  DOUBLE 4.5 x 2.4m STRONG SUMMER FLOWERING
ALI BABA PATIO CLIMBER  APRICOT ORANGE DOUBLE 2 x 1.8m STRONG HEALTHY
AWAKENING RAMBLER LIGHT PINK  DOUBLE 3 x 2.4m FRAGRANT OLD FASHIONED FLOWER
BLOOMING MARVELOUS CLIMBER  DEEP RED DOUBLE 3 x 1.8m FRAGRANT  
BRIDGE OF SIGHS CLIMBER  PEACH DOUBLE 2.4 x 1.8m FRAGRANT FLORIFEROUS
BRIGHT IDEA CLIMBER  CERISE/CREAM DOUBLE 2.4 x 1.8m SLIGHT STRONG GROWER
CAPTAIN CHRISTY CLIMBER  SOFT PINK DOUBLE 3.6 x 2.4m FRAGRANT FLORIFEROUS
CHEVY CHASE RAMBLER DEEP CRIMSON DOUBLE 4.5 x 3m SLIGHT SUMMER FLOWERING CLUSTERS OF BLOOM
COMPASSION  CLIMBER  APRICOT PINK DOUBLE 3 x 1.8m STRONG HEALTHY, GOOD FOR CUTTING
CRIMSON CASCADE CLIMBER  DARK VELVET RED SEMI DOUBLE 3 x 1.8m SLIGHT REPEATS WELL
CUMBERLAND CLIMBER  DEEP RED DOUBLE 2.4 x 1.8m FRAGRANT COMPACT
DIXIELAND  LINDA CLIMBER  APRICOT PINK DOUBLE 3.6 x 2.4m STRONG VERY HEALTHY
DUBLIN BAY CLIMBER  CRIMSON DOUBLE 2.4 x 1.5m SLIGHT VERY HEALTHY
FLOWER CARPET PINK CLIMBER CLIMBER  PINK SINGLE 3 x 1.8m SPICY REPEATS WELL
GARDENERS GLORY CLIMBER  GOLDEN YELLOW DOUBLE 3.6 x 2.4m STRONG EXCEPTIONALLY HEALTHY
GHISLAINE DE FELIGONDE RAMBLER ORANGE YELLOW DOUBLE 2.4 x 2.4m SLIGHT ALMOST THORNLESS CLUSTERS OF BLOOM
GLORIANA PATIO CLIMBER  MAGENTA PURPLE DOUBLE 2.4 x 1.8m FRAGRANT HEALTHY
GOLDEN SHOWERS CLIMBER  GOLDEN YELLOW SEMI DOUBLE 3 x 1.8m SLIGHT RELATIVELY THORN FREE
ICEBERG CLIMBER  WHITE/CREAM SEMI DOUBLE 5.4 x 3m SLIGHT VIGOROUS, FLORIFEROUS
LAKELAND CLIMBER  PALE PINK SEMI DOUBLE 1.8 x 1.2m FRAGRANT  
LAURA FORD PATIO CLIMBER  AMBER YELLOW DOUBLE 2.4 x 0.9m SLIGHT HEALTHY
LOVE KNOT PATIO CLIMBER  CLEAR RED DOUBLE 2 x 1.5m SLIGHT HEALTHY
OLYMPIC FLAME CLIMBER  RED/GOLD STAMENS SEMI DOUBLE 3 x 1.8m FRAGRANT  
PERPETUALLY YOURS CLIMBER  CREAMY YELLOW DOUBLE 3 x 1.8m FRAGRANT HEALTHY
PIROUETTE CLIMBER  APRICOT PINK DOUBLE 2.1 x 1.5m FRAGRANT CLUSTERS OF BLOOMS
PURPLE SKYLINER PATIO RAMBLER SOFT PURPOE SEMI DOUBLE 2.4 x 1.8m FRAGRANT REPEATS WELL
RASPBERRY CREAM TWIRL CLIMBER  DEEP PINK/CREAM DOUBLE 2.4 x 1.8m SLIGHT ALMOST THORNLESS
RED FLAME CLIMBER  VELVET RED DOUBLE 2.5 x 2m STRONG  
RURAL ENGLAND RAMBLER SOFT PINK DOUBLE 2.4 x 1.8m SLIGHT ALMOST THORNLESS
SCENT FROM HEAVEN CLIMBER  ORANGE SALMON DOUBLE 2.4 x 1.5 FRUITY VERY HEALTHY
SEAGULL RAMBLER WHITE/GOLD STAMENS SINGLE 7.5 x 4.5m SLIGHT VIGOROUS CLUSTER FLOWERING
SIMPLE LIFE CLIMBER  PINK/ORANGE STAMEN SINGLE 2 x 1.8m FRAGRANT  
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY CLIMBING CLIMBER  PINK DOUBLE 2 x 1.8m FRAGRANT VERY DARK FOLIAGE
STAR PERFORMER PATIO CLIMBER  LIGHT PINK  DOUBLE 1.8 x 1.2m FRAGRANT DISEASE RESISTANT
SUMMER SWEETHEART PATIO CLIMBER  WARM PINK SEMI DOUBLE 1.8 x 1.5M SLIGHT HEALTHY
SWEET SYRIE CLIMBER  YELLOW PINK EDGE DOUBLE 3 x 1.8m STRONG CLUSTERS OF BLOOMS
THE NEW DAWN CLIMBER  SHELL PINK DOUBLE 3 x 2.4m FRAGRANT OUTSTANDING
VEILCHENBLAU RAMBLER PURPLE/BLUE SINGLE 3.5 x 2.4m FRAGRANT SUMMER FLOWERING CLUSTERS OF BLOOM
WHITE STAR PATIO CLIMBER  WHITE GOLD STAMENS SEMI DOUBLE 2 x 1.5m FRAGRANT DISEASE RESISTANT
WHITE WEDDING CLIMBER  PURE WHITE DOUBLE 3 x 1.8m FRAGRANT  
WYMONDHAM ABBEY CLIMBER  DARK PINK DOUBLE 3.6 x 1.8m SLIGHT PLIABLE STEMS
ZEPHERINE DROUHIN CLIMBER  CARMINE PINK DOUBLE 3 x1.8m STRONG ALMOST THORNLESS

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