Rambling
Roses
Jeffersons Gardens in Western Shore of Nova Scotia
To view our "Rambler Varieties"
The rambling roses are the forerunners of our modern day climbing roses.
The
two most common types are the Multiflora Ramblers and the Wichuraiana Ramblers
of which we are to elaborate on here.
Ramblers bloom once a year for approximately 3 - 4 weeks.
Depending on the weather, hot and dry conditions tend to make the blooming
period somewhat shorter, but don't let that deter you from growing one!
There's no modern climbing rose that can come near to the magnificent show
the multitudes of rambler booms give to the mid summer gardens. Nor is
there any other rose that can span such a large space with greenery.
They indeed are true to their name for sure "Ramblers". While
both types of ramblers have similar attributes that endear them to us,
the Wichuraiana ramblers tend to have stiffer, stronger canes making them
wonderful climbing roses.
Along with
the old garden shrub roses like the Gallicas, Damasks, Albas;
the ramblers were also pushed into the sidelines as the modern, repeat
climbers became available. Less and less ramblers were seen in gardens
across the northern hemisphere. I guess we can attribute this to
gardeners desire for flowers throughout the summer and our assumption
that new is always better. Even today a nursery is hard pressed
to find and carry the "new" varieties of any plant at the cost of
having unsatisfied customers.
In defense of the ramblers,
I dare say that anyone who has seen these wonderful roses in full flush,
are hard pressed not to be astonished at their massive beauty and structure.
Several of our modern climbers together could not hope to have a fraction
of the show one of these old beauties gives so freely.
Most ramblers
are much too vigorous to be put onto a trellis. They lend themselves beautifully
to covering the side of a building, barn or outhouse. Over a fence,
arbour or a bank is probably the best application if you live in Zone 4.
This zone is too cold for them as climbers unless their canes are taken
down for winter. Tehy bloom on old wood, that's wood that has grown the
previous year so it is imperative that that not dieback completely!
In zone 5 if canes are grown upwards they should be grown
where they will be protected from prevailing winds and are best grown on
a low fence espailied horizonally. They are at their best as a magnificent
ground covering for banks as most root readily where they touch ground.
If you have a small garden with limited space then ramblers probably
are not for you. That doesn't mean you can't try one it simply means that
you'll be very busy prunning back the voracious canes to about one third
every season immediately after blooming keep the rose constrained.
Now
thats alot of work!
Multiflora Ramblers
Multiflora
Ramblers get their name from their dominant breeding parent the Rosa
multiflora, a species rose from the orient. known for its rampant
vigor, long arching, pliable canes and fragrance. Rosa multiflora can be
identified as one of the main parents down the lineage of all ramblers
in some way or another. Rosa multiflora other claim to fame is that is
is commonly used as an under stock rose is budding and grafting procedures
even today.
Several multiflora ramblers were bred in the mid 19th century, when
rosa multiflora was introduced to europe around 1862 but the main height
of the ramblers popularity didn't begin until Turners Crimson
Rambler was bred in 1893 . It set off a fervor of breeding
than continued for the next thirty years only to be replace with
the modern, repeat blooming, large flowered climbers we know today.
To mention some
noteworthy multiflora ramblers that first spring to mind are Seagull,
Rambling Rector, The Garland, Veilchenblau, Tauschendon, and
Seven Sisters.,
Wichuraiana Ramblers
"Dorothy Perkins" in Longobardi's garden in Lakeside, N.S.
Rosa Wichuraiana is a dense, very vigorous, wide spreading rose
with very pliable canes and beautiful glossy foliage. Flowers are five
petalled with a prominent yellow stamen born in large clusters. It
blossoms are very fragrant. Unfortunately, this is a trait not passed on
to its offspring. It originates from Asia and Japan and was introduced
to europe around 1891 and was brought to the U.S.A. in the early 1900's.
Americans quickly acknowledged it and widely used it for grave coverings,
thus the nick-name"Memorial Rose". Breeders quickly used it to create
the ramblers most commonly known today. 1901 brought us Dorthy
Perkins. This is probably the most popular rambler ever bred. 
Excelsa
Shortly after Excelsa (nick-named Red Dorthy Perkins), Minnehaha(an
almost identical rose to Dorthy Perkins) Hiawatha and Evangeline
were bred by Walsh.
In France more complex hybrids with R.whichuraiana in them appeared
such as Alberic Barbier, Francois Juranville, Leontine Gervais, Paul
Transon and Albertine.
All of these are still available by speciality rose nurseries
and are hardy to zone 5. Ramblers are much too vigorous to be put onto
a trellis. They lend themselves beautifully to covering the side of a building,
fence, arbour or a bank. If grown upwards the canes should be protected
form prevailing winds and are best grown on a low fence as a grape would
be or as a magnificent ground covering for banks as most root readily where
they touch ground.
Rosa Setigera Hybrid Ramblers
This family provides us with a small but important group of ramblers
that were bred with the Rosa Setigera also called the "Prairie
Rose". This species that grows freely accross the mid western part
of North America. Known for its long arching canes, late blooming
season and hardiness; it was a top candidate for hardy climbing
rose breeding. It started as early as the 1800 with many a nurseryman in
the United states crossing the Prairie Rose with hybrid teas, trying to
acquire its hardiness with the teas repeat blooming characteristics.
They had little success.
In 1902 , Dr Van Fleet was very successful when he released his American Pillar
> This is still today a very popular, hardy rambler.
Unlike the ramblers Dorthy Perkins with her tiny masses of pom pom
like blooms, this rambler has masses of very showy large pink with white
single blossoms. A very striking show especially from a distance.
Among other noteworthy ramblers still around today are Baltimore
Belle AND Long John Silver,
Our nursery carries all these wonderful
ramblers with the exception of Hiwaitha & Evangeline. We are looking
for a true source of these two so if you know of one please contact us!
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RAMBLER VARIETIES