[SorchaBC]

Right, since I've been planning out the garden and working out our shade/half shade/full sun etc spots I've realised that one section I have earmarked for a rambling rose hedge type thing is pretty much shaded for most of the day.

This is fine with me, I'm actually pretty excited about having a shade section to the gardens, and I'm going for an almost victorian gothic feel in this section. There'll be lots of ferns, foxgloves, and various "black" flowers (especially the black peony poppy which is breath-taking!). I still want roses romping through the fence at the back of the beds though, and I'm finding it really, really hard to source a suitable one (even drew a blank on David Austens site!).

What I'm looking for is a rambling rose, that would be tolerant of dappled shade cast by the decideous trees that front the road. It would recieve early morning sun directly, but from mid-morning through to sunset it is very much so dappled shade. It's a dry area also because of the trees. I'd love a highly scented rose, but that's not a complete must. The deeper purpley-reds are the colours I'm looking for, but all I've found are whites/soft pinks which aren't really in keeping with a gothic section!

If anyone could suggest a suitable variety I'd be forever in your debt

(edit - darn typos)

[SorchaBC]

I'm guessing I really threw down the gauntlet on this one, and that everyone's as stumped as I am!

It's looking like I'll have to shift the "gothic" section elsewhere in the plans so I've been thinking about putting a few 'Rambling Rector' roses on that fence instead. Has anyone else got this in their garden in a similiar spot? I don't want to spend a fortune on roses that haven't a snowballs chance of surviving!

[walltoall]

I was keeping the head down cause your FULL specification is asking a lot. Roses really need 5hrs of sunlight (even if it is coming through clouds) to thrive. Having said that my sister has a splendid climber on the north wall of her hovel in the New Forest and it flowers for England.

Purply and very dark red colours are most likely to be found in the Gallica group, which see. My own favourite is "Cardinal de Richlieu" (google it) and "Tuscany" is the most bulletproof. But whether you can get these in Kildare I don't know.

Maybe someone can tell us whether the "Marian Nursery" in Newhaggard is still going and is still doing roses. Petrus (laddie) de Jong was the owner and one of the finest rose men ever. If I were in Ireland it would be my first stop especially as he was the first to employ me grafting roses some time ago. He'd have to be in his 80's now.

[SorchaBC]

Thanks Walltoall!

Had a looksee at the Cardinal de Richelieu rose and it's exactly the sort of rose I was thinking of, though I think it deserves a better spot then tucked under trees where no-one will see it! Oh, and the Marian Nursery is indeed still in business, though they don't actually have a website so I can't see if they still do roses, though I'd imagine they do. Will have to pop up there someday soon and have a mooch around. I gather they do trees as well, and we're actually looking for a feature tree for the centre of our roundabout.

Having thought about it some more, as much as I'd love to have roses romping through the front fence, it doesn't seem fair on them, and any that survived would probably be much poorer specimens than they would be in a lighter area. Think it may be a bed of foxgloves and the like at the back, with some groundcover roses toward the front of the bed where thay'll have sunshine (well, whenever the sun is actually shining!).

Now all I have to do is dig the bed. About 40 x 6 foot - easy-peasy (ahem)

[socheallaigh]

What about 'Francis E Lester' which has masses of small pinky white flowers. Very hardy and available at David Austin

Sean

[James Kilkelly]

Replying to an old post I know, but I seem to remember a rambler known as Bleu Magenta, which may have been suitable for your needs.