We planted it on the side of the porch opposite the stairs, against a double height trellis. The trellises are from Amazon, we modified the design slightly so we could double them up, one on top of the other. Since our porch is so high, it's the only way to find a trellis tall enough without building something custom - and I wanted white vinyl for minimal maintenance.
Of course nothing is ever easy in this house. While I measured the trellis height, when properly installed in the ground with the anchors, should fit JUST under the porch roof which I figured we could anchor at the top with a couple of screws and tie to the porch railing for extra stability. BUT of course, THIS. HOUSE. There's a totally random cement slab buried RIGHT where the trellis needs to go. If we just anchor it to the porch and rest it on top of the slab, the trellis is 5" too high. If it's too high, it hits the gutter and bends at an awkward angle away from the porch and looks really odd.
In the end we decided that zip ties, 1 anchor footing and screwing it into the top of the porch will hopefully be enough (and so far it's pretty sturdy). We ended up trimming 5" off the top of the second trellis and it fit perfectly. The top is screwed into the roof of the porch and the bottom is zip tied to the base of the porch and one side at the bottom is properly anchored. I might also anchor it to the railing if need be - I don't want it toppling.
We set the trellis up over Easter weekend, before the rose had shipped. Everything was fixed before the rose arrived. I know I could have kept the rose in a pot if I needed to temporarily, but for the investment I wanted to give this rose the best start possible - in its permanent home. And I was so SO EXCITED when it arrived!
It looks beautiful! There was even a bud on it ready to bloom! This time I ordered a 2 qt potted rose instead of a bare root rose (last year the Lady of Shalott was a bare root rose). I think I like the potted rose better because it's already growing and blooming.
The rose we bought is Claire Austin. It's good for north-facing walls (our house faces North West), has high disease resistance, is a hardy rose for beginners (me), and grows 12-20 feet (the trellis is 16 feet). It's supposed to be a great repeat flowering rose with lots of blooms and excellent fragrance. I can totally imagine sitting on the bench smelling roses behind me waiting for the school bus or keeping an eye on the kids while they ride their bikes.
(photos from David Austin Roses)
Originally I wanted a colorful rose for the front yard, not white. I thought white would blend in too much with the house and I wanted another pop of color. I was SO close to picking this bright yellow Graham Thomas climbing rose or Teasing Georgia. However, the Claire Austin rose had everything I was looking for, especially being able to grow on a North facing wall. And with the dark green foliage, I think the white will end up looking really pretty. And in the long run it will be neutral, classic and charming.
It's planted next to the hidden cement slab. It will quickly grow towards the trellis and up, so I'm not worried about the off-center placement. Plus the bottom is hidden by the shrubs.
It will take a couple years for the rose to get established, though the two roses I planted last spring grew pretty well in their first year (the discount pink thornless climbing rose on the arbor at the garden entrance and the fancy Lady of Shalott climbing rose on the side of the garage). So hopefully this will get some height this year as well.
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I'm definitely on a rose kick. I'm already narrowing down the options for next year's rose. I cant' help it - roses are just so pretty and I want them ALL. It's why I have a "one a year" limit. I definitely want an English shrub rose next, probably in pink/coral or maybe a coral/orange. Right now I have it narrowed down to Bascobel, Alnwick, Emma Hamilton, or Olivia Austen. Which could totally change again by next winter when I place the order. But look at those colors!
(above photos from David Austin Roses)
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