Climbing roses that will reach for the sky

Autumn’s the best time to plant trees and shrubs, particularly bare-root roses. Climbing roses are valuable and there’s a huge selection to clothe walls and fences or more compact forms to grow up structures in borders or tubs.

Buying bare-root is cheaper, too. Modern varieties are more vigorous and disease resistant, repeat flowering and sometimes exquisitely scented. Habits vary, with some producing vigorous, long stems, while others are more slender, reaching between 1.8-3m. Some larger shrub roses can also be pruned and trained as short climbers.

When you receive your bare-root plants, tease tangled roots apart and prune away any that are broken. Soak roots in a bucket of clean water for a couple of hours before planting. Position the rootball at least 15cm away from the wall or fence, angling the shoots towards the climbing surface. After excavating the hole, mix in slow-release fertiliser into the backfill. Position the top of the rootball level with the soil mark on the stem. Spread out the roots and work soil around them.

When planted, firm soil around the plant and water in. For pots use John Innes No 3 or a blend of John Innes and multi-purpose compost. Prune out crossing, broken stems. Once in growth train and tie in shoots to a trellis framework.