Suggestions to replace a climbing rose

[Henderson]

Next to my stairs I have this 12" round hole in the concrete sidewalk/driveway where currently there's a climbing rose. The stairs and front porch have a typical white wrought iron railing all around that I attach the canes to as they get longer. Mild winters in the Chicago area the long canes all survive and it does look nice up the iron railing. But during a harsher winter, or with more snow than usual, all the canes die off to the ground, so it's like starting all over every year lately.

I've read of people bending the canes over in severe winter zones and covering them with thick mulch or even dirt, but that's just not possible to do in this position. So after starting once again with new growth only this spring, I'm ready to replace it with something else. I would like something that flowers through most of the season into fall, attract birds and butterflies would be a huge plus as well.

I've been looking at Major Wheeler's Honeysuckle as one choice. I've got an old trumpet vine on the back fence that I've considered moving a new shoot to this hole. Inspite of killing off the main trunk, new runners still keep coming up that I continually kill all summer, but I don't really want that there, I know runners will start coming up in the lawn areas, including my neighbor's lawn, that will create another constant war zone for me each season. I've considered Clematis also, but I'm worried about it again dying off each year and starting with new growth every spring. Unless there's a very hard variety with a long bloom time for Zone 5.

Any other suggestions or advice? I'm even ready to plant morning glories or cardinal flowers or moonflowers there, at least it would be full each summer. I only rent the house, and the owner is fine with whatever I do with the garden, including this rose.

 

[Sheal]

What is your average lowest winter temperature please?

 

[Henderson]

Zero to 5°F is pretty common, but this last winter it got as low as -23°. Below zero temps aren't all that uncommon, just usually not to that extreme. Summer highs of 95° aren't unusual, but it's known to go higher as well. It's those winter extremes that seem to kill off the canes in the winter, but not the rose entirely, it always does come back.

 

[Sheal]

Roses will tolerate minus temps but not as low as -23F. You could try covering the canes with a garden fleece. I have recently planted a Clematis that will cope with 5F but it is yet to be tested through it's first winter. Take a look at this British site below. I realise you won't be able to order from them but it displays a number of Clematis that withstand low temperatures and you may be able to locate the plants in your area.

Buy Clematis Plants Online

Add structure and colour to your outdoor space with our reliable and beautiful clematis plants. Shop our large range today, all trialled at Perch Hill.

www.taylorsclematis.co.uk

 

[DirtMechanic]

Is there a japanese wisteria that would fit the bill? Clematis can be spindly looking. Aggessive regrowth and a contained area seem to also support the idea of wisteria. I dont think the chinese wisteria would make it.

 

[Henderson]

I've never heard of garden fleece and had to look it up. It seems possible, but not sure I'd welcome the look of it at the front of the house all winter. I'll look through more Clematis and watch for a temperature range listed, that site does have a lot as a guide.

I originally also thought about wisteria, but I was told by my neighbor that there used to be one in that spot and maybe a year before I moved in, they replaced it with the climbing rose. I thought that maybe the wisteria's growth was getting out of hand, if the base was very thick and woody. I was afraid it might end up being a nuisance to contain like the trumpet vine in the back, but I would think you could easily cut a wisteria to the ground, or better yet, cut a few of the vines back yearly, to keep it from growing into a thick woody stump, and it would regrow back rather quickly. Maybe I'll look into those again as well.

 

[DirtMechanic]

@Sean Regan would please post some of those beautiful pics of your wisteria? You live in a cold clime also, do you not? Well colder than my usda 8a anyway?

 

[Sean Regan]

@Sean Regan would please post some of those beautiful pics of your wisteria? You live in a cold clime also, do you not? Well colder than my usda 8a anyway?

Thanks fior the kind words.

We don't get a great range of temperatures. It does go down to a bit below freezing, but not for long.

But we aren't always successful.


This was a white one we had on the back of the house in 2005. But it died the following year amd had to be replaced by what we have now.

 

[Henderson]

Your wisteria is absolutely stunning, beautiful pics. I think my guess was right about why they removed it after seeing how thick your wisteria trunks are.

 

[Sean Regan]

Your wisteria is absolutely stunning, beautiful pics. I think my guess was right about why they removed it after seeing how thick your wisteria trunks are.

"You ain't seen nuffin'"

Wisterias grow likke weeds.

We inherited this wisteria on the side of the garage when we bought the house in 1972.
This is it in 1986 when I built our koi pool.

I built a pergola to support it as it grew. It got so heavy that I had to replace the original with a new pergola instead of 3" X 2" the main beams and support posts are now 4" X 4"


But it got very woody (replacement pergola)

and eventually the main part died as the root rotted.

The only bit that survived was the bit with the bungee strap on it which grows along to top of the fence between the garage and the house and then on to half of the pergola on the back of the house.

Even that had a bit of rot at the base so I covered it with some clear silicone in 2016 and it's been OK since.

Since then we've had some "stringers" growing up from where the old plant had layer itself in a few places along this narrow bed, but not much foliage yet this year. Although it had more as here, last year.

We bought a white one last year and planted it in the middle of that small bed, which is doing quite well, this year. The stringers are struggling a bit, but are surviving. The previous photo was taken later than this last year.

 

[Henderson]

That is massive! Did you name it Audrey when you had to rebuild the pergola? I remember my Aunt having one at the front of her house when I was kid and always loved it. Too bad I never end up in a place that can support it.

Thanks for posting more pics, I enjoyed them.