Hello Fellow Gardeners,

As far as I’m concerned, roses are a must have for any garden! Many feel that roses are difficult to grow, or don’t grow in our cold climates. Wrong! The proof is in the pictures of my own rose gardens above, and as you can see, there are lots of beautiful rose options for cold climates!

Today we’re going to continue our look at cold climate climbers! Make sure to check out The Best Climbing Roses for Cold Climates Part 1!

John Davis

John Davis features pretty pale/medium pink double blooms, a slight fragrance, and grows 6-7 ft tall! It is hardy to zone 3 with no winter dieback, and blooms from late June on.

New Dawn

New Dawn features lovely pale pink blooms, is moderately fragrant, and grows up to 6 -10 ft. It’s hardy to zone 4, but the feature that really sets this wonderful rose apart is how often it blooms…according to Heirloom Roses, New Dawn is “always in bloom!”

Alchymist

Alchymist features old fashioned blooms that fade from a pale coral to a pale yellow. It grows up to 12 ft, blooms only once (but it’s long lasting), and is hardy to zone 4. One of the characteristics that really makes this climber stand out is it’s strong fragrance!

I’ve personally owned all three of these gorgeous roses for several years now, and they’ve all done really well in my garden. Each of them have a unique feature that sets it apart! Climbing roses are some of my favorite roses because they can really make a statement in your garden! However, if you don’t have a special place to let them climb, you can also grow many climbers as shrub roses!

Stay tuned for more cold climate climbers!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

As you all know, roses are like chocolate for me—completely addictive! This is the time of the year I have to work really really hard to stay away from the rose catalogs that keep creeping into my mailbox! Unfortunately, my husband knows this and keeps a close eye on all things roses in our house, just to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand!

Let’s face it guys, when the ground is covered in the cold white fluffy stuff, you look at the catalogs and dream of Spring, and before you know it, you have more flowers and plants than you know what to do with! I’m certainly no exception!

However, if you’re like me and putting a self enforced limit on your garden purchases this year, the key is to buy the right flowers and plants! Here I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite climbers for cold climates, that I’ve had good luck with!

Ramblin’ Red

Ramblin’ Red is from the creator of “Knock Out” Bill Radler. Bailey Nurseries claims this rose is hardy to zone 3 without winter protection! This rose features a light sweet fragrance, repeat blooms, and grows up to 6-10 ft tall! Be aware that you must dead-head this rose if you want the blooms coming and coming and…

John Cabot

This beautiful deep pink/purple rose features double blooms, a slight fragrance, and grows to between 6 and 9 ft. It’s hardy to zone 4a, but I have it, and I’m in zone 3, and have not experienced any die-back despite a lack of winter protection.

William Baffin

According to Spring Valley Nurseries, this deep pink stunner, has been “grown successfully as far north as Zone 2b!” It features a slight fragrance, repeat blooming, and grows up to 10 ft tall!

I have a special place in my heart for climbers! Not only do they look spectacular, but they add their own special touch to my garden! The addition of both height and structure takes a garden from just so so to wow!

I have these three climbing roses in my own garden, and I have not had any problems with disease or die back! They’ve been virtually care free, (just fertilize, water, and some dead-heading) and they attract birds. These roses are simply stunning when they are in full bloom, and you get to enjoy them throughout the summer season!

Stay tuned for more climbers for cold climates!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

My last post talked all about aerobic compost, one of the components that help makes Highgrove gardens so spectacular. As promised, today we’re going to take a look at the other component–anaerobic compost.

Anaerobic simply means “without air.” Anaerobic compost is comprised of just two ingredients—leaves and woodsy stems, and produces a leaf mold that can help increase your soil’s nutrient content. This compost is low in nitrogen and high in humus, making it perfect for use in the fall! Just follow our handy diagram below…

Shredding the leaves and woodsy stems into a mulch will help speed decomposition!

Anaerobic compost is great all over the garden! In the fall, use the compost as a mulch! Simply lay the compost on top of your garden beds to protect them from the cold. Starting seeds? Mix the compost with your soil. Finally, this compost is great stuff if you have soil heavy in clay because it helps separate the particles and allows good drainage!

If you would like to know more about aerobic compost, check out my previous article Composting the Royal Way. Also I highly recommend checking out “The Elements of Organic Gardening” a book by HRH Prince Charles of Wales and Stephanie Donaldson.

You’ll get great tips from head gardener David Howard, Prince Charles’ head gardener, see stunning photographs of Highgrove (one of the most beautiful gardens in the world) and not to mention, you’ll get an inside peak at gardening the royal way!

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, ideas, and inspiration on cold climate gardening from the Daily Weeder!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne