My two huge rambling roses, Mulligani, which is climbing up the dead oak in the centre of the garden and Wedding Day which is climbing up an old ash tree in the back garden, are flowering away at the moment, with flowers reaching up into the sky. They only flower for about a month, but are so worth it as they make such a wonderful show.
This is Rosa Mulligani, up the dead oak.
The wildlife should be very safe and happy in there.
Some pruning back of dead beanches and tying in of new ones is needed, but I’m not getting up there!
There are literally hundreds of flowers.
The stems have crept along the branches.
They creep until they reach the end and then they have nowhere to go!
All around the tree the flowers have made a solid ring of lovely white blooms.
There is still some more of the trunk for the rose to climb, I’m not sure if it rose foliage I can see up the trunk or not, maybe next year I will find out!
They make a nice covering for the arbour underneath.
Rosa Wedding Day is climbing up an old ash in the back garden. It was planted 19 years ago to mark our daughter’s Wedding Day.
Wedding Day has managed to climb right up to the top of the ash tree, I don’t know how tall that is, but it is much taller than the house.
About a 1/3rd of the way up.
about 2/3rds of the way up.
Right at the top, it has made it!
But if you look at the last photo you will realise that not everything in the garden is rosy. This is the first year that we have had so many bare branches at the top of the tree, I’m thinking that maybe we have the dreaded Ash Die Back which is sweeping the country. The other huge ash trees in the garden seem to be ok with full crowns, it might be that it is starting to die of old age as the trunk is very thick, but I think maybe at some time in the not too distant future I will have to get someone in to look at it. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I will just enjoy looking at my roses as they catch the rising sun each morning when I have my first wander of the day.
What a beautiful sight to greet you each morning Pauline and Mulligani is so prolific it’s hard to tell the oak beneath is dead! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your ash tree.
I love the view that greets me each morning Denise. Mulligani was planted almost 30 years ago, one of the first plants I put in when we moved here. Yes, I do have concerns over the ash tree, it will be so frustrating if it has to come down because of ash die back. I’ll just have to wait and see if it gets any worse. I don’t know what will happen to the rose if the tree does have to come down, maybe the trunk could be left as a support for it.
What fabulous cascading roses Pauline. Is there much scent coming from them? I do hope that your ash has not been stricken. It sounds encouraging that your other ashes are o.k. We have a mature ash in the back garden which as we are in a hollow provides us with a degree of privacy. I dread it ever succumbing to ash dieback.
Thank you Anna, I’m afraid there isn’t much of a perfume from them, I have to get really close for a sniff, which is ok for Mulligani but not for Wedding Day as the flowers start too high up! I’m hoping the bare branches are a sign of old age as my other trees, we have 6, seem to be fine, time will tell.
Oh, such stunning ramblers! I have Mulligani it seems, thanks for the I.D! The thorns though! I really hope you don’t have the dreaded Ash die back, looking forward to hearing good news.xxx
Mulligani is the same rose that is trained neatly over the arbour in the white garden at Sissinghurst, so we are in good company Dina! I too am hoping that I dont have the dreaded dieback, would much prefer it to be just old age!x
‘Wedding Day’ – what an apt name! Do you have Emerald Ash Borer in the UK. I surely hope not. In any case, your climbing roses are magnificent.
To my knowledge Jason, we don’t have the Emerald Ash borer, thank goodness, Ash dieback is bad enough! Glad you like the climbing roses, they certainly look so pretty climbing so high into the sky.
Those roses are wonderful. I can’t think of a time when I’ve seen anything similar in this area. I wonder if it’s a matter of taste or if they just aren’t suited to this climate.
I hope your ash is ok and the other few are safe. As Jason said, ash trees are struggling here in North America and most die once the ash borer reaches the area. We have lost all ours in the last two or three years.
Thank you Frank, glad you like the roses. I thought I would try putting them up my old trees after seeing them in famous gardens over here, it has worked! They don’t get any attention from me, no watering or feeding, they do it all by themselves.
All ash trees in this country are at risk, just because someone imported some diseased ones from Europe. Why they had to bring them in from abroad I don’t know as they seed everywhere and are so easy to grow. They are our most common tree after the oaks and the countryside will look dreadful without them if a cure can’t be found.
What a majestic sight Pauline. The roses are joyous. Isn’t it sad when trees get old?
It is really sad when ancient trees come to the end of their life Susie, but then, I suppose it happens to us all! The dead oak has a second life acting as a support for the rose, it is such a huge tree and draws the eye, no matter where you are in the garden. The roses I have chosen need a really sturdy support to hold them, so huge trees are the answer.
Hi Pauline, I love a garden with history, like your Wedding Day rose. Your rambling roses are stunning! Your garden is filled with beautiful views, including views that take in long vistas and also close ups of beautiful plants like your roses.
Thank you Deb, I have quite a few plants in the garden to mark special occasions, it makes me think of people when I see them flowering. For years the garden was developing from a bare field almost, but now it is a very mature garden with hopefully views whichever way you look.