Head Gardeners Recommend These Climbing Roses For Shady Garden Areas

Climbing roses come in a wide variety of colours and can help to create a fantastic look wherever they’re used.

“If I had to choose one plant that I couldn’t live without, it would be the rose,” shares Horticulturist Sam Hickmott.

“With an enormous selection of species and cultivars to choose from to suit a range of sites and situations, roses provide a combination of colour and scent that is rarely matched by other planting.

“They can also provide useful structure within borders, particularly the larger shrub roses, as well as food for birds and pollinators.”

Climbing roses are extremely popular in the UK and can be seen adorning the walls of countless homes across the country.

Although they’re very often used on walls, you can also have them in your garden, on pillars, fences, gates, patios and elsewhere.

“All gardens should contain roses,” says Elliott Beveridge, an expert Gardener.

“Their versatility is amazing, from large single flowering ramblers to repeat flowering shrub roses. I always incorporate them in any garden that I work in.”

Without further ado, let’s look at some of the best climbing roses for shaded areas –

1) ‘The Generous Gardener’

One of the more popular varieties of climbing rose, ‘The Generous Gardener’ has beautiful pink petals that open to reveal an array of stamens.

This rose doesn’t just look great though, it’s very practical too thanks to being resistant to disease and its ability to do well in shade.

2) ‘Mortimer Sackler’

This is another great climbing rose to use in shaded areas.

It’s not dissimilar in appearance to ‘The Generous Gardener’ due to its pink petals, but it still has a distinct appearance of its own and looks great when used alone or with other roses.

3) ‘New Dawn’

‘New Dawn’ is a favourite with many gardeners and for good reason.

Not only does it look great, with its distinctive pearl pink petals, but it also has a very pleasing scent.

It’s also resistant to disease and can cope well in shade and in poorer soils.

4) ‘Emily Gray’

Another rose that does well in shaded areas is ‘Emily Gray’.

It’s an incredibly beautiful looking rose, with golden petals and yellow stamens.

It’s very healthy, especially when compared to other yellow ramblers and can tolerate shade very well.

It’s worth noting that ‘Emily Gray’ only flowers in the summer but when in full bloom, it’s one of the most beautiful climbing roses there is.

5) ‘Rambling Rector’

This fast-growing rose would be perfect for larger gardens since it can grow to 30ft and above.

Its white petals and yellow centre create a very distinctive look and although it only flowers during the summer, it’s still a great choice of climbing rose for shaded areas.

6) ‘Teasing Georgia’

This yellow rose is incredibly beautiful, with its tightly packed petals in the centre and paler petals around the sides.

It has a great scent and would be perfect on a north wall due to its ability to cope with shade and overall hardiness.

7) ‘Zephirine Drouhin’

The deep pink shade of this rose makes it a great choice if you’re looking to add some vibrant colour to your garden.

It flowers from July until September and is one of the most reliable climbing roses.

It’s also the only one in this list without thorns.

8) ‘Claire Austin’

9) ‘Alberic Barbier’

10) ‘James Galway’

11) ‘Phyllis Bide’

12) ‘Kew Rambler’

13) ‘Paul Noel’

14) ‘The Pilgrim’

15) ‘Veilchenblau’

Growing Tips For Climbing Roses

Although climbing roses can grow in a variety of conditions, there are steps to follow if you want them to be at their healthiest.

Firstly, you should always plant them in soil that’s fertile and in good condition.

It’s also a good idea to plant them in areas that get decent exposure to the sun but with a decent amount of shelter too.

If you’re using one of the varieties mentioned above, then you can plant in semi-shade, but avoid positions that are in heavy shade for much of the day.

You’ll also need to water the roses quite regularly, especially in the first season after they’ve been planted and during dry spells in the summer.

It’s a good idea to plant climbing roses in late winter or early spring since this will give the roots time to get established before the drier weather in the summer.

If you plant them in late winter, then make sure the soil isn’t frozen when you put them down.

Planting

The most important thing when planting climbing roses is to ensure you dig the hole wide enough so it can accommodate all the roots.

You should also make the soil at the bottom of the hole loose so that roots will be able to grow into it more easily.

Once you’ve dug the hole you should carefully place the plant and lightly pack the soil around it and water it well.

Maintenance

As for pruning, you’ll mostly need to do this in the first couple of years as the roses are still establishing themselves.

After this, you’ll need to do some light pruning in late winter or early spring.

When pruning, you should cut back the lateral canes to encourage growth. You should also get rid of any dead leaves around the roses as this will encourage growth too.

“If the rose becomes dense and congested, you should prune out some of the oldest stems at the base to encourage light and air movement for the remaining stems,” shares Colin Skelly, a Master Horticulturist..

“Keep in mind that although these roses tolerate partial shade, they will not thrive in prolonged heavy shade.”

You’ll need to water climbing roses regularly if you want them to flourish. It’s best to water them in the morning. Be sure not to overwater them though, as saturated soil can easily lead to fungal diseases.

It’s also a good idea to feed roses with organic fertiliser, with early spring being the best time to do this. You should consider adding some mulch in the late autumn too since this will provide some much-needed insulation during the winter.