Banksia Climbing Rose

Early in the Moosey garden's history the fence by the woodshed was planted with pink roses, in a very narrow border. I planted a yellow climbing rose, Banksia Lutea at one end, by the washing line. Such a tiny thing, cutting-grown...

Banksia Rose and the Washing Line

The Banksia rose slowly decided to cover the fence and the washing line, rather than climb up and over the plum tree, as was intended. Then one spring day while hanging out the washing I looked up - and saw all the flowers, high in the tree...

Banksia Lutea Climbing Rose

Banksia Lutea causes no problems at the moment - I look forward to its soft yellow flowers which are the prelude to spring. It's one of the very first roses to flower. I wonder if the fence and the trees are actually strong enough to eventually support it.

Banksia Lutea - Spring 2010

Cutting Grown

Such a huge amount of growth, so quickly, from a tiny cutting - from sprig to giant in just sixteen years! I expect to hear a dreadful crash one night when the wind is gusting...

Banksias are thornless roses, making them pleasant to walk under, or pick branches from. There's also a white flowering variety, but I don't grow it. I doubt that I'd have any room!

Nowadays the original pink roses I planted (Bantry Bay and Gerbe Rose) are almost invisible, and more than a little bit squashed. They of course flower after Banksia Lutea has finished, so all should have been well. It's just that that lovely yellow rose has become super-sized...

Where Have the Pink Roses Gone?

The next picture shows my first pink rose plantings in full flower. This was in the early days when the Banksia was still tiny.

bantry bay and gerbe rose - from the archives

Things have changed since this photograph was taken in 1998. Now you'll have to look much higher in the sky to see these two climbing roses in flower! And I'm cross with the Gerbe rose - it's rather forgettable, and has a tendency to black spot. For years I refused to give it a rose page of its own.