Moonlight Rose

I bought my first Moonlight rose after a serious bout of rose research. I wanted to grow roses other than the very modern ones, and the Hybrid Musks appealed as roses suited to a country garden.

My rose readings had suggested certain roses could be grown up and into trees. I really liked this idea, and Moonlight seemed an ideal tree-climbing rose. The Apple Tree Garden had three old fruit trees in it which weren't too big. So in (and up) went three Moonlight roses.

Apart from trying to prune out the dead wood I ignore the Moonlight roses. They are all grown on their own roots, too.

Oops

In the gardening year of 2010 the apricot tree decided it had had enough, and cracked in two. Down came the Moonlight rose which was by now rather large. It was blamed for the tree's demise. No way, I say! That tree was a disgrace, and would have slowly disintegrated over the years, rose or no rose. I had to prune about ninety percent off, but in a few months it was sending up new canes, as happy as ever. Older roses certainly know how to survive!