'Blaze' of glory in Boise - Mountain Garden Guide - planting and care of Blaze climbing rose - Brief Article

Sunset, Feb, 2002 by Suzanne Touchette Kelso

Seven years ago, Jay and Rosemary Hill of Boise planted two Blaze' roses on each side of an 8-foot-tall, 8-footwide arch at the entry to their Boise garden. As they grew, the plants were trained by weaving new canes through the wrought-iron arch and tying them in place. The two plants took four years to cover the arch completely. Large clusters of 2- to 3-inch cup-shaped blossoms with slight fragrance cloak the canes during peak bloom in late spring, followed by sporadic flowers into summer.

First introduced in 1932, 'Blaze' ranks as one of the best climbing roses to plant on a fence or trellis. In addition to its floriferous nature, 'Blaze' is very cold-hardy and resists disease.

Each spring, the Hills' roses are fed with a mix of controlled-release fertilizer, blood meal, and bonemeal. At the same time, the plants are pruned to follow the shape of the arch and thinned to improve air circulation. Once the roses finish blooming, spent blossoms are removed and the plants are fertilized again. During summer, the plants are watered for 20 minutes daily by a drip-irrigation system, supplemented by deep soaking with a hose once in a while, depending on the weather.