Heavenly climbers: roses are the stars of this Mendocino garden - gardening with roses - includes notes on horticultural events in San Francisco Bay Area

Sunset, Feb, 2004 by Lauren Bonar Swezey

At Mendocino's Whitegate Inn, two roses give the garden a softly romantic look. Covering the fence and creeping up a trellis is a three-year-old 'Sally Holmes' rose. This vigorous shrub, usually grown as a climber, produces huge clusters of single pinkish blooms. (The largest bloom flush is in spring; spent blooms are clipped regularly to keep new flowers coming.)

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Against the cottage wall is an 'American Pillar' rose. This hybrid Wichuraiana--developed from Rosa wichuraiana and introduced in the early 1900s--produces large clusters of up to twenty 2 1/2-inch-wide single pink flowers that cover the foliage in midspring.

February isn't too late to plant your own climbing roses; other showy varieties to look for include 'Altissimo' (red flowers), 'CI. Iceberg' (white), and 'CI. Sutter's Gold' (yellow). You can plant the roses at the base of a fence and weave their canes between the slats. To train them against a wall, tie their canes to baling wire stretched horizontally between hook eyes.

RELATED ARTICLE: Events

PALO ALTO, FEB 28. "Plant Propagation 101," a class taught by Foothill College teacher and Master Gardener Jim Kern, at Gamble Garden. Learn the basic techniques for gathering, storing, and germinating seeds; rooting plant cuttings; dividing plants; and soil preparation. 9-11; $20 for Gamble Garden members, nonmembers $25. 1431 Waverley St.; www.gamblegarden.org or (650) 329-1356.

SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAYS STARTING FEB 15. Garden talks during the Garden Market at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza. Noon; free. Embarcadero at Market St.; www.cuesa.org or (415) 291-3276.

SAN FRANCISCO, FEB 21-29.

Pier 39 hosts its 25th annual Tulipmania, exhibiting more than 39,000 tulips representing 65 varieties--the largest display in the Bay Area. Docent-led tours are offered by the landscaping staff. Tours at 10 and 1 (tulips can be viewed anytime); free. Embarcadero at Beach St.; www.pier39.com or (415) 705-5500.

Clipping

Great garden website. Looking for the scientific name of a specific type of bamboo? Trying to find out which plants are listed as noxious weeds in California? The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service website (http://plants.usda.gov) offers a wealth of information to help you answer these and many more questions about plants.