PlantFiles: Large-flowered Climbing Rose
Rosa 'Garden Sun'

I live in Zone 5, approximately 20 miles south of the New Hampshire border, and for two years this rose has done very well. Despite receiving maybe three hours of sun/day it does bloom. Also, this summer and spring we have had record rainfalland that has not fazed it, either bloom- or disease -wise.

my experience with this rose was both positive and negative -- for the first few seasons it grew vigorously and bloomed prolifically. BUT last season, after an especially harsh winter, it appeared to be dead, dead, dead -- canes were black. i had occasion to speak to steve hutton, pres. of conard pyle, parent company of star roses. he informed me that in pennsylvania, also zone 6, they experienced the same drastic dieback. his conclusion was that they released the rose rated for a zone farther north (zone 6) than it could survive over the long term. a few weeks after cutting my two climbers back to the ground in anticipation of grubbing them out, both had produced new canes, approx. 30 inches tall by late may. these appeared to be coming from above the bud union, not the rootstock. reluctantly, i dug them out and gave them away to a coworker who has a summer home in cape may, nj (Zone 7). i'm hoping they will be happier there. too bad -- such a pretty rose, and after a tremendous june flush, it repeated until november.