I live in zone 5, when is the best time to plant climbing roses and what is the best variety?
As others have said, wait until next spring and buy from a reputable local nursery that carries varieties suitable to your Zone 5 conditions. Some hardy climbers:
Captain Samuel Holland, red.
John Cabot, red.
William Baffin, deep pink.
Seven sisters, actually a rambler that can be tied to grow as a climber. Shades of deep pink in clusters fading to pale pink. This one is hardy to Zone 4; the others, bred in Canada (the “Explorer” series) are hardy to Zone 3.
Ask your nursery if theirs are “own root” roses. Many roses are grafted on wild rootstock, and the graft must be buried so that if your shrub dies back to the ground, it will grow again from the graft and not the rootstock. “Own root” roses are grown – strange as it sounds – on their own roots; they are not grafted and are more reliable.
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