Climbing Rose: How to Not Give Up This Repeat Bloomer

I bought this climbing rose last year (2024) at Lowe’s. It was just a bare stem in a container. I didn’t plant it right away – I waited until I saw some leaves to make sure the plant was actually alive.

Planting the Red Climbing Rose

Once I noticed new leaves growing, I decided it was time to plant. In our backyard, we had an old metal frame that looked like a clothesline, left behind by the previous homeowners. We never removed it since it was deeply embedded in the ground. It happened to be located beside our garage where I had made a flower bed, and it turned out to be the perfect spot because the metal post served well as a trellis.

When I planted the rose, I followed all the instructions and added fertilizer both under and around the soil before placing the plant. I also watered it every day. To my relief, it grew easily and developed many branches and lush green leaves. The foliage looked healthy throughout the summer, but I was puzzled because no flowers appeared.

Guiding the Branches

I began guiding the branches to climb up the metal frame using plant wrap tape for support. There were so many branches that I even had to use wooden stakes to help train some of them in the right direction.

Summer came and went with no blooms, and even when fall arrived and ended, still no flowers. During winter, I didn’t cover the base of the rose plant. The branches and leaves turned brown, and I left it outside in the cold. I was worried because temperatures dropped to -10°F and there were days of heavy snow. I told myself I might have to dig it up in spring if it still didn’t bloom, maybe there was something wrong with the roots.

Spring Recovery

When spring arrived, I noticed that the branches slowly started turning green again. Even the brown leaves from winter began coming back to life. I waited for the frost to pass before pruning, but April was still too cold and windy. I didn’t get a chance to prune it until May.

A Final Chance in May

When May came, I told myself I’d give this climbing rose one last chance this year. If it still didn’t bloom, I’d dig it up and replace it with another variety. My plan was, to remove it by fall if nothing happened.

A Pleasant Surprise

While I was in the backyard with my dog—as I often do to check on my plants—I noticed a small bud forming at the tip of one of the branches. At first, I thought it was just a cluster of baby leaves, but when I looked closer, it was definitely a bud! I inspected more branches, and sure enough, buds were forming at several tips. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing—so many buds!

The day I discovered the rose buds, it was quite windy and lightly raining. I wanted to fertilize the plant right away, but the weather wasn’t ideal. I waited until the next day when the wind had calmed down and the weather improved. Thank goodness, what a joy it was to see those signs of blooming at last!

First Week of June: Buds are Growing Fast

By the first week of June, the buds on my climbing rose were noticeably growing…and my goodness, there were so many! All I did daily was water them, except on days when it rained. Some buds had started to open, but the progress felt a little slow.

I suspect it’s because of the unpredictable weather. One day it rains, the next it’s windy, and then suddenly it turns cold and breezy again. The constant shifts might be the reason why the buds are taking their time to fully bloom.

Second Week of June: Blooms at Last

Come the second week of June, finally, some of the buds started to open! I was so happy to see them. The flowers looked vibrant and each bloom measured around 2–3 inches wide, making them truly eye-catching. Thank goodness I didn’t dig up this climbing rose ’cause I almost gave up on it!

My Climbing Rose Care Routine

This climbing rose isn’t hard to care for at all. I simply water it daily, unless it rains. I only applied fertilizer twice—once last year when I first planted it, and again just last month (May). I used around 3 tablespoons of rose fertilizer, sprinkled directly at the base.

A Few Pests, But No Major Problems

I did notice a small cluster of aphids on one group of buds, but they disappeared quickly. Probably because of the frequent rain. I haven’t done much pruning either, except for three brown stems that didn’t survive the winter (they didn’t turn green in spring, so I removed them).

All in all, this climbing rose has been very easy to grow. I hope my first-hand experience growing a climbing rose has been helpful. I’ll update this post from time to time as the plant continues to grow and bloom.

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy gardening! 🌹