Introduction to William Baffin Climbing Roses:
One of the very first things you will find out about William Baffins is how hardy they are in a wide variety of climates. In fact many rose breeders and growers suggest that this may very well be one of the hardiest roses they've ever grown, strong enough to survive in many northern Canadian climates. It also has a very strong resistance to blackspot and powdery mildew.
The William Baffin climbing roses have a very subtle fragrance, which is a common trait among climbing roses that are bred in Canada. What it lacks in fragrance however this climbing rose more than makes up for in style with profuse clustered of flowers numbering upwards of 30 blooms. After its initial offering of deep pink, semi-double blooms, you can expect to get sporadic blooms the remainder of the season until frost. With proper training and support, you can grow this variety as high as 8 to 10 feet tall.
History of William Baffin Climbing Roses:
William Baffin climbing roses were named after the English explorer and navigator who died in 1622, as a way to honor his life and legacy. The rose was bred in 1974 in Canada through open pollination of a red dawn x Suzanne and a Rosa kordesii, by Felicitas Svejda. It wasn't introduced until much later in 1983 when it was given its honorary namesake.
The William Baffin is a modern day shrub rose that produces blooms anywhere from 1" to 6" in diameter, with each bloom averaging about 20 petals. The foliage of this rose is also quite attractive with varying shades of darker greens. While technically bred to be a shrub, the long canes can grow quite long and this variety is frequently grown as a climbing rose and trained up archways and trellises. Like many climbing roses, this variety can also tend to get a little bare around the base of the plant however you can easily cover this up by planting low growing companions around it.
Growing William Baffin Climbing Roses:
William Baffin climbing roses were bred to be winter hardy roses and they certainly do best in the colder climates. If you live in a southern region with hot summers, this just might not be the rose for you. This rose is hardy in zones 2 through 9 however the very first season is it recommended that you give it a good ample mulching to help it survive and get established. Like many roses you are going to want to prune it in late winter or early spring, before it begins to grow foliage. You should get rid of any diseased canes as well as any that have already died. It is also a good time to prune your rose for the desired shape as well.
The William Baffin tends to have a lot of thorns on its stems and it can survive in locations with partial sun, which is a great feature for gardens that don't have available prime real estate. It also is fairly tolerant of most soil conditions and it has even been known to do well in urban environments where air pollution tends to be higher. While it can survive soil that is more damp in the northern climates, it absolutely does not like growing in standing water, so make sure you have good drainage.
Buying William Baffin Climbing Roses:
If you are like a lot of gardeners these days, then you will more than likely order your William Baffin rose online and have it shipped to you. When you do it will probably come in the early Spring as a bareroot plant. If you have never received a bareroot plant before don't be alarmed when you open the box and all you see is a mass of trimmed canes and roots. Your plant is still perfectly alive and healthy, it is just dormant and waiting to be planted, which is the best way to ship roses and many other types of plants.
Bareroot plants are harvested over the fall season and then are usually put into some form of cold storage over the winter. This allows them to go into dormancy while still controlling the temperature. Once the weather warms for various regions, companies will start to ship bareroot plants at the times appropriate for planting in each region. Your supplier will already have done the legwork on this for you and you are unlikely to receive a bareroot plant earlier than is appropriate for planting in your area. Planting bareroot plants is a rather simple process and we will explain more in the next section.
Planting William Baffin Climbing Roses:
Assuming that your William Baffin climbing roses arrived as a bareroot, the first thing you are going to want to do is unpack it and soak the dormant plant in water that is room temperature for several hours up to 24 hours. Do not soak it longer! Overnight is usually a good practice and be ready to plant it the following morning. Prune the new plant so that all of the canes are about 10 or so inches long, to a bud that is facing outward to promote outward new growth.
Pick a site that gets a minimum of 6 hours a day of full sunlight, but 8 or more is better. Also make sure you don't crowd in your new plants too close to existing ones. No matter how good the soil is in your location, it can always be better with more organic material. I like to dig my new plant holes very large and then line the hole with compost before planting. Then when you back fill, mix in a little more compost with the existing soil and you should have a nice start for your plant to get established.
If you are interested in other roses, or other types of gardens, be sure to check out the rest of our site for more valuable information and tips.
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