The Stunning Variety Of Climbing Rose That Belongs In Your Retaining Wall Garden

Roses are a staple flower in many yards. Whether you have a quaint English cottage garden bursting with colorful blooms and winding, weathered stepping stone pavers or a modern space with sharp, clean lines, there is always room for a rose. If you have a retaining wall in your garden, it's useful to plant flowers along it that will spill out over the structure to create movement and flow. One perfect cascading flower for your retaining wall is the 'New Dawn' rose (Rosa 'New Dawn'), a climbing cultivar that brings whimsy and delight into any space.

With its dense, dark green foliage and abundant blooms, the 'New Dawn' rose is a stunning climbing rose variety. Its fluffy, light pink double blooms reach around 3 inches in width and cover the shrub from May or June, repeating until the first frost. The sweet scent of the flowers is almost intoxicating, with this cultivar being a real treat for the senses. Rose hips appear in the fall, adding seasonal interest through winter. The 'New Dawn' rose can grow 10 to 15 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide, but you may need a little patience as it grows — this gorgeous rose takes 5 to 10 years to reach its mature height and spread. 

Before you add this rose variety to your retaining wall, have a think about the location of the wall. Although south- and west-facing walls are usually best for climbing roses, south-facing walls trap and reflect warmth, which may cause your roses to suffer if you live in a warm climate. You should also consider the type of wall you have and how strong it is. Brick or masonry walls are usually best, as timber ones may rot under the roses.

'New Dawn' is an easy-to-grow rose variety, thriving in both full sun and partial shade in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. It prefers moist, fertile soils but can be tolerant of leaner soils. Even so, it may be useful to amend the soil with compost before adding this rose to your garden if the soil is particularly poor. Before planting your 'New Dawn' rose, it's helpful to attach support to the wall beforehand, as this can help you train it to grow downward in a cascading manner. This could be chicken wire or eye bolts or nails drilled into the wall.

During the first year, it is usually best not to train your climbing rose. Then, during the second year, you can start to train it along the wall, attaching it to its support, to encourage the plant to put on lateral shoots. You can then tie these new shoots with twine to the wall, directing them downwards. Guiding them in a fan shape will allow them to spread and promote good air circulation.

In terms of ongoing care, water your 'New Dawn' rose regularly, ensuring that you're watering it deeply every time. It flowers better when fed, so apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring and early summer. Apply mulch in the summer to help with moisture retention and block out weeds. To ensure its beautiful blooms stay abundant throughout the growing season, keep on top of deadheading. It is also useful to clear up any leaves that have died or dropped. Prune your 'New Dawn' rose in late winter or early spring, remembering the three D rule to properly prune them and promote good air circulation and avoid disease.