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Posted: **Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:41 pm**

Anyone have experience with this climbing rose? I've never attempted roses before. I didn't think I had the "know-how" for them, and am still not sure I do. I saw a picture of this rose climbing a gate archway and had such lovely visions of how it would look over mine..I can still see it...

I have a "header" over the driveway gate that is 15' tall and 20' wide. I would so love see this rose bush rambling over it, just stock full of roses. I've read that it can reach 20 to 30 feet. My soil is sandy, but I have lots of cow manure available. I don't know if manure will be all it needs though. We have hot and humid summers here and lots of drought conditions. I have a water source right next to where I will be planting it so I will be able to keep it watered. I am in zone 8, or 8b as I have also seen it called.

Any advice or better suggestions as to what I should plant there?

Thanks in advance,

Linny

Posted: **Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:53 am**

Linny wrote:Anyone have experience with this climbing rose? I've never attempted roses before. I didn't think I had the "know-how" for them, and am still not sure I do. I saw a picture of this rose climbing a gate archway and had such lovely visions of how it would look over mine..I can still see it...

I have a "header" over the driveway gate that is 15' tall and 20' wide. I would so love see this rose bush rambling over it, just stock full of roses. I've reto d that it can reach 20 to 30 feet. My soil is sandy, but I have lots of cow manure available. I don't know if manure will be all it needs though. We have hot and humid summers here and lots of drought conditions. I have a water source right next to where I will be planting it so I will be able to keep it watered. I am in zone 8, or 8b as I have also seen it called.

Any advice or better suggestions as to what I should plant there?

Thanks in advance,

Linny

MAC is a GREAT rose. This is one of those roses that I would never want to be without. I've had two for almost 10 years now. It is VERY prolific, both in bloom and growth. I usually cut mine back each spring to a height of about 6 feet. It will easily grow more than double that size in one season. I have on occasion let it grow to about twenty feet high, but not much higher. I do know of people who have grown it taller than that.
I have mine growing in very sandy soil in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia (zone 7) It stands up extremely well to the heat and humidity, and is very resistant to disease. I have found that during very persistent humidity, it may get mildew, slightly, but this is always corrected very quickly with Soapshield spray.

MAC has great fragrance too and is very easy to grow. I really can't say anything bad about this rose in regard to my experience with it.

Posted: **Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:06 pm**

Thank you so much for your input. It makes me really excited about this rose.

MAC...how much easier to spelll!!

Thank you for your information. It will be very useful to me. It sounds like our growing conditions are pretty similar, so I am going for it.

One more thing...You mentioned Hampton Roads area. I was stationed at Fort Monroe back in the late 70's! My son was born in Hampton in 1978. I loved the area, really beautiful.

Thanks again for your help.

Linny

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:32 pm**

Linny wrote:Thank you so much for your input. It makes me really excited about this rose.

MAC...how much easier to spelll!!

Thank you for your information. It will be very useful to me. It sounds like our growing conditions are pretty similar, so I am going for it.

One more thing...You mentioned Hampton Roads area. I was stationed at Fort Monroe back in the late 70's! My son was born in Hampton in 1978. I loved the area, really beautiful.

Thanks again for your help.

Linny

Glad to help, Linny. One thing I forgot to mention, was that my MAC's have been dug up and moved (while dormant) TWICE!, when I relocated to another state, ....and on both occassions, my 15 ft plants were cut down to 10 inches tall, and they grew very vigorously to about 10 ft in the first year!

Like I said, it's a great rose.

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