No Space for Roses?

    Usually when I think of climbing roses I picture one spreading voluptuously along a fence, clambering up a brick wall, or weaving through a wooden trellis affixed to the side of a house, taking up a good deal of space.  What if you couldn't devote that amount of space to a rose?  An add for tomato cages started me thinking about the wasted vertical space in my garden.  "What if I used a large tomato cage to train a climbing rose?" I mused.  Set upside down in the garden, the cages would not take up much horizontal space.  I wondered about their sturdiness.  Would they topple over in the wind?  I could secure them with long, bent wires shoved into the ground.  Perhaps a wooden or metal finial could bring the loose wires on the narrow end of the cage together decoratively.  I thought about spray-painting the cage dark green with a tough, outdoor lacquer.  Next spring I'd like to try this idea to see if it's feasible.
      After considering the tomato cages I turned my attention to the problem of which rose to train?  Obviously, a rampant rambler is not a good candidate!  Something sedate that doesn't climb too high would be just right.  Polka, Pinata, or Joseph's Coat would be good ones to try because they are suited for training as pillars.  Reported to be somewhat tender, expect cane dieback on Joseph's Coat if you live in Michigan.           
      No doubt there are many more climbers that would be appropriate.  Climate will be a factor determining size.  Judicious pruning would also be required to keep any climber secured to a tomato cage within bounds. 
      As the rose grows, twine the canes around the metal support wires.  Bending the canes in this way stimulates the growth of blooming laterals, setting the stage for opulence! 
     

Graphic by Broderbund Clickart

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