One of the most popular and famous among white roses is the climbing Iceberg rose. The reason for this is that this plant is unpretentious and capricious, has good winter hardiness in our conditions, and its beautiful and delicate semi-double white flowers are resistant to rain and wind and perfectly retain their decorative qualities right up to frosts.
At the peak of popularity
Rosa Iceberg, climbing, the photo of which you can see in this article, is a variety of the most beautiful variety that adorns gardens around the world for more than half a century - Schneewittchen from the Floribunda variety of varieties. It was created in Germany by specialists from Wilhelm Cordes and Sons in 1958. In English-speaking countries such as Australia, the UK and the USA, the variety is better known as Iceberg. Its climbing form appeared ten years later in the famous English nursery Cants of Colchester.
Plant description
As mentioned earlier, the climbing Iceberg rose comes from the German Schneewittchen rose variety. Having retained all the positive qualities of the parent variety, it differs from it primarily in height, as it can grow more than two meters. Under favorable conditions, the Iceberg climbing structure can grow up to 3 meters in width. Subject to agricultural cultivation techniques and good winter shelter, the climbing rose Iceberg Climbing forms a vigorous bush, which in adulthood acquires a rounded crown shape. The advantage of this variety is a small number of thorns. The leaves are smooth and shiny, light green in color. The plant is quite winter-hardy, but even if last year's shoots were frozen and not preserved, the rose will still bloom - on the shoots of the current year. The climbing Iceberg rose is growing quite quickly, which allows it to decorate various buildings and fences. Despite the many advantages, this rose variety, according to experts and gardeners, has one significant drawback - a very faint, almost imperceptible smell.
Ah, what roses!
On the Iceberg pink bush, elongated pinkish or greenish buds are tied, opening into snow-white flowers. If the summer turned out to be cold, then the core of the opened flower can change its color to creamy yellow, turning into a light pink hue. The size of a half-double flower is small, as a rule, does not exceed 9 cm. The wicker Iceberg rose forms from 3 to 15 flowers, collected in large loose brushes, and pleases with two blossoms in season.
This is possible only when all faded inflorescences have been removed in a timely manner. Outwardly, very fragile, snow-white flowers endure rain and wind, without losing their decorative qualities.
Where to find her a place?
A lot of sun, fertile and well-drained soil, a place protected from wind and waterlogging - only if all these conditions are met, the climbing rose Iceberg can show itself in all its glory. Reviews from Russian gardeners suggest that plants of this variety grow and bloom in our climate. It is only important to create optimal conditions for them:
- Well ventilated but protected from sudden gusts of wind.
- Rose is a sun-loving plant. In the shade or partial shade, it can grow, but you will not have to wait for a beautiful and powerful flowering in these conditions.
- The soil should be well fertilized, because it is not for nothing that they say about the rose that she is the queen of manure.
- It is important that the soil under the rose bush absorbs moisture well, but does not become saturated with it, that is, it must be drained.
- The roots of the plant should receive not only nutrition, but also air. That is why experienced gardeners recommend that after each watering, carefully loosen the soil around or mulch the soil under the bush. This will help to avoid compaction of the upper soil layer, and the aeration of the root system will not be disturbed.
- You can not plant seedlings in the lowlands and under the trees, as well as in those places where roses used to grow. If there is no other place, you will have to change the soil to a depth of 50 cm.
- It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the planted bushes, timely recognizing the first signs of disease or pest damage.
How to care for her?
It is better to plant climbing roses in central Russia in the spring, when the soil warms up to + 10-12 0 C, but the buds on the plants have not yet woken up. You can plant young plants in September, while it is important that the buds do not grow and the bush is rooted. But the unpredictability of the weather can interfere with normal rooting.
Soil and a pit for planting roses are prepared in advance, from autumn or a month before planting. During this time, the components of the soil mixture are mixed and it settles down. The following fertilizers are added to it based on the calculation of 1 m 2 :
- 500-1000 g of wood ash;
- 500-1000 g of lime;
- 500 g of bone meal;
- 100 g of superphosphate.
In the place where the roses are planned to be planted, a hole is dug with a depth of 70 cm and a size of 60x60 cm. The upper fertile layer is carefully removed and laid separately from the rest of the soil. A layer of gravel, broken brick or pebbles is laid at the bottom. Then they pour 40-50 cm of the previously prepared soil mixture with fertilizers, after which they fill the pit with a fertile layer of soil.