Banksia Climbing Rose

Early in the Moosey garden's history the fence by the woodshed was planted with pink roses, in a very narrow border. I planted a yellow climbing rose, Banksia Lutea at one end, by the washing line. Such a tiny thing, cutting-grown...

 Hee hee...
Banksia Rose and the Washing Line

The Banksia rose slowly decided to cover the fence and the washing line, rather than climb up and over the plum tree, as was intended. Then one spring day while hanging out the washing I looked up - and saw all the flowers, high in the tree...

 Beautifully big...
Banksia Rose

Banksia Lutea causes no problems at the moment - I look forward to its soft yellow flowers which are the prelude to spring. It's one of the very first roses to flower. I wonder if the fence and the trees are actually strong enough to eventually support it.

 Climbing up into the plum tree.
Banksia Lutea - Spring 2010

Cutting Grown

Such a huge amount of growth, so quickly, from a tiny cutting - from sprig to giant in just sixteen years! I expect to hear a dreadful crash one night when the wind is gusting...

Banksias are thornless roses, making them pleasant to walk under, or pick branches from. There's also a white flowering variety, but I don't grow it. I doubt that I'd have any room!

In the Beginning...

Originally I planted two pink climbing roses nearby - Bantry Bay and Gerbe Rose. All should have been well, but they soon became far too shaded and squashed.

This next picture shows my first pink rose plantings in full flower. This was taken in the early days when the Banksia was still tiny, and there was enough space to share.

It gets very dry in here, so I shouldn't complain.
bantry bay and gerbe rose - from the archives

Things have changed since this photograph was taken in 1998. The pink roses have gone. RIP! And the Banksia rose has gone up, and up, and up...