Whether you consider it to be a climber or a huge shrub, Sally Holmes is a rose that is hard to beat when it comes to showstopping beauty. I have a couple of Sallys covering a long, boring fence. They easily top the 6-foot fence with an abundance of roses. Flowers are produced in large clusters, almost rhododendron-like. Each flower is single and creamy white. Buds are a delightful apricot pink.
What I love about Sally Holmes is that it is quite low maintenance for all of the beauty it produces this time of year. I hardly water it during the summer. It gets a light application of alfalfa pellets in the late spring. Pruning is just to shape and keep in bounds. The foliage is quite clean for the most part, meaning black spot, rust and powdery mildew do not affect it much.
Sally Holmes is a heavy, large rose that needs good support. Don’t put it on a flimsy trellis. It looks great scrambling up an old redwood stump. Use it to cover an eyesore or to soften an unsightly view. As with all roses, this one needs full sun.
Terry Kramer is the retired site manager for the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. Contact her at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.