It’s no secret that gardening is a hobby that offers a beautiful end result, but it can also be a lot of work and meticulous care, especially when it comes to roses.
No one understands that better than a Reddit user who recently posted their prolific rose garden online, which features nearly 100 rose bushes in multiple colors and sizes.
They titled the now-viral post “Humble brag but also a big warning.”
“Climbing roses and ramblers do make a garden more romantic and structures like sheds and walls more aesthetic,” the user wrote of the climbers they have on their shed, which include Gertrude Jeckyll, Brise Parfum, Garden of Hex, Perennial Blue, and Rambling Rector. “BUT… they are also require much more attention and work than a standard rose bush. There are 5 climbers growing against my shed but they take as much time as maintaining more than 40 rose bushes.”
The user shared that climbing roses require more work because you need to train (and redo) the young canes and take older canes away after several seasons. There is also more cutting required of bloomed flowers to initiate another flush, and more cleaning up and cutting secondary branches in spring.
“I have around 40 climbers in total and it takes more time every year to look after them than trimming my hedges,” they wrote.
More than 150 users were quick to flood the comment section in a mix of agreeance and awe.
“Um. This is goals! But seriously, you’re not wrong. It’s a part-time job that you pay money INTO rather than getting paid for. But worth it!” one user wrote.
Another added, “I have commented on your absolutely gorgeous garden and structures before and find them so inspirational. And you are absolutely right about the time expenditure on climbing and rambling roses on those structures. I have eight 7’ obelisks (all David Austin climbers), a gazebo (4x Fourth of July), and large arch (2x Super Dorothy), in my rose garden and they absolutely take the majority of the maintenance time. But the result is glorious. Please continue to post your photos and thoughts on this truly special garden!”
Others expressed their own cautionary warnings for climbing roses.
“And the thorns on most climbing roses are vicious. I can’t walk past Mermaid without bleeding. Cut it right back to the base and didn’t care if it survived, now it’s bigger than ever,” one user wrote.
Another added, “My hands are always covered with (healing) wounds when I clean them up. I can’t work with gloves as it is impossible for me to bind canes with them. And to take them on and off all the time sucks as well.”
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