Name: Rosa ‘Meiroupis’ aka Colette climbing rose
Type of Plant: Climbing rose for full sun – hardy zones 5 -9
Why I love this: If I had to name one climbing rose as my favorite, I’d have to say it was Colette. I’ve grown this rose in full sun and part-sun over the past fifteen years and every year I take complete delight in how the plant performs, the fragrant bloom, and the double “cabbage rose” look of its flowers. Colette has peachy-pink blossoms that are about three to four inches across. It is very disease resistant and even in a bad year for blackspot, this plant seldom has much damage. When deadheaded Colette continues to bloom later in the summer and through the fall, and the flower power in June is just stunning.
A Word to the Wise: Like all roses, this plant does best in full sun and doesn’t like to be hit frequently with water. I fertilize my plant at least once a year with an organic fertilizer and it would probably appreciate it if I gave it another application or two, but frankly, I forget. Despite this near-neglect, Colette performs beautifully in my garden.
Two of my all time favorite plants in combination: Colette climbing rose and Lonicera periclymenum ‘Belgica’ – aka Belgica honeysuckle. The flowers on both plants are the same peachy-pink color and both are fragrant. In fact, when the windows to either side of my front door are open at night the honeysuckle fragrance fills the house.
Ruffled petals, disease resistance and fragrance too. How could I NOT love this plant?
