Rose 'Arthur Bell' (Climbing Rose)

Where to Plant Roses

Choose a sunny position with fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Climbing ‘Arthur Bell’ is ideal for training against a wall or fence or over an arch, pergola or other sturdy support. Leave enough room for its vigorous growth and position it somewhere you can enjoy the fragrance of its flowers.

Planting Bare Root Roses

Before planting, soak the roots in a bucket of water for a couple of hours. Dig a generous hole wide enough for the roots to spread out naturally without bending or crowding them. Position the rose so the graft union – the swollen point where the stems meet the roots – sits around soil level, then backfill, firm gently and water thoroughly.

Planting Potted Roses

Water the rose well before planting and dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball. Remove the plant carefully from its pot, position it at the same depth it was growing previously, backfill with soil and gently firm around the roots. Water thoroughly after planting.

Training a Climbing Rose

Climbing roses don't cling to their support by themselves, so tie the main stems to strong horizontal wires, a trellis or another sturdy framework as they grow. Fan the stems out rather than training them all vertically, as this encourages more flowering side shoots along their length and helps create a fuller display.

Watering & Feeding

Keep newly planted roses well watered while they establish, particularly during warm, dry weather. Feed established plants as growth begins in spring and again in early summer. An annual mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost will help retain moisture and improve the soil.

Top Tip

Train the main stems out across the support while they're still young and flexible. Spreading them horizontally or in a broad fan will help you cover more space and encourage flowers lower down as well as towards the top of the plant.

When to Prune

Prune established Climbing ‘Arthur Bell’ in late winter, removing dead, damaged or diseased growth first and checking that the remaining stems are securely tied to their support.

Pruning Climbing Roses

Keep the strongest main stems to form a permanent framework rather than cutting the whole plant back like a bush rose. Shorten flowering side shoots growing from these main stems and gradually remove older, less productive stems when necessary to make room for vigorous new growth.

Keep the Flowers Coming

Remove faded flower clusters during the flowering season to keep the plant looking tidy and encourage further blooms. Tie in strong new stems as they develop so they become part of the flowering framework for future seasons.

Top Tip

Don't let all the new stems head straight upwards. Tie some out at an angle or horizontally across the support to encourage more flowering shoots and create a fuller wall of roses.

Make the Golden Flowers Glow

The rich yellow flowers of Climbing ‘Arthur Bell’ look gorgeous with blues and purples. Grow clematis through the same support or add salvias, nepeta and hardy geraniums around the base to bring out the warmth of the golden blooms.

Soften the Base

Lower-growing perennials can soften the point where your climbing rose meets the border while the rose provides height above them. White, pale blue and soft purple flowers work particularly well with its changing shades of golden and creamy yellow.

Bring in Spring Colour

Plant spring bulbs amongst the surrounding perennials for an earlier display. As their flowers begin to fade, fresh rose growth will be climbing into place ready to take the garden into summer.

Top Tip

Leave some clear space immediately around the base of your rose so neighbouring plants don't compete too closely for water and nutrients and you can easily feed, mulch and water it.

Your Rose – Climbing

Climbing ‘Arthur Bell’ produces long, vigorous stems that can be trained over walls, fences, arches and pergolas. Its repeat-flowering golden blooms make it a great choice when you want to bring both height and months of colour to your garden.

Other Types of Rose

Hybrid Tea Roses

Hybrid Tea roses are prized for their large, beautifully formed flowers, usually carried individually or in small groups on strong stems. Many are highly fragrant and their strong stems make them particularly good roses for cutting.

Floribunda Roses

Floribunda roses produce their flowers in generous clusters, creating plenty of colour over a long period. They usually have a bushy habit and repeat flower through summer, making them excellent choices for beds, borders and larger containers.

Shrub Roses

Shrub roses develop into naturally shaped bushes and are particularly useful for adding height and structure to borders. Their flowers vary from simple open blooms to large, fully double roses, depending on the variety.

Rambling Roses

Rambling roses generally produce longer, more flexible stems than climbing roses and are excellent for covering larger structures, pergolas and mature trees. Many produce impressive displays of smaller flowers carried in generous clusters.

Flower Carpet Roses

Flower Carpet roses are a range of ground cover roses bred for their spreading habit, long flowering season and good garden performance. They're particularly useful for creating low-maintenance colour in borders, banks and larger planting schemes.

Persica Roses

Persica roses are instantly recognisable by the contrasting eye at the centre of their flowers. Modern varieties combine this distinctive colouring with repeat flowering and strong garden performance.

Bare Root Roses

Bare root roses are supplied during autumn and winter while they are dormant. Although they may look simple and leafless when they arrive, the plants have stored energy in their roots ready to support fresh growth once conditions warm in spring.

How They Arrive

Your bare root rose will arrive without a pot or compost around its roots. Unpack it promptly and aim to plant it as soon as possible.

If You Can't Plant Straight Away

Keep the roots covered with moist soil in a cool, sheltered place and keep the stems dry. Aim to plant within seven days, avoiding frozen or waterlogged ground.

Planting Bare Root Roses

Soak the roots in a bucket of water for a couple of hours before planting. Dig a generous hole, improve the soil with compost or well-rotted organic matter and position the rose so the graft union sits around soil level. Backfill, firm gently and water well.

Potted Roses

Potted roses are established plants supplied ready to plant and can be planted at almost any time of year, avoiding frozen, waterlogged or extremely dry conditions.

How They Arrive

Plants are carefully selected and pruned where necessary to encourage a strong, open framework. The pot is protected during transit to help retain moisture and safeguard the roots.

If You Can't Plant Straight Away

Place the pot in a sheltered outdoor position and water regularly to keep the compost moist until you're ready to plant.

Planting in the Ground

Dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball and plant at the same depth as it was growing in the pot. Improve the soil with organic matter where needed, firm gently and water thoroughly. Provide a strong support from the start and begin tying in the main stems as they grow.

Seasonal Appearance

The appearance of your rose will naturally vary depending on the time of year. In spring you'll see fresh new growth, while during summer plants may arrive in leaf or flower. In autumn and winter they may have yellowing leaves or be completely leafless as they enter dormancy. Fresh growth will appear again when conditions improve.

Growing On

Once established, Climbing ‘Arthur Bell’ develops into a vigorous climbing rose approximately 3.5m high × 2.5m wide, with glossy dark-green foliage and generous clusters of fragrant golden-yellow flowers that soften to creamy yellow as they mature.