Climber, Shrub Rose 'Portlandia'

Portlandia Rose thrives in my Zone 7A garden in Petersburg, Virginia, taking into account that I don't spray for black spot, and yes, tha...Read Moret does occur after the first burst of leaf and blossom in the late spring. I got Portlandia four or five years ago, the name appealing to me because of the comedy series rather than from the bronze statue in Portland, which I don't recall ever having seen when I was there. I ordered the rose from "Heirloom Roses," in Saint Paul, Oregon, and I believe Clements is the breeder. Up until this year, the rose was just hanging in there, but this spring it is full of blooms. (It may be due to an application of lime last year. I'd always heard that it enables plants to metabolize other nutrients. But I never seemed to get around to it until then, and this year, all my roses are doing exceptionally well. Margot Rochester, a garden columnist from South Carolina, said that she attended a program where the point was, forget everything you've ever heard about soil pH and add a handful of lime to each of your roses. It strengthens their resistance to black spot.. However, it takes about six months for lime to do its thing). Portlandia has a strong, sweet fragrance, and the blossoms are a rich pinky, salmony color, a lovely and slight variation of color in each rose. It is reaching up to about six feet this year. I don't have unlimited space for roses in my garden, but Portlandia very much earns its place.