Rampant rose!

[Eric Hardy]

We are very proud of our Kiftsgate  . It has just reached the very top of the fir tree and using my Boy Scout?s method of measuring shadows I calculate that it is at least 45 feet high now  . It has even spread into the old apple tree to the right hand side of the picture. My long armed pruner reaches 15 feet so any bright ideas ? Some people don?t like it?s untidy habit but we like the rose but wonder where it will all end up 



I thought about this but we have no rear access  !



Eric H

[Lyn and Malcolm]

It's not tall enough to reach anyway Eric

Hope you are not near an airport 

Remembering your boy scout days.....hows about climbing trees.

And we don't have room for it here 

Malcolm

[Eric Hardy]

Remembering your boy scout days.....hows about climbing trees.

Mmmmm ? 

Incidentally, Malcolm, I think a couple of years ago we probably had a treecreepers nest in or near that tree. We were looking out of our kitchen window and we saw a procession of two adults and three babies walking headfirst down the tree. The tree does have that soft fibrous bark they are supposed to like. I would dearly have loved to have got a photo of them.

That Kiftsgate cost us £1. It was in a sale at the local garden centre so we thought we would give it a try. We didn't know what we were letting ourselves in for, did we? 

[ideasguy]

That is a fantastic shot Eric. Youve captured it top to bottom, and that is not easy.
What a plant!

[trishs]

I've just come across this post and picture and am wondering how things have progressed by now! ?

[Eric Hardy]

how things have progressed by now! ?

Well it is pretty rampant but at this time of year it is just a lot of long thin bare branches blowing about in the wind. My long handled pruners reach up to fifteen feet but above that there is not much can be done. The masses of bloom in the summer though makes up for everything.

Eric H

[trishs]

Relieved to hear that the supporting tree is still bearing up