More than 300 rambler varieties are being grown and preserved on the grounds of America’s Rose Garden in two nurseries initiated by Master Rosarian Claude Graves. He has amassed the largest collection of rambler roses in the U.S. and one of the largest collections in the world. His goal is to collect and grow the rare varieties of rambler roses, saving them from extinction. He is making them available to rose nurseries, botanical gardens and public places, as well as to individual rose gardens and gardeners throughout the United States, an ambitious undertaking to preserve these historic roses.

“These giant, hardy, once blooming roses were the magnificent climbing roses that graced the pergolas, arbors and walls of the world’s greatest public and private gardens at the turn of the 20th century. With the advent of reblooming climbing roses in the 1930s the once blooming ramblers fell out of favor, and most varieties eventually disappeared from commerce in the U.S. Over the next 50 years a complete ARS classification of roses essentially disappeared from America’s gardens. Once collected in the home garden of the late Anne Belovich, a large percentage of the varieties in Anne’s extensive collection are no longer available in commerce in the U.S., and only a few can be found in specialized nurseries and historic gardens primarily in Europe. Many are not in commerce anywhere and only exist in private collections.” Claude Graves

Many varieties in the collection are one of kind in the U.S. and not available to gardeners or botanical gardens today. Claude Graves is establishing partnerships with retail nurseries who will propagate and sell ramblers, and with public gardens that will display rambler roses for public enjoyment and education.

This preservation project helps to fulfill the American Rose Center’s mission to promote the culture, preservation and appreciation of the Rose and its history in the United States.