Bred by Captain George C. Thomas in 1925 and crossing R. luciae with the old Crimson Rambler, Bloomfield Courage belongs to a family of vigorous ramblers built for covering structures rather than fitting tidily into borders. Expect this rose to reach 12 to 20 feet tall and spread 10 to 12 feet wide, a genuine architectural plant suited to large pergolas, stone walls, and outbuildings. The summer flowers are single, a deep true red with a clean white center and bright yellow stamens, appearing in such dense clusters that the dark green foliage nearly disappears beneath them.

One bloom period per year is the honest bargain with Bloomfield Courage, though occasional repeat blooms appear later in the season. Leave some of those spent clusters unpruned and the rose will reward you with a crop of small hips that carry color into fall. Stems are notably prickle-free by rambler standards, which makes training onto support far easier than the usual rose-pruning ordeal. Grow in zones 6 to 9, in full sun with moist, well-drained soil, and plan for the scale this rose genuinely needs.