Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Advice on roses - climbing ones, 1 by critterologist

critterologist wrote:
I just took a pretty good whack at my Zepherine Drouhine climbing rose... hopefully I didn't mess it up... but the canes were just getting out of control, and it was spilling out of its corner (with trellis), trying to take over the steps leading up to the deck. Now, I know it's virtually thornless, and I just bulldoze right past it -- but other people have been limbo-ing under it, so it was time to tame it back a bit!

BTW, I don't have the patience to fuss with roses, but I love this one... very little black spot (without spraying), and even the Japanese Beetles don't strip it down the way they do other roses. It's fragrant, and it'll even bloom in part shade (like on the north side of a house!).

Here it is blooming last spring.... I think I've got it whacked back to about this size again; we'll see how it grows out...