Please excuse the long post, I need to vent.

Last year, my father told me that one of his shrub roses rooted next to the bush by branch layering, and did I want the new plant? Sure! He dug it up and I planted it in my garden in one of the better spots, full sun. I have precious few of those.

This spot was previously a no-mans land, under the canopy of several big maple trees and an oak, pretty much filled with weeds. I had cleaned it out best I could over the past couple years so it was presentable, but couldn't really grow much there. Too much shade, too many roots. I just wanted it to be weed free, at least. When the property owner unexpectedly took several trees down it became a great sunny spot! Whoo-hoo! I now had a place to plant some roses.

I had spent the prior spring and summer building new beds elsewhere as I had the year before, and did not work much in this section of the yard. I did not know the trees were coming down so I was not prepared for some nice full sun beds. Instead, I used it as "nursery" area for some arbor day trees, a few divisions from my dad's house and pot ghetto. I had no formal plan for this area yet and had many other garden projects in the works so I spent little time there. Basically, that bush went pretty much unnoticed, but seemed to do okay.

This spring that area is priority. I have several roses I grew from cuttings two winters ago in pots waiting to be planted and have a better idea of what I want this area to look like.

Our winter was mild and some things never truly went dormant, so I had lots of time to watch this bush. "This thing looks nothing like the cutting I rooted of my dad's bush! Why? Is it just more mature? Makes no sense!" I let it go, but the fear built in my heart. I didn't want to know.

By early spring it was all too clear. Not his shrub rose.

I knew for the longest time that it was suspect, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and let it stay, hoping my suspicions were incorrect and that it would not be what I thought it was. Threw some big-a** canes recently, it did. Hmmm...? I even waited for the first bloom, hoping for the best but knowing better.

Rosa Multiflora! Crap!!

I don't know what to do. We have lots of RRD around Philadelphia, much within a mile or two. I suspect there is an infected Multiflora up the block on the street side.

I am such a bleeding heart I have serious trouble digging out plants and discarding them. The yard is so small and there are so many other roses I would like to plant there. But, I am heartbroken that I have to dig up this bush my dad dug up for me. Crap! I know he could care less, he said "Just throw it in the trash!". I know I will be more heartbroken if it becomes infected and infects other roses I am trying so desperately to grow, or turns into a giant monster, which I know it will.

I am dreading digging it out and have been putting it off for some time, as it gets bigger. I have no idea what to do with it. It is healthy and I hate the idea of ditching it. Apparently, I am not a shovel pruner. Even the dreaded violets are planted with care under trees and hostas in this yard, and throughout the perennials. I can't help but love them, too! Multiflora, well, not so much. But still, killing it and all when it's healthy just seems wrong. Heart says move it, mind says toss it. I am sure just toying with the thought of keeping it freaks out plenty of people on here. However, I know some of you do grow it.

I guess it should be removed. I wish I could plant it somewhere else, but where? I don't know. In the shade? That is all that I have. Perhaps it will be a tame, manageable little bush in part sun, part shade? Probably not. Maybe I should do that, and if it lives, it lives.

What a bummer.

End of rant. Thank you for listening. Any thoughts are welcome.

Back to the garden.