Syl Arena told me that he once asked Peter Beales why he had said that ZD was shade-tolerant.
Beales, he said, replied something to the effect that it must have happened in a moment of insanity.

Jeri

I have mine in an NE corner. It gets a lot of summer sun, but not a lot in the early spring when it sets out most of it's buds and blooms a lot. That's why I planted it there. I guess you could try moving it.

My 2 ZDs are several years old and have sun from early morning to around 2pm. The plants are healthy enough, but they are (and always have been) stingy bloomers. I've never understood why. I've tried pruning, not pruning, more feeding, less feeding, more water, less water, soil amendments, etc., etc., etc., but my ZDs won't budge. I plan to remove them (finally) and put something more pleasing to me in their spots.
Molly

ZD does a lot better with a lot of sun.

I had three ZDs in different locations, and the sunnier the location the bigger the plants and the more the blooms. The one in the shadiest location was by far the smallest and barely bloomed, no comparison to the other two which did very well, but were mainly spring bloomers in NC, z7b. Rich, moist soil is also appreciated. Here in England, most of it z8, ZD is supposed to be a good repeater, I guess have to pay more attention to the ZDs in our neighborhood.

I see that you're in z 4, and I wonder if that could be part of the problem. Anyway, I suggest you move ZD to a different spot, possibly also one that is a bit sheltered/warmer, and see if it likes it better.

Andrea

Well, it gets full sun all day where it is now, but it's not sheltered at all. Here in Wisconsin, we get some pretty nasty minus temps over the winter. I have a Don Juan that bit the dust this year (thanks to the dumb Labrador) so I could move the ZD there. It's in a sheltered corner that gets afternoon sun, but not morning sun. Thanks for the ideas! And Molly, hope your new roses are less frustrating! :)

Is it getting winterkilled each year where it has to be cut back severely?

I didn't realize you were in zone 4. I think ZD is tender, I get some dieback on mine in zone 7. It may not recover in enough time to bloom well. Mine has a very good spring flush and then two or three smaller ones through out the summer.

The new basals normally bloomed for me, but just a cluster at the tip of a ten-foot cane; then they didn''t repeat that year. I think to get good bloom you would need winter-hardy canes that would bloom on laterals in spring.

I also was wondering about its hardiness in zone 4. A Bourbon climber in a winter that cold?

ZD is considered hardy to zone 6. And a shade tolerant rose doesnt mean it can sit in shade all day, it means it performs better in less sunlight than other roses which should have at least 6 hours.

Zone 3 and I've had ZD for 7 winters planted in 2002 in full sun. Canes usually cankered and cut down to 6 to 12 inches with peat moss protection in winter. It returns to bloom and hits 4 to 5 feet by October for the last 7 summers. However it usually will get at least 8 hours sun.

If you move your rose to a spot where another one has been, make sure to exchange that soil.

Andrea

Mine is in full blazing sun in heavy clay. It has a fine flush in spring and that's all since it doesn't get any rain through the summer drought. I think this rose likes sun and heat. I grow mine as a shrub.

Melissa

Good thoughts, everyone. Thanks! The ZD is in full sun all day currently and it always starts out looking pretty good but not as lush as the others. I thought ZD was still hardy for zone 4. Maybe extraordinary winter protection, more than the other roses, would help.

I really should move it anyway because the dumb Labrador pup has destroyed everything else in the yard except the ZD and the Constance Spry. They're on the same arbor (opposite sides)and he's even eaten all the lattices pieces off the arbor. He bowled over, trampled or ate all the other roses in the bed, but left the ZD alone. I doubt I'll get that lucky this year. He's run out of other roses to eat! (stupid dog!)

If I move it, I'll replace all the soil where the Don Juan was.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Karen

I think I had my ZD several years before it became a reliable bloomer. I am in a much warmer zone than yours so thought that was the reason. I have decided I know nothing about plants anymore. I lost some big roses this year because of our weather (I am told) but my gardenias are better than ever and not a single dead limb on my hydrangeas. The Constance Spry that was a lover of cold weather that I cut down and put behind the fence to compost, came back and had a single bloom this year but I admit it was in total shade. I just happened to find it when composting. Up from the grave it arose. I lost all my Pedro Dot roses this year. I even lost some of the cold hardy hybrid teas grafted onto fortuniana but the fortuniana lived. My wave petunias came back and my cold-loving cherry tree almost perished. I am through trying to figure out plants. I think it's a big conspiracy against me. ;-)

I think it's time to quit wondering and move her or get rid of her, and replace her with something else.