There are a handful of roses that have survived total neglect since fall 02. I have had to make some hard choices about how much I can do myself and afford to have done, since my husband died in Dec 02.

In 01-02, all the roses on one side of the property (where almost all of them were)suffered from rose cane borers. I didn't know what was going on until too late. Anyway, I pruned off all the bad stuff in fall 01, and saw most of them struggle up again in 02. Many did very well that year, on new growth. Spring 03 brought a few dead, all the others ignored as I had so much else to deal with.

Anyway, all I have done there is mow the "lawn" and have the edges and slopes brushhogged.

And here we are, May 07, with some Survivors. The two most outstanding are Roseraie de l'Haye, and rugosa hybrid Apart, both blossoming now - and each plant is surrounded by tall grass and/or runaway anemone sylvestris and/or weeds. Roseraie is in a flat area at the edge of what I mow and above what the young man who brushhogs comes to clear once a month. Apart is at the edge of a rocky slope that will get no maintenance other than fall brushhogging. Roseraie and Apart are both own root roses.

As these are such old plants, I hesitate to try to dig them up. But I have no plans to "landscape" that side of the property - I can't maintain it.

What would you do? Try to move them, or try to create a "clearing in the jungle" around each one?