I have no comment to 'Don Juan'. But I live in zone 5a, same as the original poster, and never had luck with the normal climbers being sold. But then 20 years ago I bought a Canadian bred climbing rose. That one must want to be 12 ft tall every year, and I have to always cut it back. In late May it will be a mass of red flowers. Jungs was also selling a less vigorous kind of it, have that too. I forgot the name, might be John Cabot. Canada had programs to breed very hardy roses suited for their climate, so I googled Canadian Climbing Roses, see the link. Here is a link that might be useful: Northern climbing roses

Hold the phone! SoFL Rose, thinking the same. Pink Don Juan is a pink/magenta sport of Don Juan. Others have reported the same change on their red Don Juans, so it would seem to have occurred in a number of gardens. https://www.chambleeroses.com/order.php?id=111 http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.4812.0&tab=36

Hi Donna First of all, it sounds like you did a nice job planting your roses the first time around, and you gave your "body bags" a best shot at surviving. The fact that you pulled through a couple of body bag Don Juans is a testament to your good rose growing, as the roses in these bags tend to struggle from their packaging conditions and often die from canker or other damage out of your control. Don Juan is also not very hardy - it totally dies in my zone 5 and probably isn't cane hardy in your zone 6. That alone could explain the dying and wimpy growth of the roses. As for the boxwoods, they probably do have a well-established root system and it can provide some root competition for the roses. The first and last photos look like the roses have their own clear space, but my way of telling about competition is to see if I run into roots when I dig the big 1-2' wide hole for planting my roses. I have clematis planted everywhere and if I crunch into those roots when I try to plant a rose I know I have to look elsewhere, as the clematis will steal the moisture and nutrients from the rose. In Ohio, you probably have good rainfall so there's enough moisture to go around, but the rose needs a good 2' wide clear space at least to establish its roots. Your new Don Juan plants in the potted soil look very healthy and you don't need to soak them like you do bare roots. Just make sure to get the whole plant out of the pot as intact as possible with its little hair roots holding the soil ball together. I usually turn the whole pot upside down in my (gloved) hand and tap the pot gently to let the root ball slide out. Also, you need to make sure that the graft (the knobby bit that bulges out from the side of the rose) is planted at least 2 inches deep in the soil (i.e. planted several inches deeper than it is currently in the soil). That helps its survival over the winter, at least at the roots. Bottom line is that you might want to look into some different climbers to hedge your bets if Don Juan continues to die back in the winter. In zone 6 you might find that Don Juan grows like a small bush rather than like a climber because of winter die-back. On the other hand, you have to be patient with climbers as it usually takes 3-4 years to grow into their height and bloom. If you have surviving cane over the winter, that's a sign the rose is reasonably happy with your climate. If it dies to the ground, it might not be your conditions or care but a rose that's marginally hardy in your zone. Hope that helps. If you want suggestions of other hardier climbers, we all love sharing ideas (smile). Cynthia

If you have the room go ahead and spread it out for more bloom. Find something, a trellis or obelisk, to tie it too. Start bending those canes early when they are very young and flexible and short. As they grow out keep bending them in the direction you want. You have to keep at it consistently as the cane grows. Once it has hardened off it's too late. Your roses and photos are gorgeous!