Well lavenderiver, just one problem that I can think of, BB's are notorious for not being what the bag claims they are. I bought 3 myself this year, and not one turned out to be what the bag claimed it would be. But half the fun is the surprise.

Hi Mrskjun!

That thought did cross my mind. Does this type of growth seem normal to you? It's just about August and I'm first seeing buds - perhaps because it's the 1st year? If the plant was mislabeled, how should I treat this plant (as a bush or CL). If not evident, I know little to nothing about roses, so any help is appreciated!

I do need to correct myself - there are 5 of the harder, straighter stalks.

Just let it grow and show us some pictures when it blooms.

Not a guaranty, but it is entirely possible for new plants of spring flowering only plants to flower after planting. If the canes you have are of sufficient maturity and have experienced the necessary conditions to stimulate them to flower, they will. If they aren't mature enough or haven't experienced what they require, they won't. I've had budded once flowering OGRs, newly planted as bareroots in cans, flower within a few weeks of planting here in a climate where they usually don't flower. Probably the time they experienced in cold storage encouraged them to flower as they certainly didn't flower here in later years. Kim

I have had the same experience Kim describes.

Early-on, those first blooms made me think I COULD grow those Northern European once-bloomers here, where there is NO winter-chill.

In subsequent years, the volume of bloom declined steadily from year-to-year, until there was pretty much nothing.

Jeri

Thank you for the responses, I do have to get a camera.

The buds on the newer, harder canes have started to open and they're a non-descript red rose. I suspect these 5 harder canes are from the stock.

There are a few willowey canes that I'm pretty certain are from the graft. Does that make any sense?

Will these canes (stock and graft) peacefully co-exist or is there something I should do to encourage the graft growth? Will stock eventually win out?

Lastly, how do I prepare this bush/CL for winter (zone 6)? The 'stock' canes are about 4' and the 'graft' canes range from 3' to around 6' and very wobbley.

You will need to dig down carefully and see if some of the canes are coming from BELOW the graft. If they are, rip them out--they are probably Dr. Huey rootstock. (By the way, Dr. Huey is a rather attractive dark wine red, but it has other features that make it undesireable--like no BS resistance!)

Any canes coming out above the graft are presumably the rose you actually bought. Leave them alone.

In my Zone 6 (in Kansas), I do nothing to winter-protect my roses. However, the neighbors' oak trees shed enough leaves that the wind often blows some into my yard and thus haphazardly protects some of the roses a bit. I have been known to kick some of those leaves over by the younger roses just going into their first winter in the garden, but again, that is just minimal and rather haphazard protection.

Kate