Suze, I think you'd better check the cane ends for signs of midge damage. The PNW does have some rose midge, I believe.

Thanks, Cass, for the recommendation. No rose midge operating here as all cane ends are healthy. Following a conversation with Patricia, I think that what's happening is simply that the rose put all of its energy into foliage and cane growth and that our relatively cool summer prevented budding. As Jeri noted, it's in a leap year and is responding otherwise as one would expect. I just wasn't aware that it was possible for a 'leaping' rose not to bloom. You know much more than I - would you agree with that conclusion or head down another path?

Sue

I've never had one that didn't bloom at all that way, but I HAVE had roses that bloomed very sparsely when they were "leaping."

Jeri

Jeri--I am so happy you mentioned 'leaping,' because I have been wondering lately about the adage: first year they sleep; second year they creep; third year they leap timing. What I mean is, does the first year start with the date the rose was started as a cutting or the moment it is put into the ground (which might mean the rose is actually already a year old or so)? My climbing Dev is still very young and just now beginning to put on long cane growth with only a couple blooms so far. Other roses might bloom in their first six months as a cutting, so is Dev different? My Crepuscule and Lamarque are both less than a year old and they are putting on lots of growth now. They have both bloomed quite a bit already. Maybe it is a just a quirk of Devoniensis?

It's a folk-saying, you know? Not a law of nature. --Grin--

Those plants, they don't have calendars.
All it REALLY means is that . . .
FIRST, the plant spends a period growing roots. During that time, you don't see much top-growth action.
That time might be in a pot, or it might be in the ground.

Eventually, it's got enough root to push up some actual growth. Not BIG growth. Not mature growth, but you do see something happening. The plant is getting bigger -- and it is STILL developing an expanding root system.

Then, after a while, the plant begins to put up real, almost mature canes.

How long it all takes, how long it sits, how long it "creeps," how big it leaps -- that all depends on the plant and the environmental conditions. So what they do for you will prob'ly be different from what they do for ME.

But I'll give you an example.
From last year's cemetery sale, we brought home two roses we didn't buy -- but which were way too small to sell.
One of those (Pale Pink Noisette/Little Mary V Tower) has put up a couple of little canes, about 8 inches long.
Another, a 'White Maman Cochet' had two little tired leaves. Suddenly, those leaves fell, and it put on four new crisp leaves.
So I figure that by next spring, they will have finished sleeping, and will be creeping, and MIGHT even go into a 5-Gallon.
They won't LEAP 'til they're in someone's garden.

Jeri

So, maybe Devoniensis (CL) takes longer to develop those roots than some other roses? I have noticed that the bush form of Dev is taking quite a long time to develop, though it has had a few flushes and is in process right now. It is staying a smallish shrub at this point--about 1.5 feet tall and wide. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the climber to really start putting on flowers.

Oh, heck. I've tried twice to grow Devoniensis, with absolutely no success. It refused to grow here.
But I intend to give it one more try. Maybe Third Times's A Charm.
It is getting much warmer here than it used to be.

Jeri

Jeri, I'd send you a cutting but I'm betting you want proof of bloom first! ;-))

Sue