Lindsey, I think they just take a little longer getting established. At least most of the ones i have. They might be getting too much nitrogen if they are growing lanky. I'm sure mine get too much nitrogen also. I think all of my damasks will be 3 yrs old this coming spring. Kaznalik and ispahan seem to be the taller ones, although gloire de guilains were small for so long and have finally caught up this year. mme. hardy just this year decided she was going to grow taller, although still pretty tiny. the autumn damasks aren't blooming in the autumn but they are getting larger. Hebe's lips are still rather sparse but taller and very lanky. Mine are all own root. Perhaps that is why they don't seem to be as popular as other classes of roses. I have a few gallicas that seem to grow the same way, but i have other gallicas that are more vigorous. albas are a mixed bag here, pompom blanc parfaits outgrow all roses on the place whereas the great maiden's blushes, which i now think are felicite parmentiers, are super slow but have finally got in gear a little this year. Perhaps some roses you just have to give 5 yrs instead of the usual 3 before you decide if you really like them or not. I commented on another thread that my camieuxs were slow growing, sparse and non-descript and was pounced on by other posters that they were wonderful and far from nondescript, so i assume they just take awhile to get established.

Don't know what will make them bloom, but deer, thrips, and caterpillars will eat the buds, preventing blooming in a hearatbreaking fashion, especially if they are once bloomers. It seems these pests have become worse than ever in recent years.

Thank you--perhaps they need more time--or more water and sunlight, both of which are often in short supply in my garden.

I am going to try putting them in a different place. Stanwell was barely alive until I moved it in September, and now with the rain we've had, it is covered in new leaves and buds--just in time for the hard freeze expected tonight.

Lindsey

Sometimes roses take longer to show off blooming. If they aren't getting enough light that could be an issue. If they are getting enough sunlight, moving them could set them back into developing roots instead of blooming. Some roses sulk for a year after moving them, while others seem to be "happy" in their new spot and take off like your Stanwell did.

Portland damasks reallly need a "hard" pruning, at least a shaping, to have optimum bloom production. The larger damasks benefit from a good shaping as well to look fuller and hold the blooms up without flopping when the bush is in full bloom.

Lindsay, i have had plenty of rain, full sun and fertilizer, so i'm not sure that will make much difference. The stanwell perpetual was also a slow one, and is starting to take off this year. I have almost come to the conclusion that the more china (and the ones from china like mf,tea), in their blood grow very quickly and the more european blood grow slower. That doesn't mean that the european roses won't catch up, but that is my yardstick now as to how quickly i can expect them to mature.

Down here the problem seems to be the lack of a winter dormancy period. The European OGR's that were so wonderful up in Ohio just don't compare down here. Happy that I have the consolation of chinas, teas, and noisettes. We replaced Mme. Hardy with Mme. Plantier and the latter does MUCH better here. I miss Rosa Mundi and Marie Louise but down here I'll stick to the ones better suited to this climate.

I was going to mention your climate too. Do you have a good winter dormancy period? Also, the once bloomers shouldn't be pruned in the spring. You should wait until either they bloom or July. And only for shaping and removing old canes and obviously dead wood. But if these are young bushes in your garden do not prune them at all. They do take a couple of years before they really show their stuff. I had several once bloomers back up north in zone 4/5 and they didn't bloom all that much the first couple of years but they were wonderful after that. Just don't let the bunnies or deer prune them for you. :-)

I prune all my once-blooming old roses during winter dormancy or early spring. It is an old wives tale that this reduces their blooms. You can also shorten canes and keep them tidy in summer too if you have time, but you will get additional growth so for best shaping you should do the pruning in winter/spring. I would think that in zone 7 you have enough winter dormancy to grow once bloomers just fine. You're just a little warmer in climate than here.

I do the same as Lori and our climate should be similar to Lindsey's. Don't ever be afraid to prune old European oncebloomers in spring or winter. They LOVE it. Of course, I don't mean cuting them to 18" like HTs. I mean just shorten canes 1/3 to 1/2 and prune out all weak and not sef-supporting growth. They bloom more from laterals that will come from these pruned canes. Damasks, albas, gallicas, mosses ,centifolias - no issue with winter prunning at all. If you wait until July, you will not be able to see bush structure, it will be hidden behind the leaves, which makes prunning "blind". Another negative of not prunning is that you will have plenty of blooms "face in the mud" after the rain. Prunning will help to have strong canes that will support blooms.

Olga