Jeri - does your "Jose A. Africa" set hips? One of the noticeable things bout my Cl AB is that it hardly sets any - the blooms drop their petals, and then dry up, and the little stem dies back to the next leaf. You can see that in the picture I posted above. I just went out and looked at two of my bushes, and among hundreds of dried up remnants of blooms (I obviously did not dead head!), I found only one hip - here is a picture of it so you can compare it to any you might have on your bush of JAA> Jackie

Once blooming roses usually only bloom on 2nd year wood, meaning they grow canes the first year, set buds that fall, then have a massive display of flowers in spring. A hard winter that causes cane dieback or fall pruning of the canes will disrupt that natural cycle and interfere with the bloom. Often a repeat blooming rose will die back and the rootstock will grow. This root stock is a different variety than what was grafted onto it and is a once blooming variety. Very few inexperienced rose growers plant once blooming roses. Most want repeat blooming varieties. If they end up with once bloomers, it means the root stock has taken over. Once blooming root stock will produce a massive flower display but the bush can get quite large otherwise. Were it me, I'd replace it with a recommended everblooming variety. They normally have a big first bloom. If deadheaded, they'll repeat quite well. If not, repeat can be sporatic.

Ever since I was 10 yrs. old and my mother gave me my own patch to garden in I loved all the old fashioned perennials. Hollyhocks , Delphiniums, cup and saucer canterburybells, coralbells, you get the idea. So In every place I have lived that has been my aim. Right now I have some early clematis,coralbells, columbines, peonies,and a few roses blooming. The japanese weeping cherry, apple trees,lilacs, and few daffodils and crocus I had were out earlier.The difficulty was getting a balance for that hot August time period when most things are worn out, and the japanese beetles are after the roses that bloom then. Hydrangeas help and the echinacea,and late flowering clematis. It's like conducting a symphony, trying to get the most out of each season! roseberri

tuderte, both your experience and mine seem to point to a way to control those house-eating plants: contain them... literally. They can handle it, evidently, even though they would certainly love more real estate if they can get it. I suspect that some roses do better when not pampered; I guess they like a challenge. I happen to have enough room (or at least I think I do) to plant out a vigorous climber, just to see what happens. If your brother has room, 'Silver Moon' may be just what he needs, but maybe he didn't realize it? And if you're worried 'SM' will outgrow its welcome there, perhaps try it in a large pot first? Good luck, Virginia