I'm not aware of any rose that needs to be deadheaded. I think most rose gardeners do that because it looks a lot neater. Some people maintain that deadheading encourages new growth and blooms--which is why they do it. Likewise, most roses don't require pruning although there can be certain benefits from pruning. Other than deadwood, I usually only prune in the very early spring and then only on roses that had winter damage from low temps. For general care, roses need a minimum of 6 hours of sun, water, and at least one feeding per season--any 10-10-10 type food will work, but many of us like rose food like RoseTone (or any one of the --Tones) which we may put on in the early spring and after each bloom cycle--perhaps 3 times a season. Kate

Taoseeker- I am thinking about trying a Yolande d'Aragon hybrid perpetual. Other people in the area have had good success with this rose, even with the cold winters. I'd love to try a Jacques Cartier, but I want to check at Northland Rosarium to see if it's recommended for our zone. Mariannese- Wow! You have 36 Gallicas? Do you have any pics of your garden? I'd love to see them. I would like to try a Charles de Mills, which is supposed to be pretty cold hardy and maybe a Tuscany and Apothecary rose. Isabelle- I showed my husband the picture of your grape arbor and table and chairs. I have wanted to do something similar in our back yard, maybe with my antique bricks underneath. He likes the bricks, but didn't really know what I wanted. After seeing your picture, he thinks it would be a great idea! Yea! and thanks :)

You and everyone else on the forum knows all about my structures and statues so I won't bore you with them too much. I do love arches and they don't have to be elaborate. Changing the elevation in a garden really makes it more satisfying and interesting. I love to create a vignette. Flora sits beneath her pergola/temple the vision of the goddess of flowers and the beds surround her in circles. It's just the way I look at things. I guess most of the statuary has a classical look that fits with what I consider a romantic garden. I would very much like to recreate that circle of arches that is in Mottisfont. We saw it this past June. There is no more room within the garden proper. We have a very ambitious plan of planting ramblers to tumble down a bank above the road to our water tank. There is a spot in that area where we could perhaps do it.

The most probable damage to the azaleas would come from them being overgrown and shaded out. Since azaleas will take a certain amount of shade, it's not too likely if you take steps to control the rose. The method of control for the roses that I would suggest is for you and your DH to wear sturdy, long-sleeved shirts, long pants and gloves, and working together, cut out stems as close to the base as you can, or perhaps more accurately descibing conditions - as far back from an end as you can. If you keep cutting, and are careful for the azaleas, you should eventually find your way back to the where the base of the roses is. If, as suggested, it is a multiflora, then you may have multiple bases of origin. When you get back to the roots, then you can either dig them out or use Round-Up or Brush-B-Gone on the cut ends. Digging is perhaps more sure. Any new shoots you see should be quickly dealt with - you may get sprouts from the roots. I would very carefully pile up the stems as you cut them and burn the pile when it is dry - my experience of rose thorns is that all the thorns don't break down in a compost pile and will "bite" you later on as you handle the compost. If you don't use your current compost pile for a year or more, then never mind the last.