"CapeRoses, here is a long shot - would you happen to know of a resource for Walsh's Jubilee? VG once had a specimen but apparently they lost it." Yes, I had a clone of the VG 'Jubilee' but I lost it. I saw it at the Brooklyn Bot. Garden years ago. "I would also like to find Lady Blanche some day." I believe that I sent a clone to Burling Leong. She propogated the Walsh roses for Anne and usually kept a specimen for herself. She has several of the rare Walsh roses. If she doesn't have it, you can contact me: centifolia at comcast dot net. "Is Bonnie Bell much like America?" The rose in commerce sold as 'America' is different from all of the other Walsh roses in that it is primarily derived from Multiflora rather than Wichurana. That doesn't mean it's wrong, only different. 'Bonnie Belle' has larger flowers and are a darker pink. Here is a link that might be useful: Burlington Rose Nursery

Hi Isn't it odd how thiese type of vines leaves get larger as they gain height but will immediately revert to small when on the ground?? Have nothed with pothos that it can grow several feet maybe indefinitely with small leaves but if you attach it to a tree the very next leaf will be 4 time larger!! Put it back on the ground it will revert again lol adaptation to get up where the sun is I guess?? Syngonium is even more remarkable as it changes color as well as shape of the leaf. Flowering for me was remarable in that it had not done it in over 20 years !! Sure hope the seeds are NOT viable lol gary

If you want Westerland to grow along your fence, just let the new shoots grow until they get as long as they are going to get, and have hardened off a bit, so they are not fragile. Then I would tie them horizontally along the fence. By all means look at the "training a climbing rose" link above and watch Paul Zimmerman's video. Christopher is correct, of course - this rose is a climber (or shrub if you want to prune it to be just a bush), not a rambler. This is good if you want your rose to bloom all spring and summer and fall - that is what this one should do in your warm climate. Ramblers only bloom once in the Spring. I would never remove new, healthy cane shoots on a baby rose - just let it grow for a year or two. Then you will have enough rose to begin training and pruning it. The advice you read that some people remove "buds" refers to flower buds, not new canes. From the looks of your rose, it is healthy and growing well, so I personally I would not remove any flower buds either - I only do that on very tiny, new fragile roses (the ones that are 6-10 inches tall). Good luck with your rose - it is going to be so beautiful! Jackie

I would put the post at least 4' (1.2m) from the edge of the path. The post after it is enveloped by the rose should be about 4' wide. In my zone 6 garden it takes several years for the rose to fully envelope the post. During the growing season I tuck loose canes into canes that have already been secured to the post as this helps to make a fuller effect and prevents long hanging canes. I do very little pruning until the post is quite fully enveloped by the rose and then just to take out the oldest canes. The 'Excelsa' in the photo below is three years old and the canes don't yet reach the top of the post. At the beginning of the growing season there were only a few canes winding the 12' (4m) post. You can see that all the flowers are on short laterals that are the present seasons growth and now hang from the canes winding the post. Next spring I will have more canes winding the post and that will fill in the sections now without flowers and I can secure the canes hanging at the top onto the post. There is not yet a path surrounding the pillar. There are two more pillars already installed and two more to be installed this fall. Eventually, all five will be surrounded by grass so one can walk up to the pillars and enjoy the roses close up.