My original Madame came with the house (5 years ago), a huge old plant planted alongside a treated pine arbour. At first she was a sickly, rusty thing but when I walked out one mornoing to find the whole garden saturated with the scent of just one open bloom, I had to keep her and have since bought her a sister which I planted against another pillar. the canes grow very tall, so I either tie them up to the wire of the arbour or cut them. Ideally you should peg them out, but I dont have space for that, so I just chop off whatever looks awkward. It's not a pretty plant, inheriting ugly canes from its damask parents and sprawling dendancies from the Chinas, but the blooms make up for it. Now that I have improved the sandy soil with bentonite (cat litter) and have been giving more regular organic fertiliser, the foliage is looking really good and she is putting out new canes left-right and centre. I would give yours a good thick mulching with lupin mulch or sillilar and a drench with sea-weed tonic (not a fertiliser) to promote new canes from the base. Then, if you can, peg them out along the ground. Don't try and keep the stiunted old canes living. It seems to go better when you cut them off after theyre spent (as you have) and alow them to be replaced from the base. But thats just my experience. This may help. http://www.vintagerosery.com/roses/madameisaacpereire_.htm

That looks very much like freeze damage that I get here in the spring all the time. If those canes were freeze damaged last fall they may never produce normal growth and will eventually die back. Although from your pictures the canes themselves look green and healthy so I'd give them a chance. I'm sure you've probably already had some frosts this spring as well (and we're expecting one here this weekend, oh joy!) so any really tender new growth could still be damaged again. This is my least favorite time of year for that reason. Keep it on the porch so it's more protected and give it some time. I think it will be fine. As for it not leafing out as quickly as the others, every variety has it's own time table for that. Some will pump out new growth at the first sign of any kind of sun or warmth and others will wait for it to get really warm, or hot even, before they budge a millimeter. Don't expect them all to react the same way to any weather conditions. Like children, they all have unique personalities!

Hi Eric, My MEC is not overly vigorous or overly cane hardy for me. From what I've read here over the years is that MIP is still quite vigorous in zone 6. Of course I still love my MEC, but she has never attained the growth that I anticipated. I love the foliage which retains a red coloration for a long time. I remember reading someone describing it as if some of the flower pigmentation of MIP had gone to leaves of MEC. I also love the kind of pink the flowers have, a raspberry pink. She of course smells great. She can get some black spot, but does not become defoliated sticks like a hybrid tea would at least for me. Here is a link that might be useful:

I really want to acquire this rose again. Had it at our old house, but didn't bring it or cuttings with me. I have several varieties to trade. Take a look at my lists, or let me know if you'd like me to repost here. Thanks!