Bart, the only disease that can trouble "Grandmother's Hat" is blackspot. This year, with a lot of warm rain in a short period, we did get some blackspot on some of our GramHats. We don't cut them back. Just pull off the "bad" leaves. In fact, in some cases, we just let them fall and blow away.

As to shade. Our oldest, biggest GramHat (30 years old, now) grows directly under a huge old seedling avocado tree. "Fierce" sun has been our fate for the past few years, and I think it's really helped that plant.

Jeri, soooo beautiful. I will forever kick myself for not thinking of GH and instead planting the spiny and slow-growing Aloha.

Ingrid, I also wonder about Adam for you. Have you tried Adam?

Thank you all! So...Jeri, you have a GMa's in practically full shade? Am I understanding correctly? To judge by pics on Internet, avocado leaves are rather large, so I'd guess that directly under one of them would be pretty shady. Being in zone 10,you must have incredibly fierce sun,but even though here in Tuscany the estimate is that we're in a zone 8, the sun here is terribly ferocious; I remember a forum member from Australia commenting on how HOT the sun in Tuscany is,and Australia does NOT have a moderate, cool climate, as far as I know,and the sun there is very intense...

We used not to have real heat. Our summers were like what we're having today ... thick coastal fog, clearing at 3-4 p.m., and rolling back in by 5 p.m.

But for the past 5 years, it's gotten hotter and hotter and hotter, until we had days when the temp down on the hillside made well over 100 for days in a row. In that sort of heat, roses stopped producing, and we lost some. But GramHat in that shade prospered. In the photo above, the trunk of the avocado tree is directly behind my husband's back.

This was taken not long after the tree got a hard pruning, and in early spring, when it was changing its old leaves for new ones, but I hope it gives you an idea of the scope of the tree.

You would be surprised just how much shade Grandmother's Hat can tolerate in hot, intense climates. The fact is, she and MANY other roses will appreciate the shade with the increasingly greater intensity of the direct sun and UV. It isn't "hot" here, yet. Even when it gets "hot", it won't be anywhere near what the old climate is and even here, the more shade I provide, the better the plants grow and flowers last. I don't have GH here as I expected the high humidity due to our proximity to the ocean would give her fits, but her offspring are enjoying not being in many hours of direct sun. I second the comment about how easily she roots, and can even sucker if happy enough. If I knew whether she was free from RMV, I would suggest you try rooting her for root stock because of her ease of rooting; strong, straight, nearly prickle-free canes and her amazing vigor. Propagate a bunch of them and spread them around the garden. A hedge of her is a sight to behold!

bart, it was me who commented on the 'fierceness' of the sun in Tuscany. Although it gets hot here, I think the fact that it's humid, protects somewhat from the sun's intensity. Trish

Quite a few of our Grandmother's Hats were suckers from the first one. I wish I knew if that one is virus-free. I suspect that it is.

Perhaps you should slip it to Malcolm with a hint it really needs testing? If it is, you know I'm interested!

I could ask . . .

There are a number of things he needs and wants to send for testing. If he has that with them and remembers (he does have a lot of things going on!), perhaps it might get done...

Trish, thank you for your comment about the Tuscan sun! It makes me feel like less of a wimpy-whiner,but also reassures me that my own perception of the sun here as being too extreme is not totally subjective.