Contact the Raleigh Rose Society for specific information Raleigh Rose Society Apex, NC David Illg, President 919-779-2969 dsillg@mindspring.com They should be able to give you the best advice for your area. Diane's comment "never "too late" but it might be "too early", is absolutely correct. Just ask all those who pruned too early last year and got caught by the Easter Freeze. Following is a link to the Raleigh RS monthly guide for growing roses the Raleigh area. Here is a link that might be useful: Monthly guide

Okay, it has actually started to grow some since I last found the plant. I'm not around that side of the house yet to work on it, still exploring the yard. I got some pictures that may help. I don't think it is Golden Showers. It doesn't look like the blooms that I have seen from that plant before. This picture shows how tall the plant actually is. I have circled the tallest blooms that I saw in the tree and a cane that has grown up and started curving down again in this picture. This one shows where it is coming out of the ground and a horizontal cane that has vertical growth coming off of it. And lovely blackspot! A close up of the lower bloom. And the other bush that I personally think will have to be shovel pruned. I have my work cut out for me with weeding this whole yard. I really want to save the original plantings just kind of sentimental value. I know the lady loved this yard and worked hard on it up into her mid 80s. It would be lovely to be able to visit her and bring her some blooms from her garden.

Thanks for the ideas. I could go crazy with orange roses apparently! I think I'll have to rule out Amber Queen which does look right but I think this plant has been in the ground longer than the 80s. The previous owner thought it had been in since the greenhouse was installed in the late 50s or early 60s. The classy fence post is newer. :) What makes a climber a climber instead of something that was pruned funny? Aside from the obvious trunks, this one doesn't put out any long branches. But it's had so much "shaping" I can't tell.

lainy, I keep making indoor bouquets too--they don't last as long as outdoors but at least I can enjoy the fragrance. Only the strongest have any scent outdoors when it is cold. Wonder if it would be worth learning how to dry the buds and blooms--my aunt does some gorgeous stuff with hers but I've never tried. Ken, mine have yet to see a freeze of any kind. It is doing the usual midwestern wackiness here--60 yesterday, highs in the 30s today, thunderstorms projected all week but no freezing temps yet or snow, very springlike. Both in going dormant and deciding when to emerge mine frequently have to deal with wild weather swings and mixed signals to say the least. During vicious springs when they freeze back (sometimes more than once) after leafing out I have to convince myself that anything meant to grow here will take the climate craziness. And they don't ever die, just lose more cane some years than others...