Having just finished seasonal pruning of a rambunctious and assertively thorny rambling rose, I am reminded of the movie title, “There Will Be Blood.” The rose in question, which grows wildly, suckers aggressively and would take over the world if given the chance, also produces hundreds of winsome single, rose-pink blooms over the course of the growing season. Most of the time (today excepted) I think the rose is worth the trouble and the scratches.
That rose, which was on the property when we bought it, has no name that I know of. Over the years, though, I have called it many names during the semi-annual bloodletting/pruning sessions. The unnamed rose makes me glad that one of our other climbers is the wonderful ‘Zephirine Drouhin.’ ‘Zephirine’ not only has raspberry-scented, double flowers in an alluring shade of cerise, but it is virtually thornless. It is a dream to prune and wonderful in just about any garden situation.
I always trim it last, the better to appreciate its smooth stems and cooperative habits.