Madame Plantier is an unusually good rose, isn't it? Is yours blooming in September?

Sorry for the late reply Steve. No mine just puts out a burst in the Spring. It has on occaision put out one or two blooms in the fall but on on good years.

It was one of the first roses I planted - before I knew anything about roses or gardening. I planted it right up against my house - on the north side where it would get complete and perpetual shade. I thought it would be okay there because it was described as being 'shade tolerant.' It grew well enough, getting tall and leggy; but it never bloomed. The second one I planted did really really well in NJ, growing to about 4 ft in every direction and flowering generously. In bloom, it was probably my favorite rose. And when all roses were out of bloom but had leaves on them it was also my favorite rose. Then it got a few molecules of Roundup over-spray and collapsed. I planted two this spring from ARE and they are growing nicely. Hoping for first flowers next spring.

Actually the picture I posted was before my dearly beloved was going to help me clean up the backyard while I was recovering from a back ailment. She hacked it off at the base thinking it was wild blackberry bushes. This was two years ago and I have been pampering its recovery since. It's only about 3' tall right now but before it had climbed through a tree and was about 10' and when it bloomed it was like one sees at a wedding bough arching cascading over the branches of the tree. It was breathtaking. Don't know if it will ever get as beautiful or not with the heat and drought we have had the past two years but I'm hoping.

I'd like to think it will recover from pruning: some rose gardeners in cold climates cut their climbers to the ground each year. I think drought can stress Madame Plantier more than it does some other roses because it tends to be very heavily covered with leaves. Maybe some Mills Magic next spring, perhaps a bit of supplemental water if the drought continues, and it will be climbing into the tree again.