Mike, just a hunch, but I'm wondering if this comment was made for us who live in the milder climates. Where David Austin roses that are only suppose to get up to 4 feet tall in England, can easily reach 8 to 12 feet tall here in Arizona/California/etc.
I've never tried summer pruning, nor will I. It's going to reach 115 degrees here today, and if you think I am going to get out there and start pruning roses, you got another thought coming ;) I let them grow at will during the summer, and to be honest, the ones that grow tall like that, I never prune them. I let em be. I have an Abraham Darby that is now approaching 15 feet tall, and has the trunk of a small tree. It still blooms profusely all summer long. So I let it be. A wonderful rose. As I recall, when this one first came out, it was reported to get 5 to6 feet tall, mounding. Not! It grows like a weed here, and I like it that way :)
alan
