Included in this group are the very old Gallicas Damasks, Centifolias, Mosses, etc. They provide a massive bloom in June and July as do the wild roses from which they originated. While they do not repeat flower, they do put out more flowers all at once. calling to mind the old paintings or English and French cottage and formal gardens in full floral abundance. Most modern roses cannot produce the same impressive show In "rose season."

This type of rose can virtually survive and bloom for years unpruned, although thinning out the older canes and dead wood In will encourage new more vigorous growth. All these roses are best pruned as soon after flowering as possible to encourage new growth for flowering the following summer. Also, as many of the older roses can become quite large, albeit often valued for their size, beauty and graceful arching qualities, many gardeners prefer to cut the canes back a bit in the spring to shape them (but not more than 25% of their length or the summers flower buds will be removed as well).

Roses in this more modern category have been hybridized to provide flowers all summer. included in this group are Hybrid Musks, Floribundas, China and Tea roses, most Bourbons, Hybrid Perpetuals and Portland roses. and the very modern English Roses, Introduced by David Austin. These roses tend not to have as many blooms atone time, as do the old roses, but, because they must continually put forth new growth and flower buds causing heavier demands to be put on them, they require more ‘frequent pruning, fertilization end watering throughout the summer than do the older once-blooming varieties.

Pruning of continuous or repeat flowering roses should begin In the late winter, after severe freezing spells are over, The plant should be pruned back (but no more than one third to one half of its height) to provide a shapely plant and to remove all dead or thin and scraggily wood. Spent flower heads should be removed at this time as well. A diagonal cut should be made one inch above a healthy strong bud which is pointing in the direction one would wish the new growth to head. This, in conjunction with a top-dressing of compost or rotted manure, will ensure strong spring growth and good blooms.

As summer progresses, flower heads or sprays of flowers should be cut back after they are finished, at least to just above the first leaf with five lobes (leaves around the flower sprays frequently have only three lobes and do not have buds for creating new flowers as do buds in leaf nodes further dawn the stem.) "Dead- heading," as this form of pruning Is known, will encourage new growth for both further summer flowers and for new wood for the next years flowers.

In some cases it may be desirable not to "dead-head" because the hips add to the late summer and fall beauty of the bush. Usually roses grown for their attractive hips are the once-blooming varieties, with the exception of the repeat flowering Rugosas which can make hips and still provide more flowers throughout the summer. For the old once-flowering roses dead-heading is not as important as the bush cannot be induced to bloom again anyway.

Rambling roses tend to grow vigorously and have lax thin branches and canes, and are frequently, though not always, once-blooming. They require almost no pruning except to thin out old woody canes at the base and to prevent the bush from becoming to crowded or overgrown. As they bloom on wood that is at least two years old, it is not wise to cut them back too much or they will be constantly trying to make new canes for flowering the following year (and the gardener will wonder why such a healthy rose fails to bloom!)

Climbing roses, often repeat bloomers; also require thinning of canes in the winter or early spring and will benefit by having the lateral branches cut back to 4-5inches. Both ramblers and climbers are pruned mainly to shape them and to keep them from taking over the garden.

Ramblers which are intended to run up into a tree or over a shed roof or wall can be left to travel for few years in order to obtain a natural and graceful look. Both can be tied upon fences or pillars. Some ramblers, if not supported, make excellent groundcovers.