I could skip the heavy rose gloves when I was pruning the Zephirine Drouhin rose — this thornless pink climber is a great option for anywhere you might have small children, and as a bonus, it’s a little more shade-tolerant than most roses (but will still bloom best with sun).
First I took out all the dead branches — easier when you don’t have to worry about poking an eye out on thorns! I tied up branches to the trellis and the porch post.
And then I did a little bit of pruning for shape — there were some branches arching out over the bed, and I know from previous years that if I leave them, they actually end up casting enough shade that some of the flowers below them don’t bloom well, so I took those out too.
A little sad cutting off healthy green stems, but alas, sometimes choices must be made in the garden, and the stems that are left will get a little extra vigor as a result.
