Anyway. I concluded that my grandmother had planted, and neglected, a climbing rose.

I nurtured it for a year. It grew. Kinda.
It was plagued by affliction after affliction. First blackspot, then rust, then powdery mildew. The first two are diseases I never really see.
The mildew was the worst case id ever seen.

Finally... Finally it made blooms.
They were so afflicted with mildew that I decided to cut them off and enjoy the next flush.
Mildew often recedes in summer for me.

To my surprise, no blooms! It never bloomed again. I then concluded, perhaps it was a once bloomer.
Fast forward to this year.
5 long flexible canes, good growth, lots of lovely foliage.
And surprise surprise, no diseases!

It made lots of happy buds.
I was eager to see what colour and form they were.

After much patient waiting, blooms!
And they were red, and open, and scentless.

It all clicked.

My grandma wasn't exactly a rose person.
She planted some hybrid teas in scents and colours she liked (in a far les than ideal location I might add), both for a pop of colour on the side ave to cut for the vase. Mainly for the vase.

So her planting a climber, let alone a once bloomer. It didn't make sense.

But more than anything my grandmother hated red roses. She would never plant one.
I was a little crushed. I nurtured Dr. Huey for two whole years.

I am the gardener. But nothing permanent is done without my grandpa's say so.

So I asked him. Should we keep it?

He said yes.
And I must admit I've come to like it against my wall.
It's a pretty background.

I mainly wanted to share the story, but I also want to ask...

Am I inviting disaster?
Should I rip it out while I have the chance?

The wall is covered with two vines as it stands.
My grandfather's opinion was. It's there, doesn't affect anything, and looks pretty in spring.
The wall isn't very tall. Maybe 8 feet. But it is very long.
About 20 feet. Maybe 25.

It will be tied to the existing vines. I don't really wish to give it it's own space.

I'm confused and conflicted lol.

When cleaning up the backyard I removed all the vines that covered the windows to the bathroom and were pulling down the roof trim (and allowing vermin in to the attic). One vine my parents did not mind loosing but the rose I had to keep. I spent a couple of days trying to dig out a root the width of my calf from the yard. Finally drug the beast to another side of the house and replanted it. It died and mom was so disappointed. After all the rose on the other side of the walk was rather similar to it :) Once I got interested in roses I noted that the red rose had two different types of blooms. One with just a few petals...hello good Doc H.

Now we can laugh about the perils of removing that beast of a rose (I had cut it down to about 5' tall) and how sad mom was that it did not make it. Don Juan is happy to have lost its suckers too.

If it's not bothering anything and you like the blooms (I enjoyed mine while I had them), leave it there--but don't plant any other roses in that vicinity or you are going to be fighting rose diseases on all the roses.

On the other hand, why not plant Don Juan climber there? Gorgeous red blooms, not a disease-magnet, and it re-blooms.

But it all comes down to--whatever gives you pleasure.

Kate

Hoovb - alot of competition. I have no intention of replacing it. And certainly wouldn't be allowed to remove the other vines lol.
I figured that since it was already there. Why not?

Kippy-the-hippy - lol! That is funny. I wish my story was as hilarious. I'm happy I'm not the only one to nurture it though.

Dublinbay - I can't have that! I'll attach a picture. The good Dr. is behind an established bed of all my grandma's roses.
If it's going to spread disease it'll have to come out.
I'll wait and see.

I have no plans to replace it, as pretty as it is, for a few reasons.

It's very crowded there.
Theres two vines on that wall as it is. And she planted the roses far too choose together. The soil is terrible. And the sun.
Maybe when she first planted them it got enough sun. But now, with established trees. 3 or 4 hours tops.

It did however, make me want climbing roses in other spots.