Is there any chance you used round up or anything like it nearby?

No nothing for weeds, the only thing was some slug/snail pellets about a week ago. They were near some plants that are in the same area, but weren`t particularly around the rose as them critters don`t seem to bother that plant.

Is this only on the top of your rose or it ll over. If its not from some kind of spray my second guess would be frost damage. It just doesn't look like any disease I know of. I'll bump this back to the top in hopes someone else will chime in.

A freeze or a heat wave can do that kind of damage. Have you had either?

@ mzstitch - it started at the top, the small new leaves went & now its all the rest of the leaves. In the day since the pic was taken, the leaves have all dried & curled up & will soon fall off. I agree it doesn`t look like a disease, it looks to me like the plant would naturally be in Autumn, I don`t understand it at all, its never done this before.

@ seli - no frost, weather has gone from hot summer day to wet rainy day & back to hot day again, but the garden is north facing so its not in full sun all day & the temperature changes haven't been extreme. In fact we didn`t get a frost here since the winter before last.

Thankyou both for your suggestions, do you think there is a chance it could grow new leaves this year? - Assuming the plant doesn`t die altogether.

I would cut off the top half--just so I didn't have to look at it. If it is caused by one of the things listed above, in about a month it should put out new buds, so keep on watering it. Do not feed at this point in time.

Report back in about a month.

Good luck.

Kate

Runs, I don't know where you live, but do you have any critters in your area that could be chewing at the roots? Something is cutting off the flow inside the canes upward. Check for holes in the soil around the rose - and maybe test the rose also to see if it seems solidly anchored in the ground or not. There could be something going on underground that you cannot easily see.

Kate gave good advice, I should have mentioned pruning the worst damage off. It definitly looks like just a temporary setback, no worries. The plant should releaf nicely.

Check for borer holes, too. I have borers that have gone down feet into my canes, darnit (but this year I'm nuking them at the first sight of a hole since mine are the awful borers*). Your damage looks very odd, imho, but it wouldn't hurt to check your canes.

* I cut off an extra half-inch or so once I find good, non-holed wood, because they used to trick me and often had holes that started again after a small patch of good wood.

Great advice everyone, looks like there is progress...meh sort of...adding updated pic of poor nearly nekkid rose.
It seems some leaves are not drying out (yet) & a new leaf is growing, these are the ones furthest away from the wall that you can see there, so I looked on the wall and there are signs that something has been sprayed by my neighbour on the weeds on top of the wall ... ugg! Hadn`t thought of that before since the Jasmine between the wall & the rose looks fine.
I am going to continue washing it with lots of clean water, see if the buds still bloom and whats left when its done dropping leaves and then take the advice to prune it back and see what happens.... I guess I better replace that bird feeder before I have dead birds around the garden too *sigh*

Thankyou all for your advice & suggestions, never thought of it being sprayed with something..... Hopefully I`ll be back posting a pic of a fully recovered rose :))

*Happy dances round the garden*

Well it never did bloom & all the leaves fell off, so I took your advice & pruned it back & I am delighted to report that there are now signs of new growth on all the stems :)

I don`t know whether or not it will manage to bloom this year, but I am just relieved that its not dead.

The huge tree next to it is going to be cut down this week, just to traumatize my poor rose some more this year lol

Thanks again to all that replied.

Looking better! And your rose will probably be happy when it doesn't have to compete with tree roots for the available moisture--and will probably like the extra sunshine and air-flow.

We look forward to seeing it bloom.

Kate

Great news, I'm glad to hear your plant is recovering.

It looks happy! And will be even happier when the tree is gone! And being an HT you CAN expect to see blooms on it this year. It may be shorter than normal and the blooms may be small but it will bloom.

BTW, I would put a trash can over it while they are cutting down that tree. It could save it from getting some branches dropped on it.

A happy ending for "Our Love" :)

Well it made it!! .... Its looking blooming gorgeous! ... I am so happy & relieved, that was a stressful 10 weeks lol

Its not quite its normal shape & only has 2 blooms so far, but I am not complaining, its had a traumatic season & this is its 2nd lot of leaves & buds, so I am just amazed that it is as good as it is.

Thankyou all for your support & advice, hope you like the pic - No tree! Woohoo! :)

Beautiful. I love the color. Here's to many more cheerful blooms!

That's wonderful! Lovely rose--and looking so much better than when we first met!

I'm glad you can relax now. Be sure and give us a later progress report on it also.

Kate

I love a happy ending... :-)