Most European OGRs bloom on old wood -- even many of those which repeat. So what happens is that new canes (thick shoots from the base) will grow this year, and next year will bloom on laterals on last year's canes. After the first flush, if you cut back the laterals on last year's shoots, they'll bloom again (if the rose repeats).

Basically, they bloom on new shoots growing from last year's canes. This is the case for most of the long-caned Bourbons and Hybrid Perpetuals. Some of those with an extra dose of China or Tea will bloom on new shoots the same year, but 'Zephirine Drouhin' isn't one of those.

So if this rose is new for you, don't expect much in the way of blooms the first year -- sometimes not much the second year, either. The rose first needs to grow its layer of canes which will mature and then flowerHybrid Teas and Floribundas have heavier doeses of China-derived repeat-blooming genes, and so they will bloom on new shoots their first year (hence their being able to take hard-pruning in Spring and still flower that same year).

:-)

~Christopher

Thank you Christopher. This is ZD's second year. Last year it just had a handful of blooms early in the season. This year the first spring flush seemed very good for its second year, it had quite a few blooms.