It will make several long basal shoots each year for you to train over the trellis. I wouldn't prune it much at this time, as that would reduce the spring bloom, which is most of the year's bloom. If it is feasible, fan out the long laterals so they will bloom more.

It may be desirable to maintain some bushy growth around the base so all the bloom isn't at the top. If there is too much bushy growth, you could cut some of the canes out at the base, and they will be replaced by long basal canes.

On second thought, maybe I shouldn't be giving advice without seeing a picture.

Ginny, I agree with Micheal, could you post a picture? It is hard to say anything, since we don't know how hard your Zephirine Drouhin is pruned back and how she really looks right now. One good thing is, that Zephirine Drouhin is a tough strong rose so it is likely that she will recover well from the overdoing of the pruning by your landscaper.

By coincidence I just published a post with photos on my garden blog yesterday how I pruned my Zephirine Drouhin this year. Maybe you want to have a look? Click on the link below.

Christina

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Garden Dreams

Without seeing a photo, I'd agree with Michael's initial recommendations which is to not prune it this year, just train the new long laterals over the trellis. Sounds like your friend pruned it as if it were a hybrid tea, so that's what I'm picturing ... don't worry, I've seen this many many times before. Your Zeph will grow back.

Depending on how fast she grows back you might be able to start some selection of canes this fall, removing extras, if any.

Thanks for your ideas. I am trying to figure out how to use Photobucket but when I did last week my pictures were tiny. I need to figure out how to make them larger before posting them. Hopefully my daughter will be over to help today.
Thanks for your patience.
Ginny

I finally figured out how to post pictures online that weren't too small. Hopefully these aren't too big.

Because this rose is in part sun and up against a fence and the side of the house, it is quite dark in these pictures. Maybe if I'd taken them when the sun was briefly shining down low they would be better. Hopefully they will be of some use.

Quite a mess of canes, laterals etc. You can see a couple of canes cut.

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Another look at the mess closer to the bottom

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Top of the fence view, 5 feet.

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Nice bright picture; you can see small branches I probably should cut off? I've heard to remove anything smaller than a pencil.

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Here's the base.

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I think I"m pushing the envelope by having this lovely rose in so much shade. Fortunately because it does reach up to 6-7 feet there are lovely blooms way up there.

I think this spring/summer I'll try taking cuttings and plant another of these beauties out in the sun where it belongs.

Forgive me if my pics are too many and too large, let me know.

Thanks for your help.

Ginny

Ginny, great that you managed to post photos. It took me a while to figure that out.

I am by no means an expert, but looking at your photos here is what I would do. I believe there is nothing that you can do about the long climbing canes that are cut off by your landscaper. I would probably keep the growth that has sprouted from last years climbing canes and only shorten the length of the canes if necessary, so that it fits the size of your trellis. I would remove all spindly, dead, damaged and diseased growth and only keep the canes that are at least pencil thick. Then I would tie them back to the trellis. Hopefully some of these canes will produce laterals. If they have already I would shorten the laterals up to two to three bud eyes. I would not touch the base of the rose at all at this point, because it doesn't have many climbing canes sprouting from there.

My hope would be that over the next couple of years you will get new basal break from the base of the rose, which will grow into tall climbing canes. If this happens you can take out one or two old unproductive climbing canes from the base and the rose would renew itself this way and you would get rid of the hacked back climbing canes by your landscaper. It will take time, I know, but if everything goes according to plan over time you would get back a lovely specimen of Zephirine Drouhin.

It's hard to put these things in words, but I hope, I expressed myself clearly and that it helps. Good luck with your rose! Zephirine Drouhin is such an amazing climbing rose and even though some people have a different experience mine does very well in (Southern) California.

Christina

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Garden Dreams

Christina,

Thank you for your detailed suggestions. I will try to follow them. Your garden is absolutely lovely. Thank you also for the information and pictures showing how you prune some of your roses. I will keep your page handy and refer back to it.

Thanks again for sharing part of your life - it's wonderful that we can share our passions with others.

Fondly,
Ginny

Ginny, you are welcome! I am happy that you like my garden. It is great feedback for me, when I know that you appreciate the photos and info on the blog about rose pruning.

I completely agree with you sharing our rose and garden passion with others is what I love about GardenWeb and blogging.

Boy, I am so looking forward to the roses blooming again!

Please, keep us posted how your Zephi is doing this spring after you have pruned her!

Christina

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Garden Dreams

Ginny, I think what Christina said is correct. Sometimes we just have to start fresh. ZD can be an overwhelming rose plant. I would cut back all but a few canes and try to get those as horizontal as possible.

Since it's coming on spring, now is the time that roses will put out most of their growth. If you cut your ZD back now, she will respond by putting out new growth and many new basals. You can then take those new basals and train them horizontal as well. I did that on my ZD and it was back better than ever. Don't be afraid to cut!

Also, for climbers, it's important to cut back the laterals after they bloom. Otherwise they tend to just get long. This is what can make climbers unmanageable. You want a little bit of cane and a lot of blooms. Not a lot of cane and a little bit of blooms.