I don't bother (pruning) because they turn into perfect tight balls of twig, leaf and blossom. Left to their own devices, they will self-prune, simply dropping old wood from abscission points on the canes. When they get a bit large, a hedge-trimming tool - either topiary shears or petrol hedger-trimmer, will shape them within bounds.
I confess to not having Suzanne but my sandy soil is ideal for spins and I have a few of them. I treat them a bit like box, using them as little punctuation points throughout the allotment, enjoying all aspects of their growth. They bloom only once for several weeks (although Stanwell will more or less continue throughout the summer with a few blooms here and there), but the fresh spring growth is a pleasure and many of them take on lovely autumnal colours, with tiny little deep purple-black heps.
As a class, they are immediately recognisable and can be remarkably similar....but they are deliciously addictive and will fit in the wildest garden, xeric desertscapes, assort well with grasses, wildflowers, and also combine in the most formal parterres and knot gardens - highly versatile and hugely lovable shrubs.

I don't bother (pruning) because they turn into perfect tight balls of twig, leave and blossom. Left to their own devices, they will self-prune, simply dropping old wood from abscission points on the canes. When they get a bit large, a hedge-trimming tool - either topiary shears or petrol hedger-trimmer, will shape them within bounds.
I confess to not having Suzanne but my sandy soil is ideal for spins and I have a few of them. I treat them a bit like box, using them as little punctuation points throughout the allotment, enjoying all aspects of their growth. They bloom only once for several weeks (although Stanwell will more or less continue throughout the summer with a few blooms here and there), but the fresh spring growth is a pleasure and many of them take on lovely autumnal colours, with tiny little deep purple-black heps.
As a class, they are immediately recognisable and can be remarkably similar....but they are deliciously addictive and will fit in the wildest garden, xeric desertscapes, assort well with grasses, wildflowers, and also combine in the most formal parterres and knot gardens - highly versatile and hugely lovable shrubs.

I grew Suzanne for over a decade. I loved it in the spring and it never rebloomed.

Side fact, Suzanne is one of three plants in Cheyenne WY that has survived there without care as remnants of their cold hardy breeding program from decades ago.

For reasons I don't yet know, my Suzanne in the back yard disappeared last (?) fall. Right now there appears to be nothing left.

One of my jobs this week is to try to find some remnants coming back from the roots which hopefully are still there (hiding).

I covet Suzanne but haven't been able to find her in stock to buy. Pickering sold out while I was putting together an order, and that was their final year selling Suzanne 2 years ago. Then I got on the waiting list at High Country Roses, but their mother plant died. She looks just wonderful on HMF and spins in general thrive here.

Stanwell Perpetual has been blooming now for over a month, while some other roses are barely breaking dormancy. I don't know how it likes pruning as I've never tried.;) I have a dwarf one called Compactilla from Eurodesert. Very cute single pale yellow/cream. That one hasn't been trimmed either. William's Double Yellow is a prolific bloomer over a long period, but no repeat, and unpruned. Very healthy and vigorous grower from Pickering. Sets abundant hips. I also have R. xanthina which I got from Eurodesert during its closing. It was pruned severely when moved in the scorching summer heat of 2011, and it sulked for a long time. Last year it bloomed, however there weren't all that many flowers. This year seems to be much better, and it is finally growing much more robustly, although it isn't yet the size it was at Eurodesert. But I don't know what hit it the hardest, the pruning or the moving in such high temps. I have R. hugonis from High Country Roses, it is fairly young. Didn't bloom last year at all, and this year so far only one flower. R. spinosissima on the other hand literally covers itself in flowers, it came from Eurodesert at the same time as xanthina, also pruned as severely for the move, but it seemed completely unfazed, and bloomed heavily in 2012, 2013, and this year. I haven't pruned it since the move however. I have a young plant of R. spinisissima altaica from High Country, no pruning of it yet, bloomed well last year and this year.

I sure would like to get Suzanne as well. Where were you able to get her?

Melissa

'Suzanne' is one of my favorite roses of all; it is completely care free, healthy, reasonably generous with rebloom (better than 'Stanwell' IMO) and has a unique scent (a bit like Linseed Oil: not really sweet, more aromatic)
It is a graceful shrub with fern-like foliage. Pruning? What pruning?! Highly recommended rose, if you can find it now (not gonna be easy) .
{{gwi:234642}}

This post was edited by trospero on Sun, Mar 30, 14 at 16:31

Harborose, thanks for asking such a great question! I only grow Stanwell but love him. I've been curious about Suzanne.

Paul, thank you for the photo and info. It's especially helpful to know that Suzanne reblooms better than Stanwell because my mature Stanwell is pretty repetative over the season. One big flush and then blooms here and there until winter.

Carol

I had Suzanne years ago, in another garden, and I still recall its fragrance, which to me seemed uniquely wonderful. I also grew Stanwell Perpetual, but Suzanne's fragrance surpassed it in my opinion.

Ingrid

Thank you all for the information and experiences with 'Suzanne' and other spins. I saw 'Doorenbos' a couple of years ago and have been looking for it ever since; I can't tell you how glad I am finally to have that rose. I am equally as glad for the others and for 'Suzanne.' Suzie, I really liked your description, thank you.

That's a great picture, trospero, thank you. I am glad you like it as I value your opinion.

These are all suckers from a friend of a friend's garden. When these start to sucker I'll post on hmf that I have them available to share. Melissa, if you don't find one in the next couple of years, then maybe this one will sucker and I can share it with you.

Someone on hmf asks about 'Suzanne' whether it might possibly take from a cutting, unlike other spins. trospero, do you know the answer?

I rooted hugonis from cuttings given to me by a friend, so I have wondered whether there aren't other spins that will root that way. What I've heard always is they don't. Maybe I'll find out for myself.

Also, thank you for the fragrance comments. Ingrid, yours especially convinced me to plant it in an easily accessible spot. There is a steep hill I've been planting roses that sucker to try to hold the soil during some of the deluge rainstorms we get up here. I think I'll plant something else there and keep 'Suzanne' close to me.

Thanks so much for the help. Gean

Gean,
Don't try rooting traditional cuttings of 'Suzanne', it won't likely succeed. Instead, simply bend any pliable cane so that you can peg the cane (one year old wood, or younger) under the soil -- leaving the shoot tip/foliage exposed, of course -- and within a year you will have a new plant to detach, rooted and ready to go. For some reason, this works really well, but cuttings do not.

View three photos showing the results:

Here is a link that might be useful: Layering technique for propagating 'Suzanne'

This post was edited by trospero on Mon, Mar 31, 14 at 12:18

Thank you for that, trospero, much appreciated. I will try it. Gean