If she is grown as a climber, canes need to be trained semi-horizontally. You need a trellis maybe 10-12' wide. Horizontal or arching canes will make numerous laterals that will bloom, especially in the first flush of the year. If you don't have an adequate trellis, you can prune as a shrub, cutting back the long canes. GJ is not a good repeater in most gardens, but should improve some with age. You need state-of-the-art fungicide and heavy gauntlet gloves to deal with her. But the flowers are truly outstanding.

LOL! I have discovered the need for the heavy gloves with her. She is definitely the most dangerous rose I have. Another reason why I think she may need to be moved. Maybe, if I move her, while she is still short, and keep her pruned to about 4' or so she will do better. Besides, I would like a pretty good repeater for the front of the house. Any suggestions? Maybe Abe Darby, or New Dawn. I could always get a bigger trellis. DH would just love for me to tell him that! LOL

Zephirine will overwhelm a small trellis with dozens of 8' canes. Mine grew like a thicket of bamboo.

Clair Matin is one of the best as a big shrub or short climber-- terrific bloomer, hardy and pretty disease resistant, not too thorny, somewhat fragrant, good for cutting, a perfect front-yard plant.

A stealth shredder like The Fairy will draw more blood over the long term, but GJ has the sharpest big thorns I've ever dealt with.

When I tried growing GJ as a climber, she developed ugly bare legs. Shrub is probably a better plan.

New Dawn is way too big for the use you envision.
Call Ashdown and Roses Unlimited to see what they still have in inventory that will make the climber size you want. Be ready to specify what shade of pink and how fragrant.
Upstate SC: you've got such resouces within an hour's drive!

'Gertrude Jekyll' has received a lot of bad press here on the GW for being a stingy rebloomer. My experience is that as she gets older she has a far greater tendency to rebloom. Last year my own 'Gertrude Jekyll' which is over ten years old now bloomed for a good 6 weeks almost continuously. But after that effort I donÂt believe that there was much bloom in the fall. I continue to have mine in a prominent spot by the front walk as I think she deserves it for her wonderful flowers. You are in a much warmer zone so I would think you will need to provide her with good support as michaelg has already described. Mine is pruned as a 5Â shrub.

Sometimes "a lot of bad press here on the GW for being a stingy rebloomer" has been earned.
I've had four plants of GJ over a twelve year period. That's 48 rose-years. In my garden GJ has earned it's reputation for stingy bloom. Now if I had one of the pre-95 plants it might be different, but my first two were poster children for RMV-related decline. My second two are more the spidery blood takers. This year James Galway will shade one out; that's a good thing as DH is slow with the shovel. Next year I expec the last to be shaded out by the Amazing Mr. Fairchild. Again, no loss.

Thank you all for all of your info. I called Trish at Ashdown,(no answer at Roses Unlimited) and she helped me find a very good replacement for Gert. We picked Blush Noisette. I believe that this will be a good rose for the spot. Gert will promptly be moved on saturday, after the rain. The new rose will not arrive until after May 14th. So that will give me time to get manure and mulch. Thanks again,
Mary

I just bought a Gertrude Jekyll from Heirloom. I'm hoping it will be free of RMV-related decline that Ann describes. Several of my Austins come from Heirloom for just that reason.

I haven't decided yet whether to train GJ horizontally or prune it as a shrub and keep it short. I'd be interested in hearing from other growers who, like Palustris, have had it a while and like it.

GJ is not the only rose that repeats better with age. My Pierre de Ronsard did not repeat well for several years. Now it blooms in good flushes several times a season. Many growers of young PdR plants give up on it for lack of repeat. BTW, I prune mine as a shrub. It doesn't even try to climb anymore!

Rosefolly

I think it was rozanna who posted last year (or year before last, LOL) that Gertrude responded well for her with hard pruning after the first flush. Maybe she'll chime in.

Barbara, who plans to try that

I've had better luck getting her to rebloom keeping her pruned. After she flushes, she gets cut back to about 4'. This method seems to work well with many of my Austins. Tradescant is one of the few I've seen bloom on laterals consistently. I'll quantify that by saying Othello will bloom on laterals trained horizontially..but I'd have to rent a helicopter to be able to appreciate them.

Linda, that is a beautiful picture. I have decided to keep mine a shrub. They are calling for showers this afternoon thru sat. So hopefully I will move her out of the middle of the front garden to a row of austins that I have planted off to the side of my house. I would kill for a row of roses like that. Thanks again for everyones input.

Gertie reblooms for me (not a quick rebloomer, but not stingy either). I prune her back after each flush and she seems to do well.

Hope this helps, and I agree, she is not meant to be a climber.

Marleah

This is my 3rd year for my G.J. After two years of bushy growth and few flowers, I had a talk with her and told her 2007 was her last chance for good blooming. Lo and behold, this year she is having a long bloom season with dozens of beautiful blooms. I will cut her back and see if I can get a rebloom. She is a large shrub for me.