My experience with "sulking" is lack of growth and flower. Your bush grew, but with the drought, heat, thrip attack, he's using the resources to replace the wood rather than flower. Teas and many Chinas require that thick, older wood as it contains the resources they need to explode into growth and flower. You've removed a lot of those resources, twice, so the bush isn't performing as expected. When it begins forming flower buds, you have the choice of allowing it to flower and wait for the growth, or preventing the flower and forcing the growth. Your choice. Kim

HI Sherry,
I've been contemplating buying 'le vesuve' as I've read of his heat tolerance and great rebloom. What does the scent smell like and what level of fragrance do you consider it to have?
thanks

I agree with Kim - LV in my garden grows to a free standing bush about 8 ft tall by 7 ft. wide before it stops, and settles down to just bloom all of the time. In contrast, yours looks small - undoubtedly because of all of the pruning. It is probably just trying to replace wood, until it gets to the size it thinks proper. Tea roses can be like that.

Jackie

Well, I think that rose is gorgeous ! I sure wish mine were as nice!! mine are not just sulking they are in a blue-funk... I no longer spray and the HTs show it, they have BS and almost bare.. also some have thrips and show it... really sad.... the only ones that look half alive are the OGRs and they are pouting, what with this awful heat and humidity and lack of rain.... guess we need to count our blessings however meager.... Cheers, sally

Well, Kim, from what you've said and what the bush is doing, if it was sulking, it is no longer sulking. It is growing and blooming though there was a delay after the thrips. Maybe it's just Le Vesuve being Le Vesuve. He's always been lopsided a little bit, never seeming to grow evenly and even blooming on one side and then the other.

Matt, he doesn't have any fragrance. He's all looks.

Jackie, photos are deceiving. He is a bit more than 6' across and 5-1/2' high, the biggest bush in my garden. We took cuttings from him today on his taller side, and he looks better - not as lopsided.

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sally, I know what your garden looks like by looking at mine. I need to deadhead and feed them which probably won't get done till next weekend. I hope we all get some rain.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sherry -- Don't worry about the crossing canes.

Tea Roses don't mind at all having crossing canes. I'd prune off only what is in the way. Or, as you mentioned, cut off what's needed to make it look right.

But on these roses -- if you prune, you're doing it for YOUR needs -- not for theirs.

Jeri

And you are upset because it doesn't have enough flowers? I am confused because it looks great to me.

Amberroses, I'm not really upset but concerned, and not because it doesn't have enough flowers but rather not as often as last year. I was really wanting to know if I was seeing "sulking". Newbie rose gardeners don't always (ever?) know what we're seeing when we see it, so I was just checking. I love this rose bush and want to do the right things for it.

Jeri, that sounds good, especially since all it has are crossing canes! Thanks for backing me up on this.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

How does the weather where you are this year compare to last year? The rose is going to respond to weather first, what else you do it second. If what Nature has hit it with and/or provided this year is not up to snuff compared to last year, the performance won't be up to last years. We very often don't think like the plants do. Kim

That makes sense, Kim. I guess it's dryer this year. I water daily but that's not the same as rain. We didn't have a whole lot of rain last year either though. I'll have to remember the weather as a factor.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

That very well could be. Try over head watering from an oscillating sprinkler or stand with a water wand or gentle rain nozzle and "rain" on the plant a couple of times. See how he responds. I frequently did it in my old Newhall garden. The results were down right amazing! None of the roses had ever performed as dramatically. Kim

***I water daily but that's not the same as rain

MAN! Is THAT ever the truth!
In my part of California, we are without rain easily 2/3 of the year. Some years, it's more like 80% of the year. And you can see the difference in all garden plants, as alkalinity and salinity increase.

All the watering in the world won't really substitute for rain -- even tho I read that glyphosphate is now detectable in rain (which is VERY depressing).

Jeri

Hoovb, haven't you ever heard of painted ladies? My subdivision is called Victoria Station, and the homes feature clapboard (HardieBoard), front porches with railings and some have gingerbread (white PVC). One is a 2-story Queen Anne with turrets painted Pepto Bismol pink with purple (and other colors) trim. We have a lovely light teal, baby blue, yellow, periwinkle, a couple of mocha browns, light sage green, mint green, turquoise, federal blue, light gray w/dark gray, a few almonds and tangerine next door which I'm less than thrilled about. Personally, I like them much better than earth tones. Yes, this is Florida, land of bright sun and pink flamingos.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sure have, the Victorian painted ladies of San Francisco. I like the colors you describe. Bright colors work well in FL. We don't have that here, we have all the various shades of beige. ;)