Regina wrote:

[Cass wrote}
which taught me a thing or two about pruning this year. I BR'd mine to
redecorate, and I'll be damned if it doesn't look soooo much better
after the vicious attack of cutting all the canes back to about a foot.

hmmmph. Well I've kept this very interesting comment of yours firmly in
mind ever since I read it. Yesterday I hacked back some stuff pretty
mercilessly that I've considered treating this way for several years
now, but have wimped out every time, til now. Cut back harder! I know
I need to cut back harder.

I BR'd Pierre de Ronsard and left the canes about 3 feet, and it's
doing fine too. BR'd 2 Westerlands, one cut the canes back to 15
inches, one with canes cut back to 24 inches. All fine.

As the plants get thoroughly leafed out, it gets ever more traumatic to
cut off all that stuff that is looking so perfectly good. But I DID it,
thanks Cass. Yesterday.

Mount Hood, Saint Patrick, Sheila's Perfume - all planted in a fairly
shady spot so gangly as all get out. I felt that the taller, the better
to reach the sun, but it had to be done. Now I wait. Grow, GROW
dammit.

So, what will I hack today?

I felt good about pruning this year. I hit a few pretty hard, starting
in the fall (because they say not to, in part) by removing all the
stuff down low that was in the way of my rake. I've always wanted to
avoid naked canes down low, so I've been afraid the cut that stuff off.
Well, now I know: it grows back.