I've come across in N Portugal a (to me) strange way of pruning rambling
roses - basically, to prune it like one might do a grape vine, ie take
one leading stem and prune all side stems back to one or two buds. You
are left with (at this time of year) a single thick (2 inches or more)
stem twining in and out of railings for a distance of several yards,
with compact bunches of opening foliage buds every 6 inches or so.

My observation is that rambling roses flower on second year growth - ie,
they put out long arching growths of 6ft or so, then the next year these
branches produce masses of small side shoots covered with flowers. And
therefore pruning is a matter of taking out old wood or overly crowded
branches.

So, if you prune in the Portuguese fashion, do you not reduce the amount
of flower? - in other words, you get bunches of flowers on the short
stems that have been left, but not the great arching stems of flowers
you'd normally expect?

On the other hand, it is a very neat effect, a tidy chain of flower
rather than the great sprawling bushes we are used to.

Any thoughts? Anyone know more about this than I do, or has seen the
roses later in the season?
--
Kay