Dawn Gets A New Weave

What was I thinking??  I've raised four children, who will all attest to the fact the I gave them too much  oversight.  Too many rules.  Took copious notes at parent teacher conference. Curfews. Job charts.  Thank you notes.  Did I think that my New Dawn Climbing Rose was going to weave itself across the trellis without any help from me?  I, who devoured "The Strong Willed Child" didn't read about how to handle Dawn?  For three years Dawn had been given all the freedom my children had always desired.  And Dawn had gone completely off the rails.  Canes desperate to escape the constraints of Mother Trellis flailed their limbs skyward and sidewards, toward the siding of the house, through the hosta, the wild child with no goals and no self-discipline. (See post and picture for 6/4/14).

It was time for intervention.  And so I finally did what I should have done when I purchased my climbing rose.  I researched.  I learned that horizontal canes will be more productive than vertical canes. For the first time in three years, I followed the instructions for training a climbing rose to the trellis.  Several weeks ago I had drastically trimmed the canes.  By today substantial new growth had occurred allowing me to begin to bend the canes.  Beginning 18-24" from the ground, I bent each cane 45-90 degrees so that it could begin to grow across the trellis in a horizontal direction. I tied each cane to the trelllis at the point where it bent and at the end of the cane.  When the canes reach the other side of the trellis I will train them to go back.  Back and forth, back and forth.  Once the first few canes were tied  into place the others became easier because I could weave them into the tied canes.  I paid with pain. I couldn't wear gloves and still tie proper knots in the strings, so Dawn exacted her revenge with plenty of pokes.

And just like with the children, I believe that somewhere deep inside, this rose wanted rules and a bit of structure.