Roses in France
???????? Hello, can anyone please help with advice in what to do about some rose bushes. I am in France, near Limoges (inland) visiting my brother for 2 weeks. He lost his wife last September, and she was the keen "gardener". Almost a year on I find the garden neglected, as my brother (an academic) prefers to collect wine & antique furniture (the house here is now bursting with both!). The large house is 1786, the driveway my sister in law lined with Cypress Trees one side and rose bushes the other (see pics Attached). The Cypress are ok but sadly the roses were neglected during her illness. They were planted 12 years ago, & always in abundant summer-flower whilst she was tending them. I wondered if they are heavily pruned, watered & fed, can they be saved? Many are perfumed roses & they will all die & the driveway view will suffer greatly if they are lost! I always feel old roses are especially worth trying to save! Could they, for eg: be heavily pruned (& when?) given some rose feed, and regularly watered - would they survive? I could try giving my brother the correct advice - he might follow it (to restore & save the view down the driveway to the property) that's why I would dearly love to know what to do? (or perhaps you may advise the damage is too far gone already?). thankyou for reading my plea for help! 
Tads
(will post pice separately, sori)
Posts
Hi Tads. All is definitely not lost. Firstly the grass should be cleared from the bases of the roses. Pruning should be done in late winter/early spring. The big shrubby roses just need a tidy up with some of the middle shoots and any crossing branches removed. The top third of their growth removed is a rough guidance as to height. The smaller white rose - and I think a red one I can see in the distance - could take a slightly more drastic pruning to stimuate growth from lower down. Reduce their height by a half. Remind him to prune to an outward facing bud in all cases and if he can't find a bud just to cut to the height required. Any shoots that don't thrive after this can be sorted out next season. Finally - a good mulch and feed. I think you should swap all this information for a good bottle of wine!
Enjoy Portugal next.
oh ?? hi there Ladybird - nice to hear from you again - & "thankyou" for all the info ! Greatly appreciated!
So happy we can try to "save" them ! ? less you ? x