Big Rose Bush Taking Over Garden

Gargled

Hi,

I've just moved into a new house and have a giant rose bush in the middle of the garden. It was being rented out before so the garden didn't get much love. The rose bush also has some green bush (unknown) growing through it and ivy growing underneath. The ivy is spreading out into the garden now too and there are nettles around the back.

It's in the middle of the garden and I'm losing a good bit of space behind it. Plenty of bees and birds using it so don't want to get rid of it if it's not the right thing to do. Should I get rid of it now or wait until later in the year? Cheers

Pics:

https://imgur.com/PWt4j67
https://imgur.com/8KO49Un
https://imgur.com/4qok4m0

looksee

Heavens, what a job! There seems to be at least three shrubs there, possibly 4. The rose, the one with very dark leaves, not sure what that is, looks a bit like berberis but the leaves are too big, then the bright green one - is the bit top right the same as the stuff at the bottom? The plant at the bottom looks like lonicera, but again the leaves are too big. Forsythia? Privet? I would be inclined to leave it for a while see does the rose have flowers of any interest. If it does then it may be worth rescuing.

Its getting a little bit late this year, but if you get on with it you might get away with it, roses are tough, though you may not get much by way of flowers this year.

As to how to do it, you will need some good gloves and sleeves, and a sturdy pair of loppers (and probably a saw). Take out as much of all the stuff that is not rose as you can, and anything that looks dead. The rose will probably have a massive stem so don't go down to nearly ground level as you might with a younger rose, cut branches back till you can still see buds on the stems. It will look desperate but you can tidy it up next season. As you progress try and identify the stems of the other shrubs and keep cutting back till you are at root level. Keep an eye on them to see do they re-shoot next season, you may have to paint on some brush killer.

This ruthlessness may mean that the rose gives up and dies, but that would be unusual, they really are tough shrubs. Good luck!

Gargled

Great advice, thanks! I'll tackle the other weeds and get rid of any of the black leaves for now and see what happens over the summer.

Hocus Focus

My inclination would also be to cut back ruthlessly, but not as ruthlessly as Looksee. As well as the rose, I would try to get the other shrubs into presentable shape.The area must have been planted originally with a specific effect in mind.