Question
We moved into a house in Manassas VA (Near Washington DC) in Nov. We have four rose bushes. All four bloomed beautifully in April. But in May our region got rocked with day after day of heavy rain. We came home Friday night and the two bushes furtherest from the house were striped of every leaf and blossom. They look like winter. Will these recover naturally or should I do something to help them? They were beautiful and my first rose garden ever. Thanks for any help!

Answer
I am assuming that the leaves and buds were not eaten by some animal. It is not unusual for  squirrels, rabbits, plus deer, to completely strip a rose bush clean. Yes they will re-grow the leaves, make buds and flower again but pruning them back by a third will certainly help. It activates their vigour as they try to replace the cut off growth. This year I am using Alfalfa Meal as a sort of rose tonic and have had good success with it as we had an arctic storm go through and whack down many roses. You can get it at some garden centers and always at a farm and feed store. Just make sure it isn't the rabbit food Alfalfa Meal only the plain one. I think it is used  as horse food.