Question
I live in central, IL right in between St. Louis and Indianapolis.  This spring I planted 6 Meidland fire rose plants in the landscaping bed in front of my house as suggested by a landscape architect.  I know nothing of horticulture but can follow instructions.  The plants are doing great but they are not what I expected.  They seem to be a ground cover and do not grow up into a bush.  They are beginning to overtake the other plants in the landscaping and are threatening to extend past the landscape edging.  Do I need to provide something for them to climb? Can I prune them a certain way to get them to grow tall?  I am beginning to wonder if these plants were appropriate for my particular landscaping situation.  The landscape architect has since gone out of business.  Please help.

Answer
Fire Meidland is a modern shrub and grows upwards to about 2 feet and then spreads sideways and if grown well, can spread 6 feet both ways to a total of 12 feet. This type of rose is mainly used in landscaping the sides of highways, covering hills but also in the garden as a sort of cover in areas that people don't wan't to be bothered with. Fire Meidiland will never grow into a tidy bush but will always be on the floppy side. You can prune it back but it will still have the same vigour and go sideways. You are correct in that it was not the rose for your needs. If you wish to get back to me with your type of shrubs you require, then I can give you suggestions plus where to buy them. Hope this helps.