Question
I have Playgirl in full sun. She blooms around the bottom of the bush but not on top. The top growth is nothing but leaves. I read somewhere that this rose is to be planted in semi-shade. Could this be the problem? I'm very faithful about fertilizing. I have even pruned the top after the first bloom but still get nothing but leaves.

Answer
Playgirl is a very good rose and is also vigorous. The fact that it is vigorous means it puts out new growth at the expense of making flowers. This is not unusual in a rose that is vigorous. Pruning the top would also encourage more new growth. To get it to bloom all over, hold back on the fertilizing and don't prune except to snap off the dead flowers. It may prefer some afternoon shade but this is only because the flowers last longer in part shade. Hope this helps.