Lady banks is gorgeous but rampant - trim her. You may find you need to do it more than once each season.

I would check with the people on the Antique Roses Forum before I pruned:

Some once-blooming roses flower on old wood (the previous year's growth).

So if you prune Lady Banks hard, & especially if you prune several times a year, you may be cutting off next year's blooms.

Lady banks can be RUTHLESSLY pruned without harm, even down to a few cane stubs ... they bloom on new wood.

Remember - this is the "Tombstone Rose" ... one LBR covers acres of trellis there.

Lady banks rose bloom on old wood. So prune after they bloom.

Here is a link that might be useful: pruning LBR

How far north does this rose grow? I have never seen it in Massachusetts and it is so beautiful down South.

It's a zone 7'er. It tends to lose most of its leaves in zone 7 but remains evergreen further south.

Thanks for all the suggestions on the Lady Banks. It looks rather stark at the bottom where the big canes meet. I thought about putting a small bush in front to cover the base of the rose bush. My next question is about the placement of white irises. My house is over 100 years old and there's no telling when they were first planted here. I wondered how they were placed in gardens historically. They don't bloom well under trees, because they need sunshine. Any suggestions?

I have two LBRs and I have to trim them all through the summer. they are almost wild and send out canes 15-20' long. She blooms almost solid in Spring and has never been set back in any way due to pruning. New wood or old wood, frankly I don't think my rose know the difference, she just blooms like a madhouse. Go for it. Cheryl