United Kingdom 
I've got a rose bush that's been in our family for 70 years. Our landlady took it upon herself to 'tidy up our garden', in the process the Bush was cut down with a strimmer killing all the new growth off it. I want to know if it will survive? I'm devastated, I'm not sleeping worrying about it as is all I have that was my grandfather's.
8 Jun, 2015
Answers
So long as its not been cut right to the ground, it should recover - the risk with cutting right to soil level is the grafted rose might not grow, but the rootstock will put out suckers instead, so depends how low down its been cut.
8 Jun, 2015
Roses are very resilient - they want to live. Keep it watered, weed free, sun & good air circulation. I actually cut my roses down pretty severely each autumn. If it wasn't cut down to the ground, it should rebound.
8 Jun, 2015
Oh dear, poor you. Did she get rid of all the trimmings, or can you salvage any to try to use some as cuttings?
8 Jun, 2015
Those strimmers are like a shredder.
8 Jun, 2015
First and foremost, thanks for reading and answering the question. From what you say it could be hit and miss whether it survives. I will take a photo tonight and upload it once I get in from work.
We're moving house in a few weeks so I'm going to give it some serious attention to get it going again.
8 Jun, 2015
Do you know the variety of rose?
I understand your worry but buying the same variety for your new home may be an answer.......it will still remind you of your Grandad ....
8 Jun, 2015
No wonder you're moving!
I can only repeat the various advice above - and add a prayer for it. It might be a good time to lift it now and get it into a pot that has room for the rootball and give it lots of cosseting. If it is going to survive you could well get signs of new growth in the next few weeks before you move.
8 Jun, 2015
I've just looked at the rose bush now... It's got tiny red shoots appearing off the remaining green stalks! Looks like it's going to be alright!!!!!
13 Jun, 2015
That's good to hear. Hope it cranks out a few blooms.
13 Jun, 2015
Definitely good news. Get it ready for the move before your landlady comes round again.
14 Jun, 2015
I feel for you. Almost exactly the same thing happened when I asked a 'gardener' to tidy my mother's garden after she went into a home. It was strimmed down to about 8"! I needed to dig it out to bring home to my own garden so the poor thing really suffered. It has survived and whilst it has taken a couple of years to really bloom it is now making a decent shrub again. If it is only the new growth that has been taken off, it should be OK even if it takes while to get some flowers.
8 Jun, 2015