Maybe an offer to contribute to the cost of replacement roses would convince them that you liked the roses and wouldn't have done it ... I know that you shouldn't have to, but sometimes it's worth doing that bit extra in order to keep on good terms with your neighbours.
Offering to contribute could simply convince the neighbour that the OP was responsible for the damage. With the apparent problems between them at the moment, I wouldn't make that offer.
I don't see it that way ... why would someone who doesn't want roses there offer to help buy some more? .... but it does depend on the attitude of the NDN of course
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi. I have had the same problem I think. I have 3 roses in a bed ,all growing beautifully , then all if a sudden one is dead , not wilting in the heat or scorched or weedkilled just dead like I've chopped it off at the stem. I have treated them all the same. I'm going to dig it up to see if there are vine weevil but as it's in open ground I wouldn't think they would kill it so easily. Please see attached pic. It might just give you something to show your neighbours. Left in the pic is the dead rose and right and a bit stepped back is one of the still living roses!
Is that crocosmia at the base? Maybe the montbretia is outcompeting the rose? Those plants look very close to the rose roots and crocosmia can be very thuggish. Either way I think you do need to lift it and inspect the roots.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
That rose does not look dead to me, at this stage... there is no need to dig it up. For some reason the foliage has died, but if you look at the canes they are all green and very healthy, thick canes, I can't see anything wrong with those... I don't know why the foliage has shrivelled and died like that, but all you need do is remove all the foliage, defoliate it completely, and wait to see if it shoots out again.... removing the rose at this stage is premature in my opinion...
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.