Miranda, that variety of rose is fabulous! What a wonderful choice for a tribute!

What I have been taught about dead heading roses (glad you found the right term before I read the thread!!) is a bit more extreme than your garden center employee described....

Depending on the number of leaves in most of the leaf clusters, a branch of 3 is probably not far enough back. Where the rose has finished, follow the branch back until you find a cluster of 7 leaves, then cut just above that. If your plant does not have any clusters of 7 leaves, look for 5. Only if your plant has no clusters of 5 leaves would you cut above 3.

I am not a gardener, but the house we bought has many rose bushes out front. Despite the fact that I have not fed them and have not pruned them, they continue to produce many flowers for me throughout the year. Literally, all I do to them is dead head (and remove damaged, diseased branches). My DSIL is a landscape designer, and she told me the rule of 7 or 5. Considering the sucess we've had, I think she may be right.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~