Hello Pat .... yes, I suppose you could dis-bud or de-bud the central flower but I rather leave them all so that I can always see a perfect bloom. Once that bloom is finished, remove it and wait for the others to open. Although CHARLES DE GAULLE is a HYBRID TEA rose,it has the flowering characteristics of a FLORIBUNDA (cluster flowering) rose with large heads of perfectly-formed, large HT shaped blooms. It’s no wonder rose gardeners/enthusiasts are so frequently confused about the classification of roses and why we here at Silkies Rose Farm, prefer to call them BUSH ROSES or MODERN SHRUB ROSES as this prevents confusion!