Early pruning

Yesterday I grasped the nettle and did a light pruning on all my front garden roses. We've had a lot of salt laden wind and the poor roses looked pathetic - apart from iceberg and peace, most of them lost their leaves and the odd blossom on bare sticks looked terribly neglected. So, in for a penny in for a pound. I did the job. This inspired Bob who weeded then fetched a couple of loads of compost and some pine bark. Garden now looks colourless but neat. It's cold as charity and I couldn't much sign of growth. I usually prune in June, but am on count down to head south for a couple of weeks.

..........so that would be down our way then, Blossom?

I did a little clean up today too Blossom... as you know I'm not pruning normally this year (or possibly ever agains LOL) and I went through today and dead-headed the hips I wasn't going to keep on a few roses and took out the dead wood. Just did a few to see how it would go (didn't get to 'Peace'. Did 'The Children's Rose' and a few others and think they will look even better next season with some size on them). That's all they are going to get this year. 'Peace' here has small leaves that look quite nice but things are so cold here right now Ithink they've been shocked and won't go any further. Most things have completely dropped their leaves in the last week from the sudden cold snap. Things that still have their leaves are 'Comtesse de Labarthe' ('Duchesse de Brabant'... this plant looks like it is still growing even putting out new red growth), the multiflora hybrids, the wichurana hybrids, and the biggest surprise of all to me is the nice little miniature I mentioned back in the gallery section a while back. The flower that I photographed for that thread was pruned off TODAY!!! It is just amazing. It's not growing right now but the leaves are holding and are a lovely shade of green without a hint of autumn colour anywhere. Just amazing. The 'Cherokee Roses' are still green as expected as are all the climbers against the house. There are others that are still green too... will be interesting to see how long they last.

.........so that would be down our way then, Blossom? Smile

Yes, as soon as we get the phone call. Baby is due around the 17th. We'll stay a week or so. Would be nice to catch up now that you are offically a Tasmanian! Dee is in my phone so I'll let her know.

Blossom wrote:

.........so that would be down our way then, Blossom? Smile

Yes, as soon as we get the phone call. Baby is due around the 17th. We'll stay a week or so. Would be nice to catch up now that you are offically a Tasmanian! Dee is in my phone so I'll let her know.

Good! I will be hanging around the phone.

Yes I will be starting the climbers in the next few weeks , others doing mid to late July this year, trying to time them for the SPring Rose SHow

The Estate wrote:Yes I will be starting the climbers in the next few weeks , others doing mid to late July this year, trying to time them for the SPring Rose SHow

Yay. Love to see more pics of Thee with her first prizes!

Would be lovely to catch up with you again, Blossom.

Dee will keep me in the loop..........she says hopefully.

Abbi wrote:

The Estate wrote:Yes I will be starting the climbers in the next few weeks , others doing mid to late July this year, trying to time them for the SPring Rose SHow

Yay. Love to see more pics of Thee with her first prizes!

one can only hope Abbi, did rather well last show 3 firsts and 4 2nds I think it was

Congratulations, Thee

Hope you do the same at all your shows

me too 1 challenger I have to knock of her blocks yets