Off With Their Heads!

I have nearly finished pruning my roses, a daunting task, of which I'm glad to see the end. Every year, beginning in winter, I set out to complete this chore before the first buds break on the canes. I arm myself with my trusty Felcos, my goat skin gloves, and several layers of garden clothes, for padding. Like knights in fairy tales, facing down dragons, I bravely battle the giant Ramblers in my yard. When they are tamed, I turn, a more refined hand, to snipping and clipping the smaller rose denizens, such as my dozen or so Mini Roses. I grow close to two hundred roses in all. They range from mini's to shrub to climbing roses, and to wildly rambling roses, with a few species specimans thrown in for good measure. I learned to prune this diverse group of plants by growing them for over twenty five years, and from a little help from friends, rose addicts like myself. If you would like to learn some really good pruning tips, in a much shorter time, read this great article on pruning roses from my favorite rose site. While you're at it check out my favorite rose nursery the Uncommon Rose.