.....prune your roses I mean! Some gardeners do theirs in November, others wait until about February just before the new growth begins. I leave mine until February. I'd like to say it's because the U.K. tends to get more rain at the end of the year and it would cause harm to the newly-pruned roses, but really it's because I don't like squelching about in the wet! Now that December is almost over, we often get some cold but bright sunshiny days..... perfect for pottering around in the garden.
The rose in the photograph (taken last Summer) is 'Handel', my favourite climbing rose. The ivory petals are fringed with pink and the centre fades to a soft peach. In the clear light of day it is a joy to behold but at dusk it seems to become lucent and is breathtakingly beautiful. Looking at this image of 'Handel' makes the cold Winter days easier to bear, knowing it will soon be in bloom once more.
I love the Rose Handel.It is very colourful, and I bet you cant wait for it to bloom again when its warmer.I have not pruned my Roses yet, might wait to Febuary like you said!
ReplyDeleteHi David. :) There are so many beautiful roses, it's difficult to choose a favourite, but Handel comes out on top for me. Despite it looking delicate it's a strong grower, blooms freely and ours has never been affected by pests or diseases (though I wont say too much as I don't want to tempt fate!). We have another one that's a real beauty.... again a climber, Cecile Bruner, which we have growing over an arch. I'll post a photo at some point.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you for waiting till February to do the pruning! lol The best place to view the garden at the moment is from the sitting-room window. :)
My father taught me to prune on, or about, February 22nd ... he said this was because it was the coldest part of the year and the safest time to cut plants back ... when the sap wasn't running. With global warming, however, February in my part of the world tends to be warm and spring-like. So ... I try to prune at the very first "freezing" which is usually in December.
ReplyDeleteBTW ... you have a very nice blog here! I've enjoyed my visit!
Take Care!
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Thank you for visiting and for your advice. When I was a child I remember January and February as being very cold.... now the seasons seem to be merging into one another. I've even noticed buds forming on my fuchsias in the greenhouse and that is with only the gentlest of heat, just enough to keep frost-free; obviously warm enough to stimulate them into growth so I'll have to watch them carefully.
ReplyDeleteThank you also for the compliment on my blog. :D I'm in the learning stages as yet (probably always will be lol) and it's really good to read other peoples' blogs. There's a mine of information and fun reading within the blogs and I'm really enjoying myself. :)