.....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.
