Welcome to the new year!! I am loving this winter so far (as are our rose garden). We are actually having some precipitation these days, and that is a wonderful thing. Much of my beloved home state of Connecticut has been in a severe drought these last few years. Actually, this might be the most severe one on record for our area, ever. Last winter seemed to pass us by for snowfall…maybe two storms that completely melted within a day or so, and that was it. This year we are not only getting some snow, but we are also receiving some blessed rainfall. Between 2015 and 2016, we are close to 30″ behind for rainfall. This month is the first one in the last two years that we are a little bit ahead for precipitation and I hope it keeps up!

The Rose Garden

The roses are slumbering peacefully under a little snow. Snow is a wonderful asset in the rose garden and the deeper it gets, the more insulation it provides for the sleeping beauties below. The best winter protection would be three feet of snow on the ground all winter, but here in north central Connecticut our winters have a lot of the freeze/thaw factor going on. That is why when I plant my roses I begin my winter protection program by burying my roses deep in the ground. I want my roses’ bud unions at least 4″ below soil level. Then, the crowns of the plants and 4″ of canes are protected, and all the side buds are protected, too. Burying those bud unions makes winter protecting in my gardens easy. I just cut most of my roses back to knee high, fluff the mulch, and poof! Done! In the spring I’ll cut out any winter damage and those protected buds underground will send up big, fat, brandy-new red canes!

If your roses aren’t planted deep, it’s not too late to dump some compost, soil, or mulch all over them. That will protect your bud unions and canes because they will stay cold and not sprout during an unexpected thaw. There are a few inches of frost in the ground now, so there shouldn’t be a problem with little rodents like voles at this point, either.

Winter Activities

January in the rose garden is a lovely respite for the northern rose gardener! It’s time to look at rose catalogs, catch up with friends, and plan our coming growing season! CT Rose Society has a rose sale every year as a club benefit. We generally have 20 varieties of excellent roses to choose from. They are delivered to us just before our April meeting where they are distributed to membership. One of the selections this year is a rose I haven’t grown for a number of years. I haven’t seen her around lately, but I am going to purchase one. Her name is ‘First Prize,’ and I had her for many years. She is a pink hybrid tea with perfect form and I can’t wait to plant her in my garden again!

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you probably know that I love orange roses. Edmunds Roses is carrying a rose this year that is all the rage with my Californian rose friends on Facebook. It is called ‘Ring of Fire,’ and I have fallen in love with her picture! (uh, oh…don’t tell my hubby!) The description is a ‘blazing hot fireball’ and ‘flaming orange petals are blended with coral and ginger hues.’ She has perfect form and long stems…oh, boy…you’d think with my 300-ish roses I’d be satisfied, but I’ve just got to get one of these! I’ll let you know how she does.

Enjoy the Winter

Meanwhile, enjoy a warm fire, a glass of wine, and a good rose book! Look for ‘Empress of the Garden,’ a lovely to look at and read tome by my friend Mike Shoup from the Antique Rose Emporium in Texas. It’s the story of how he rescues old roses from all over the place and it is also chock-full of great rose growing tips.

The days are getting longer and my houseplants are starting to wake up and put on some growth! All my orchids have put up scapes and are beginning to bloom on their eastern windowsills. I’m going to keep enjoying this lovely winter…just look and you will find the romance inside and out, just as I have.