Year of the roses

[jackb]

Yes, we do a minimal amount of pruning and fertilizing each year. Some plants have been in place for a number of years.
jackb

 

[Jared77]

It might be related to the end of the previous season. I know the previous fall dictates how the next seasons strawberry harvest turns out.

It could be something similar.

 

[ducks4you]

I'm turning into a rose person. Good things we have rose Experts here to help me!! Just bought another Rose, on clearance today. I salvaged two clearance mini roses last September from the garden center at a hardward store, wintered them in my basement west window and they're blooming like crazy. I also bought the tiniest mini rose after Valentine's Day, kept it going indoors and it's doubled in size in my front bed and blooming.
I will get around to pictures this year...PROMISE!

 

[Lavender2]

I'm turning into a rose person. Good things we have rose Experts here to help me!! Just bought another Rose, on clearance today. I salvaged two clearance mini roses last September from the garden center at a hardward store, wintered them in my basement west window and they're blooming like crazy. I also bought the tiniest mini rose after Valentine's Day, kept it going indoors and it's doubled in size in my front bed and blooming.
I will get around to pictures this year...PROMISE!

I have to have a few roses. I would love to grow the big peace and tea roses like my grampa had, but they are so labor intensive in this zone... hilling and covering, and I would still lose some of them. I now do mostly sub-zero hardy shrubs, a very hardy pink climber, a mini that I started from seed, and some wild roses. For the continual beauty most of them provide they are really worth the minimal effort it takes to grow them compared to many other shrubs and flowers.
You are lucky to be in a bit more forgiving growing zone.

 

[ducks4you]

I wish I could say that, but last winter killed off many things. It got down to 18 below zero with and minus 25 degree wind chill. It is AMAZING that my unprotected from the wind Magnolia Jane survived. However, I had it buried in a tree pot with a big blanket of compost, so perhaps that created some heat. I heard someone on Mid American Gardener say that they almost lost theirs. Then, AGAIN, I studied up on this tree, and advice was to plant it on the east side of your house, where mine is now growing nicely, ~12 feet east of the foundation. It will have my house to help protect it from the winter winds.
We are now rethinking our zoning from 6 to 5, and I'm buying perennials for zone 3, just in case.