Comments on RAMBLINGS FROM A DESERT GARDEN....: An Neglected, Overgrown, Nameless Rose....

I'm so impressed on what you did! I really wis...

2012-01-11T10:09:53.645-07:00

I'm so impressed on what you did! I really wish you will post a follow up on this with a photo. I can't wait to see them bloom.

I have always had a hard time cutting back the ros...

2012-01-09T11:10:47.368-07:00

I have always had a hard time cutting back the roses when they are blooming, but know, like you said, we will be rewarded in spring. Happens all the time, yet I am leery every time :-)

Great work and am anxious to see them in a couple months!

I have the same problem! Im so scared to do this b...

2011-01-18T19:42:51.487-07:00

I have the same problem! Im so scared to do this by myself and I just don't know what to do and scared I may kill it. Plus there are over 3 dozen roses. Is there any better step by step instructions with pictures that anyone knows of?

Hello Everyone, Thank you all for your kind comme...

2010-01-15T09:36:41.606-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Thank you all for your kind comments. The residents of Double S farms are looking forward to seeing their shrub roses bloom this spring.

Rebecca,
Typically, roses need to be pruned back to prepare them for dormancy. Since you live in a colder climate, I would check with your local rose society about when you should do this and how to prepare them for winter. I would try a google search for the rose society near you. Since we are in a warmer climate, I would not want to steer you wrong about the timing :^)

Hello Noel,
Believe me, I have pruned some Euphorbias in the past. Got to be careful of the sap though...:^)

Meredith,
Thank you for sending the link to your dad. I hope it helps :-)

Hi VW,
I would be interested in how the changes in fertilizer and pruning work for you. Please let me know...

Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the nail polish tip. It is less messy then the glue...

I couldn't believe it when you said Glamis Cas...

2010-01-15T09:11:47.532-07:00

I couldn't believe it when you said Glamis Castle was their name. I have two in my garden and they have both been very sickly roses that have struggled to grow at all. I bought the second thinking it couldn't be as sick as the first wrong.

When I started reading your post I thought I bet it would take well from a cutting as it had grown so well now I am not so sure.

I have found that inexpensive nail polish (dollar ...

2010-01-15T07:15:15.595-07:00

I have found that inexpensive nail polish (dollar store) works well to seal the ends of the canes when pruning.

[ Jeff ]

For neglected plants those Glamis Castle roses loo...

2010-01-15T02:30:26.569-07:00

For neglected plants those Glamis Castle roses looked great! I have one that gets a regular prune and at least a little TLC here and there and it doesn't look half as healthy :(

The pruning tips were wonderful too and will encourage me to take a bit more care when the time comes again in my garden. The borer was indeed gross but facinating, I've never seen such a thing!

The rose bushes look like they are newly planted! ...

2010-01-14T22:16:48.774-07:00

The rose bushes look like they are newly planted! I know they are taking in some good air, now they can breathe! I look forward to seeing how lush they will be soon. BTW - my boys always were fascinated with the gross stuff - I think it is in the boy gene.

This is an AWESOME tutorial Noelle. I'm afrai...

2010-01-14T21:00:46.644-07:00

This is an AWESOME tutorial Noelle. I'm afraid I've been pruning my roses the wrong way. :-(
I bet it will look incredible this spring ~ lucky new owners ~ it pays to know people, doesn't it?!!! ;-)

Now I need to bookmark this for when it's time to prune roses here (March or April).

Looking forward to seeing this beauty bloom as a n...

2010-01-14T20:33:38.733-07:00

Looking forward to seeing this beauty bloom as a new rose bush.

You did a great job.

Jen

I'm looking forward to seeing the roses as the...

2010-01-14T18:19:12.553-07:00

I'm looking forward to seeing the roses as they put on their spring growth with plenty of room for new branches and flowers. This year my goal for my english roses is to prune them to encourage stronger, thicker stems to hold up the roses. I didn't remove enough of the stems last year, I think, and I ended up with a bunch of skinny, floppy stems. Plus I'm making sure they get a lot less nitrogen but plenty of other nutrients. We'll see how it works.

I stand in awe. if it were spring and I was in the...

2010-01-14T18:06:22.662-07:00

I stand in awe. if it were spring and I was in the garden, i would be kneeling in awe.

jim

What nice helpers you have in your gardening ventu...

2010-01-14T16:42:57.983-07:00

What nice helpers you have in your gardening ventures. It's so hard to make that first snip...after that I can prune easily. Love your new name.
Balisha

wow noelle, what a pro, can you come over and help...

2010-01-14T15:57:52.862-07:00

wow noelle, what a pro, can you come over and help trim my scary and prickly euphorbias...they are shocking how tall and deadly they can be.

nice demo lesson on trimming

noel

That was a wonderfully educational post! I'm ...

2010-01-14T14:07:43.130-07:00

That was a wonderfully educational post! I'm sending the link to my Dad, who hasn't quite got the hang of rose pruning yet. :) (I used to do it for him when I lived near, and I don't explain what I do nearly as well as you.)

I'm so glad you were able to find its name somewhere in there. That is one tough plant, based on the state it had gotten into, and still blooming!

What a great job you did, Noelle! I loved seeing ...

2010-01-14T12:44:27.638-07:00

What a great job you did, Noelle! I loved seeing you and the family too, helping and checking it out. I hope your mom could see that you did it just the right way for future growth. We prune roses here on Valentine's Day. Easy to remember. :-)
Frances

A great post! I'll be pruning ours in about a...

2010-01-14T11:50:24.498-07:00

A great post! I'll be pruning ours in about a month or so, and I have to admit I don't always do a very good job of it.
The roses look great all cleaned up and what a lucky find that its an English rose too (maybe you can take one home for yourself :) )

I am very impressed with your work. I would never...

2010-01-14T11:21:49.577-07:00

I am very impressed with your work. I would never have the nerve to do this... perhaps that's another reason not to have rose bushes?? ;-) Hope you show us the Spring photos.

I can't wait to see how it does either. Great ...

2010-01-14T11:12:39.127-07:00

I can't wait to see how it does either. Great job! Opening up a hole was a real smart idea. What a treat to find the tag.

I recently cut down a sweet autumn clematis and the stem was right full of borers. I thought ewww! I had never seen that before. They were probably the same kind as yours. It's really gross but I'm glad you showed it because it is a fact of life in the garden.

Its from the middle of March here that we prune th...

2010-01-14T10:58:05.160-07:00

Its from the middle of March here that we prune the roses - My grandad always did his on St Patricks Day 17th March. Glamis castle rose is lovely - the real castle is not too far from me.

P.S. I love the new name for your blog!!

2010-01-14T10:51:35.603-07:00

P.S. I love the new name for your blog!!

Noelle, What an informative post! I planted a few...

2010-01-14T10:51:05.500-07:00

Noelle,
What an informative post! I planted a few bare root rose bushes last year, and I have been looking at information on proper pruning techniques. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to your follow up in the spring. :)

What a nice tutorial, Noelle. I agree, pruning ros...

2010-01-14T10:49:04.423-07:00

What a nice tutorial, Noelle. I agree, pruning roses is tough love and it is certainly not my favorite task in the gardens but it rewards us the following summer. Looking forward to seeing the blossoms once she gets going again.

Oh my goodness I am in great envy of you weather! ...

2010-01-14T10:47:06.408-07:00

Oh my goodness I am in great envy of you weather! Great job on the roses, make sure to give us an update in the spring. Kim

Noelle pruning is so rewarding ... instant gratifi...

2010-01-14T10:20:47.692-07:00

Noelle pruning is so rewarding ... instant gratification ... but a bit shocking to the owner I imagine. Your mom must trust that you know what is best for the rose... I imagine you had a lovely bouquet at the end of the day. Sweet helpers! You are doing that on your knees without knee pads! Those pebbles or rocks must hurt. Ah! Youth! I love Japanese gardening pants with knee pad inserts. Great job and post documenting it... look forward to seeing it again in Spring. Carol