Roses under Wraps

It's funny how much I've become attached to the roses on the deck. They made a valiant effort to keep putting out buds for weeks, even after a couple frosts! Of course the buds turned brown from the cold but that didn't stop the bushes. They still got new leaves too, even though I cut them back.

We're supposed to get a couple nights well below freezing. So I decided tonight was the night to cover them. I'll miss the green on the deck.

Tonight the Chief Mulch Manager told me there was no mulch but he made a valiant effort to look for some around the house anyway. There was a little left around the roses in the planters but the rest had blown away with fall's winds and rain. We covered the roses with double layers of black plastic, and pushed the planters right up against the house and back door. They probably weigh 100+ pounds each so it took three guys to lift them and move them. The next time I have planters, I'm going to drill holes around the top so rope handles can be inserted for moving the planters if necessary. It's really, really awkward lifting a barrel that weighs so much!

I'm going to figure out a way to decorate the black plastic so it doesn't look like I have big black blobs right outside the back door. Since it's winter, I should make them look like snowballs or something.

I'm really excited about what spring might bring. This will be the third year for the roses. Blush Noisette growing down below the corner of the deck kept getting clusters of roses well into fall, despite me not watering it and despite the drought.

We twisted the thorny New Dawn up around the hand rail as it grew all summer so it would reach the top of the stairs. It's amazing how high that one goes! If I undid all that twining, the vines would probably be 15' long. I'm not going to cut them for winter just so I can see how they fare.

It wasn't the brightest move to wrap the thorny vines around the handrailing though, making the railing a serious hazard to use and virtually unusable now. But hey, I'm still new to rose growing. How do other people get roses up around their decks and railings? You just have to go down the steps carefully and watch where you place your hand on the railing. No big deal.

It's hard to predict which roses will live through the winter. If any die, I want to plant a similar rose in it's place. But that means I have to order now before they sell out. If I order replacement roses, and the current roses don't die, I'll have to figure out where to put all the replacement roses.

Such predicaments gardeners face! It's not like I can give a plant to a friend. "Here, I don't have anywhere to plant these rose bushes, which will grow 15' high, 5' wide and need a lot of water, pruning and protection from deer. You can have them for free." Yep, my friends will line up for my generosity.