Rose Pruning Time

I've been busy
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It's Saturday night and it's raining.  Today was grey and cool and drizzle threatened.  Non-gardeners were driven indoors.  A perfect time to work on the roses. 

Besides gloves, secateurs, and loppers, a key tool for this work is a big vase full of water.  Because roses do not go winter-dormant in Southern California, they continue to bloom, and in winter the colors can be rich and intense.  So as we trim, we fill vases full of flowers.  
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If we waited for a pause in blooming, we'd be waiting until August.  
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There's another one.
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I spend a lot more time caring for the roses than the blog reflects--I don't blog about roses all that much.  Daily I admire, deadhead, and transport my nose around the garden looking for the sweetest scents of the day, but all that occupies hands, eyes, and nose more than thoughts.  I don't think about roses much any more.  I just love them. 

A break from clipping for a walk around.  I've spotted a female hummingbird sitting in the nest in climbing rose 'Sombreuil', but haven't been able to get a photo yet.  
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Taking shots of the 'Joe Hoak' stalk, I saw her when she appeared in the viewfinder.  There is a huge quantity and variety of nectar sources within a few yards of the nest.  Roses have no nectar for hummingbirds, but have some value as possible hosts for little bugs.  Hummingbirds eat little insects also--they do not live on nectar alone. 
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Aloe ferox will be open soon.  Plenty of good nectar there.  
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Aloe marlothii after that.  Whatever problems Mrs. Hummingbird encounters, she won't go hungry. 
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A lovely day in the garden, and then, rain!  
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Though not everyone in the family is thrilled.  Wet paws?  Ewww!
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Comments

  1. My favourite photo are the vases on the edge of the koi pond, it looks so summery!

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  2. Just gorgeous that hummingbird in the Joe Hoak! I always enjoy reading about your succulents we cannot grow here outside, but your vases full of roses on the pondside are great too.

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  3. Hummingbirds are such little darlings. You're lucky to have gotten these photos! Your roses are beautiful and so are the koi peeking out in that photo of the vases.

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  4. Your garden is a glorious place. Thank goodness for the rain! I was beginning to fear we weren't going to get any more. It rained here all day Saturday, steady but never hard. My rain meter shows well over an inch of rain - more than the forecasters predicted. I hope Mother Nature delivers a good soaking in your area too.

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    1. So glad to hear you got a good amount. I think we got around an inch--miraculous. I wasn't expecting anything but a few sprinkles--what a wonderful surprise.

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  5. Beautiful! I love my little house, but I miss the roses at the old place. Fortunately, there seem to be even more hummingbirds here. Thanks for all the great photos! That shot of Aloe marlothii is just wonderful.

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    1. Leaving a garden behind can be so difficult--sounds like you have made a good transition. Happy you liked the photos, thank you!

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  6. I'm so sorry that you don't blog about roses much anymore. I'm a huge fan of your tose garden. I even Google your garden web user name for pics of your roses. I am in the process of lawn elimination myself. Nevertheless, your succulents are beautiful as well. I still enjoy your inspiring blog. Blog away! Blog away!

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    1. Well I do post rose photos a lot, but don't have much to say about them. I might get a new rose or two this year, so maybe there will be something fresh to talk about then. I repeat myself too much, I think.

      You are very kind, thank you!

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    2. No ma'am. Keep on talking...the rose world is listening :-)

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  7. As I wait on the predicted ice storm, you can only imagine how "sweet" it is to see your vases of roses. My garden looks as though it will never have life again. That's winter in the midwest. Thanks for sharing. It does help! I get to So Cal often and the roses are always amazing!

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    1. My mom & dad were mid-westerners (far north!) but once they got to California they wanted to leave & told me stories about "real" winters. Winter in the midwest is harsh, but your springs are miraculous--we do not have that bursting forth of green from nothing as you do. Every climate has its wonders, no? Nature amazes.

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  8. Is that a Hot Cocoa I see in there? It's one of the few roses I have, and I love its transitional color. Also saw a green rose in a catalog today, but it was one of those dumb catalogs that don't list the actual names of the plants - simply calls it 'Green rose'. This should be a red flag, but I'm still intrigued... Anyway - I love your photos of blooming succulents and hummingbirds, and your dogs are adorable. And I'm so happy for all of California that you got some more rain. Bet it feels almost surreal...

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    1. No...the solitary through the fence? That's 'Black Baccara'. I did have Hot Cocoa for a while, did love the color, but it Rusted horribly--had to remove it. :(

      The rain was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Droughts are long-term depressing and a burden on the gardening mind--we are so hoping it will be over soon.

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    2. No, I thought it looked like there was a Hot Cocoa in your bouquet. I've seen Black Baccara once - its color is amazing! I checked that catalog again - I was wrong... It did have a name 'Shamrock Rose'. Still intrigued but haven't acted on it yet. :)

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    3. Okay, I see. That is 'Wildfire', I think, more of a straight orange with some red highlights. Great rose.

      'Shamrock Rose' -- there is a company Coiner I think that will sell end-of-patent roses under an assumed name that has some resemblance to the original name--if it is yellow-greeny, then it is 'St. Patrick', which is a great performer in a HOT summer climate. Got to watch the quality on Coiners I am told as they can be uneven.

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  9. The roses you have picked are very beautiful, such lovely colours. The photos of Mrs Hummingbird collecting the nectar are wonderful, she is so tiny.
    Poor Boris and Natasha look bored.
    xoxoxo ♡

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    1. B&N love to make me feel guilty! They know exactly what they are doing, too.

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