Winter Rose Care & Pruning
Although major rose pruning is not done until late February into early March, there are a few things I do to get roses settled in for the winter. First, I wait until the first frost has occurred before I do anything. That happened on December 1 this year, a little later than normal. If you do any pruning prior to that, new growth will be encouraged, and it will just be nipped later. I will then do minimal pruning, about 1/3 of the plant or to about waist-high. It does not matter how you make the cuts. More precise pruning will be done in late winter. Giving roses a slight pruning at this time will decrease the damage from strong winter winds. Roses are not deeply rooted, and any long canes can spell trouble. Pick off any remaining leaves, if possible. I know that can be a big job if there are still many leaves left on the plant but you don't want leaves, especially diseased leaves, left to fall and harbor spores for next season. Clean the area around the base of the rose. Rake out ...
Oh my ... aren't they lovely. I love the striking wonderful bright color. What's the color? shocking pink? Bright red? Whatever the color is, I love it. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteBlossom, the blooms are bright red when they first open and then they fade to pale pink after a few days.
ReplyDeleteOh how I wish we could grow peonies in our climate. You are very lucky! They are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually a fan of singles but that is a pretty one. Sarah Bernhart and Festiva Maxima are favorites of mine too and I agree, peonies have to be ranked right up there in the top 3 or 4 most beautiful flowers. They have two downsides, a very short bloom time and they always bloom when the weather is at its worse. I've never had a peony season when they weren't damaged by heavy winds, pelting rains and sometime hail.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
You mean there's something that grows BETTER up here than down there? OH SNAP! Peonies are hardier up here; they take a long time to recover from being divided/transplanted, but I have anything but rich soil and mine are stunning. (Well, not yet. Right now they're still very tall "fairy candles." But wait til June!)
ReplyDeleteP.S. I tend to prefer single flowers, not doubles, especially so for hollyhocks and roses... my peonies are the big double extra poofy kind (I got them from a client) and somehow I love them, too. The local Arb has an awesome peony display, as well. I'll likely post on it in June.
ReplyDeleteMarnie, you are so right about that and I should have added it to my post. The rain always messes them up and they are really bad to flop over and lay on the ground. I try to use those hoops but not very successfully.
ReplyDeletePeonies are on my list of plants to buy. Not sure how well they will do this far south but I plan on trying
ReplyDeletePeonies are among my favourites, too -- probably more so than roses, even. Dahlias run a close second. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is one pretty peony. This is one plant I killed. Can you believe it?? I think I planted them too deep. Sigh~~
ReplyDeleteRoses are a favorite of mine too. Your peony is outstanding. Gorgeous color. Have a nice weekend and Happy Gardening... Becca
ReplyDeleteI must remember not to be drinking anything when I read your blog titles. This was the second time I nearly choked from laughter.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Love the title! :-)
ReplyDeleteI must overcome my fear of growing peonies in my garden and get with the program. I'm the same way about dahlias. They both seem like they can only be grown by experts and collectors! You've given me some hope, here.
Cameron
I love peonies Phillip, especially ones that have a rose fragrance. The single red peony is beautiful! I have an unnamed beauty that looks quite similar. Maybe we will miss out on the rain this year...since it's pelting us now! I see the big fat buds in the garden and they make me smile. gail
ReplyDeleteYes, Phillip, I could be a bit envious of Ms. Scarlett. I wouldn't really have known she was a peony unless you'd mentioned it; I have 2 of the doubles, 1 pink and 1 white. I'm waiting to see if the pink will bloom this year...she didn't last year.
ReplyDeleteOK, I admit, I laughed at your post title. :)
ReplyDeleteThe only peony I currently have is Festiva Maxima and I love it. Must get more!
I love the peonies too. You forgot the most important question... how do you pronounce it??? I have heard the accent on either the first or the second syllable, and I'm not sure which is really correct.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting those pics of June Mays garden too. I have wanted to go on that tour for a while, but we always have a show in Cullman that weekend.
I have one that looks just like this one. And I find if you cut them just at dawn, you get a beautiful vase full of flowers with no ants! That's cause they're still sleeping.
ReplyDeleteAnd I use green plastic coated fencing to surround them. Holds them up nicely, and the leaves fill through them and the fencing disapears.
Hi Phillip! What a treat to see these beautifull blooms! I was lazy to plant my peony in the ground and he has been sitting in a pot for almost a year. To show me what he thinks of me, it produced only one single bloom. Need to find a spot for him as soon as possible!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your recent comment on my tulip posts.
Scarlet is just beautiful! Peonies are a personal favorite, as well. Growing up in New England, they were everywhere, so now that I'm in the south, I treasure them even more!
ReplyDeletePeonies are beautiful! And your photo is great. You know I've always heard that peonies need sun but I guess there are always exceptions. We bought our house about 30 years ago and there was a nice big pink peony on the north side that never gets even a bit of sun. It's still blooming really well every year.
ReplyDeleteNice blog, funny title for this post.
Hi Phillip, I had to laugh out loud at your title! Brilliantly done. The single Scarlet is certainly the most beautiful thing ever, gun to your head or not. Your captures of her would make Ms. Margaret Mitchell blush with pride too. :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
That is a nice variety. Planting at the correct level is probably one of the biggest things about Peony culture. Have you tried the Tree Peonies? They are stunning.
ReplyDeleteI've been out of the loop a little since the computer crashed. The new header on your page is just exquisite! A shot most magazine editors would kill for!
ReplyDeleteAny peony would be a novelty here- haven't heard of anyone having success in Austin... but you have Scarlett O' Hara peonies...and Blue roses! The lucky people who come to your open garden day will have a wonderful time, Phillip - wish I were one of them!
ReplyDeleteAnnie at the Transplantable Rose
Forgot to cackle about the apt and punny title, Phillip - it might seem funnier if it weren't so true.
ReplyDeleteI have been diagnosed with Peonies envy!
Annie
The blooms look awesome, Phillip! You say the ants aren't harmful? Well, that's reassuring to hear, coz to me, the ants are always harmful [chuckle], really! Most of the plants I lost were because of those buggers... Grrrr....
ReplyDeleteI love them too. They do well in Oklahoma, although my Japanese anemone ones' buds froze in that late freeze. The doubles were smart and waited.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. You have such great photography and taste in flowers.
ReplyDeleteI know that this entry is nearly a year old, but it showed up at the bottom of your new post in 'you might like...'
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, it caught my eye. You get Kyna's Stamp of Play on Words Approval :D