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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 ...
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7.5 pounds of wonderful


No, we didn't have a baby but something much better than that entered the household over the holidays - Michael Dirr and Keith Warren's new book The Tree Book. It is a massive book - 940 pages and covers 2400 tree species and cultivars. It isn't a book that you can curl up in bed with, as I love to do, but it looks nice on the coffee table and it is excellent browsing material. It is a reference book for the plant professional (all nurseries should get a copy) or tree-loving plant geeks like myself.

 Each entry gives detailed information about foliage and flower characteristics, native range, adaptability, landscape use, street tree use and descriptions of cultivars commonly seen in trade. The photos are most helpful and usually include multiple views of the entire tree seen from a distance as well as close-up shots of leaves and flowers.

The information in the book is valuable although you will have to read the individual entries closely for information concerning what areas of the country is best suited for the tree. Sometimes, only a climate zone is given, which is often inadequate. A map or even charts with references to ideal locations would have been helpful. 

Although the book contains a huge number of trees, you will not find everything. For example, I did not find an entry for Embothrium coccineum (Chilean Flame Tree) but that is a tree that only grows in this region of the U.S. On the other hand, though, another Pacific Northwest resident, the Eucryphia is listed. 

Still, this is an essential reference book and like my dilapidated copy of the earlier Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, I know this will be a book I will return to again and again.





Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Lisa at GreenbowJanuary 16, 2020 at 4:11 PM

    I laughed at the beginning of this post. Too funny...
    This looks like a book I would love to peruse on a snowy winter day.

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  2. chavlinessJanuary 17, 2020 at 7:35 AM

    Its important to see a tree in multiple seasons and stages to get a real sense of it, and how it will fit in a space, be it our garden or a park. I often fall in love with a closeup picture of bark, only to realize it belong to a massive specimen I should never plant in my own garden :-D This book is a wonderful resource.

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