So.Cal members: Your doing rose pruning yet ?

Those of you who grow roses: Have you started pruning yet ? If not, when do you prune yours? Anyone getting any new ones this year ?

I started pruning mine today and only got 3 done. All climbers.

I left this one because it still has blooms on it. Cl. Dream Weaver...an excellent rose for So. Cal. Disease resistant to the max, blooms 9 months out of the year, fragrant, and very vigorous.

Bought 3 more new roses and have no clue where they'll go: Heaven on Earth, Enchanted Evening, and Easy Does It.

No,not pruning roses yet...but if I'd looked closely,I'd probably have seen you out doing yours yesterday...lol..I don't feel like I'm back home unless I immediately make it up to Julian and then the other way to Long Beach...I thought we'd covered all of the streets there, but somehow we stumbled onto the Carrol Park area you mentioned that we'd never seen before and in doing so, hit your street (which for some reason is not an easy one to find when you're looking for it) and guess that's why we'd missed Carrol Park before also. It is neat, wouldn't want to drive the narrow little streets daily though. Heard the parrots......lol...

Thought about it, but haven't actually done anything about it, yet. I think I should this year soon, though.
We should have some good gardening days for the next week or so, and I hope to get as much done as I can before the Feb. Rains start.
Dang, JP, those roses look so much better than mine. I'm just not ruthless enough.
Serendipitous discovery, wcgypsy! I keep hoping for photos of those classic houses.
WIB!
SW

I know...I never seem to remember to take the camera.....

I never seem to have it at hand when I most want it either, wc. We'll just have to gang up on (meant in fun !) on JasperDale and see if we can talk him into taking a few photos.
WIB,
SW

It always makes me feel weird to take photo's of someone's house if I don't know the people who live there. I'll see what I can do...

Yes, have to take the pic really quick and 'on the sly'...lol...before they run out and yell, "Hey, what the heck do you think you're doing?!" There may actually be some laws regarding taking photos and showing on DG or elsewhere.....

I usually cut mine back sometime after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. This year, I cut mine (Iceberg) back the week before Christmas. My DH wondered why I did it right before we had 26 people coming over for the holiday! I said because of the plants around them (I have 5 Icebergs) the bare branches would just fade into the background. I chuckled to myself a little when one of my relatives got out of their car on Christmas Day and the first thing they said was, "Oh, I just love your landscaping!" I have some Silver Lady argyranthemum and Oranges and Lemons gallardia blooming their little heads off in front of the bare roses. I'll take a pic when I get back later today.

Bella Terra, a mall near us, has hoards of Icebergs (I think) blooming like it's the middle of May right now. I'm guessing they fertilize them. I don't do anything to mine. I hardly water them and they do just fine.

I've seen icebergs blooming everywhere lately. Mine's finished for now, but do have a few blooms still on Fair Bianca, Golden Showers and Souvenir de la Malmaison....I'm afraid my roses have been neglected this year....along with other things,lol....

Ditto on the icebergs, Sherry. They are using what I assume are icebergs on the roadsides and in shopping centers a lot, which is just fine with me - they really brighten things up!

I'm not SoCal, but I just pruned all my roses this past weekend including my 'Iceberg' which still had dozens of blooms on it. They were, however, looking a little worse for wear anyway though.

I was looking through a catologue last night and saw a 'John F Kennedy' rose that looked nice the blurb said it was "one of the most fragrant white roses". Has anyone tried growing that one? Is the blurb accurate?

I used to have more roses than I do now, including a couple of Cecile Brunners--and I absolutely love Blue Girl, but I found out the hard way it's not a good idea to have them near areas where people walk or sit--so out they went. Shame.

I can understand not wanting to have roses near where you walk so you don't get mugged by a thorn, but why don't you want them near where you sit? It seems like the fragrance would be a welcome addition to a sitting area.

For some people...

GardenSox: I had JFK for many years, but it always "balled" in our summer heat and humidity. It would probably do fine where you are...less humidity. Yes, it is exceptionally fragrant, too.

Damp ocean air (as well as out hot summers ) is lethal to the majority of roses that I like, so after MUCH trial and error, I have to stick with the tried and true floribunda's...often times forfeiting fragrance...but that's ok. The abundant bloom and color makes up for the lack of fragrance.

For those of you who like the regular white Iceberg, you should try the Burgundy and Brilliant Pink ones. They're every bit as disease resistant, fragrant and vigorous as the white one...and seem to thrive just about everywhere. They really can't be beat for their ability to be constantly in bloom.

After first seeing the Burgundy a couple of years ago I was hot on getting one and then just didn't get to it as I didn't know where I could place one..now you have me thinking of it again....and I've been resisting bringing home any more plants...lol...

I finally had a little time today to start pruning my climbers. I got half of one done when my telescopic pruner broke it's little head. It's the part that grabs the stem when you cut. The back part of the climber is hanging over the back neighbors yard and if I cut it now, it will all fall into their yard.
Now what do I do???? I can't reach back that far over the trellis and all the sharp canes in front. ACK!

Take your neighbors some cookies or a bottle of wine and ask if they'd be so kind as to........lol...

Good idea, Sherry!

Just might do that Sherry. lol

Planted John F Kennedy at my DS's house in Fresno, and it was a very nice rose. Mr. Lincoln is our hands-down favorite, but JFK is a nice white rose.

My creative dad fixed my telescopic pruners so I can now finish my rose pruning. I will have to start looking for some new ones in the future, but for now they work. Got to love a "fix it man"!!

Glad he was able to help. I'd be happy to just get my tools back. I'd like to get them sharpened too. I'm sad to say, I still haven't trimmed my roses. I meant to, and the silly things started blooming. I guess I'll just have to be ruthless and do the deed.
Question?
When trimming the climbing roses you are training to grow over an arch do you take out lateral growth, and the stringy long ones too?
I should send a photo so you can see what I'm up against.
When there is a break in the rain I'm going to get 'em trimmed!
WIB~
SW

I found a bareroot JFK for $10 at a nursery yesterday so I bought it just to see if I could get it to grow for me. Look for pictures in a couple months!

I live in No.CA and we just pruned our roses, three weeks ago. Guess what, they are already starting to throw out baby leaves. I need to get a systemic to them to prevent aphids.

Still haven't done it, but have it first on my list of chores (right after critter feeding) to do tomorrow!
WIB~
SW

I've done over half of them and I might not do the rest. If they get too overgrown, I can trim them heavily at any time. I can hear the purists going into convulsions, but it is working for me.

Dunt worry Kell, no convulsions here...LOL

No convulsions, just silent judgement. : ) Just kidding. I actually dug up and threw away 5 rose bushes last fall so I can't be accused of being a rose benefactor.

I finally did trim all but one. and I think I want that one bushy. Can trim it back more if needed. : - )
WIB!
SW