The frigid winter two years ago was hard on my roses. Three bushes, weakened by the extreme cold, caught the rosette (also called witch’s broom) virus last summer and died this year. I ordered bare-root replacements and planted them with fresh topsoil and mulch last weekend. Here’s a photo of one:
Next spring I’ll have three tiny new bushes in the same flowerbed with larger existing ones, which will look peculiar at first; but I expect it won’t be long before they grow big enough that I can’t tell the difference! That’s often how things go. Even if something happens that is bad luck and a nuisance, there’s no reason to get stressed about it because in a year or so, it will all be forgotten.
Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.
Hi Meg, I love roses, I have some in my garden too, last year one of them wasn’t doing very well, but this is it recovered. Yes, there isn’t nothing better than the time to solve the problems. Great post! 🙂
Hi Elizabeth, glad your rose recovered, and thanks!
Look forward to seeing them … the summer was hard on all of mine … I had to cut back on all of them. Hopefully, they will spring forth with new growth and buds in the Spring!! Thank you for sharing with Nurturing Thursday!
Yes, it got very dry toward the end of the summer, I used a soaker hose to water my roses because the ground was so dry that even the weeds looked droopy! I expect a better spring, too.
I’m always amazed how quickly roses grow… hubby hacks them brutally each November, and yes, they come back each Spring blooming even more than the year before…
May your new tiny bushes thrive and catch their larger cousins 🙂 x
Thanks Claire — yes, they do need regular pruning, even though it looks brutal. I neglected to prune mine in 2013 because I got distracted doing other things, and then I wished that I’d paid more attention when I ended up having to cut off huge heaps of dead stuff after the cold winter!