Voles!

Voles took up residence in my winter protection trench this past winter. I know this not only from the damage they caused to my rose canes but also because I saw one scurry away when I was excavating my roses this week. I think these two will recover from this severe pruning during their winter dormancy.

St. Paul, MN rose convention

If you are interested in learning about growing roses in the upper midwest, mark your calendar for Saturday June 28. This event happens about once every 10 years.
http://twincitiesrose.org/2007convention/artwork/BeginningRoseGrowing.pdf

April- Is it spring yet?

Look closely and you will se the first signs of life in my garden. Even if we have more snow or below freezing temps, these reliable minor bulbs are showing their enthusiasm for spring. April is a fickle month here. We are ready to get out and do something but this year, the weather is too cold and wet.

A snowy day in March!

It's a snow day today and the livin' is easy. Until today we were having moisture deficit. But all that has changed in the past 10 days.

You can see a Canadian shrub rose and the top of my Carrier AC unit in the lower right corner.

The photo on the right is 'William Baffin' beyond the snow on my deck.

The photo on the left is my garden under snow.

ARS 2007 Spring national convention

Some readers may know that the Twin Cities Rose Club is sponsoring the Spring 2007 ARS national convention June 28- July 02. It is truly amazing how a dedicated group of rose growers can pull an event like this off. I have been very busy putting together a Power Point presentation for publicity for the convention. (That keeps me busy while there is still snow on the ground and the roses are dormant!) If you would like a CD copy of this P pt, contact me with your address and I will mail one to you.

The Arctic Blast of the present

Minus 17 overnight and they say tonight will be even colder. How do these roses survive the weather? How do the people survive the weather? The wind is the worst part about the weather.

Northern Gardener magazine writer visits today!

The winds were howling and the temps were in the single digits when Eric Johnson arrived at my doorstep today. Eric is the author who was assigned to do an article about me and my rose growing in Minnesota. I shared my favorite varieties and tips for growing roses in the North. The article is scheduled for the May-June edition of the Northern Gardener magazine.