Pruning a rose is like pruning a story.....

Isn't it interesting that roses grow so much better after pruning. Maybe that's why so many of us who write, also grow roses ... we understand how much roses and stories need to have bits loped off them, in order to grow and develop. But we have to learn which sections must be retained for full bloom and which branches and leaves must fall; even those we think are beautiful.

I especially like this quote by Dale Carnegie about the concept of a distant rose garden:

"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today."

Each rose type has a personality. They can be bright and gay, shy and slow to bloom, regal and stuck-up or they can be warm and lazy or quickly tired; or voluptuous yet oddly melancholy; mysterious and dark; and some even can dance in the air with pure joy with their skirts all over the place!

 

This is the intensely fragrant Therese Bugnet rose that dances in my kitchen window - eight feet above the ground.
Copyright Margaret Buffie

This pale rose (JP Connell) has a heavy and buttery-rich quietness. Sadly I lost this one to this year's deep winter frosts.

Copyright Margaret Buffie

Copyright Margaret Buffie

Copyright Margaret Buffie

 

Above are two Marie Victorin roses - of the sweetest temperament and very fragile in our climate, but  they are secretly a bit flirty and like to quietly show off.




And finally below, two Morden Roses - that have grown for many years in my prairie garden.

 The luscious and faithful Morden Blush:

Copyright Margaret Buffie

And Morden's "Hope"-  below - velvety red with a rather melancholy weight in full bloom, despite the name.

Copyright Margaret Buffie

I planted a new Morden Rose this year called Ruby which is a striped dark pink, so I am looking forward to seeing its blooms and pruning it as it needs it!

Now back to cutting off bits of my new manuscript!