It's Feburary. And in Texas, it might get cold for a few days, but generally we're fairly temperate. For me, February means I can start tending to and cultivating my precious rose bushes. I only have 3, but I love them. Problem is, I hate waiting until I'm sure we're done freezing. I'm like a kid who wants to open a gift early!
I've not always been a rose gardener...the first year we were in our home, my husband surpised me with 3 rose bushes for Valentine's Day. He hates to give flowers because they're already dead. He thought they'd look pretty in one of our flower beds. He didn't think my face would go white with fear, but it did.
I explained that roses were very needy - labor intensive - finicky. I had never grown them before and for a very good reason...I didn't want to kill them! After my hyperventilation subsided, I ordered books from Amazon.com on roses; on rose diseases; on pruning and planting; on pests and pesticides. I googled everything I could that was rose-related. I learned about rabbit poop fertilizer (aka "rose viagara" as my husband calls it). Between that and the native rose soil (which is ironically cultivated in the subdivision in which I GREW UP), five years later, my roses are happy little campers. I've actually succeeded in growing something. We even moved them (yes, a dicey prospect for the very finicky roses) to their own flower box, which they love.
And me, I'm now a card-carrying member of the Houston Rose Society. Geeky, I know - but it sure is nice to have roses from your husband in the house all spring and summer long! Don't tell him, but he was right! LOL!
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