Back to the original post. My trellis is a simple V trellis. One post on each end and 2 single wires at about 3 feet. spread 2 feet apart Looks just alike a t. You tie the fruiting wood to the wires and it shapes a V. the new growth comes up the middle. Since it doesnt have fruit and they are an erect variety they grown straight up the middle. After harvest cut out the spent wood and tie the new growth to the trellis wires. Repeat. It also saves confusion on which canes get pruned out if you wait to long to prune them out. You prune the ones tied to the wires. I hope that makes sense.

One of these years the mulch mound is going to really bite you. You'll have winterkill from canker near the ground that you wouldn't get if you just ignored the roses. If they are leafing out practically to the tips, they aren't getting any benefit from it. Just do nothing to hardy roses.

Since pool covers (lack of sunlight) maintains fairly high chlorine levels and algea can't live in cold water... I was tempted to wait until late Feb or March to put in Pool Magic....Why do I need to put it in now? I'm running the pool and polaris several hours a day all winter. Also, why does everyone tell you to shock? Last year my chlorine levels were through the roof all winter and it just didn't seem necessary - especially since I have a liner I don't want to fade it. So, I didn't shock it before putting on the pool cover and two weeks later my chlorine levels are still pretty high. Kind of new to this. Thanks for any advice!

marie, what xiangirl said is true. Look around you: the planet is primarily green. Plants/seeds know what to do and when according to their genetic code. Did I have failures? Yup! I didn't lament them because I knew that it was ME who didn't provide them with what they needed to sprout and thrive. You asked for suggestions. Here's one - stand back and let them do what comes naturally. I'm in southern New England so I live on the opposite side of the continent from where you are. If I look at a map of the Pacific Northwest, it's warmer and wetter than where I live but it's still the continental U.S. Our climate and growing conditions may be different but we're still on the same planet and still in the same country. I suggest you open your mind to possibilities rather than accept what you've been previously told about growing from seed. I did and have been amazed at (and rewarded by) the results. Ex: two little old ladies walked down my driveway last year and stood gazing, apparently amazed by my garden beds. I walked out to see what they wanted and answered all their questions about my garden beds. They left--45 minutes later--still amazed.