Thanks rosefolly! Took the words out of my mouth - I just started 2 days ago. I am doing the 50+ roses at my mother-in-laws house first, then my 100+. I only got started because I read Greg Lowery's blog about the 4,000 roses he has to prune by March - made me feel silly to be postponing my chores.

In 2 days I have discovered my mother-in-law's roses (almost all hybrid teas) have been neglected by the paid gardeners for years - at least, they knew nothing about pruning. They did cut off large old dead canes, but about 10" from the bud union, so all of the roses have bud unions that are covered with the stumps of dead canes. They also seem to have pruned the HTs by just shaping them from the top, which may be fine once & awhile, but has resulted in all of the canes having sort of pom-pom tops like palm trees. At least, it gives satisfaction when I prune one of the poor things - they do look much better!

Sounds like you are in the same area as I am (SF Bay Area) - I am looking forward to the promised rain tomorrow only because it should get WARMER then! Hate to whine about our foggy, damp, "freezing" 45 degree temps when the rest of the country really is frozen, but this CA girl is not used to it!

Good pruning!

Jackie

Can you imagine how 'behind' the rest of us feel? Us poor souls that are waiting patiently (or not) for the time to start pruning in our area, waiting for the weather to warm enough to start weeding, mulching, and planting. Wondering when, oh, when, will the first rose bloom?

Really, I'm glad you're in a great place that you can be in your garden year round. As for me, I am sewing new draperies and making plans to paint the guest bathroom to give me something to do before I can go outside and play!

I don't even have all vestiges of Christmas put away yet. This is my year to be behind, can't be helped (my mother's estate takes priority). I've been giving pruning talks and classes but have not touched a rose in my garden. The months of neglect are really showing, but oh, well.

You who don't have the luxury of gardening 365 days a year also don't have the burden. Pruning season for us in Sacramento is mid-Dec to mid-Feb. Peak bloom is in April. It never stops - not that there is anything wrong with that, but hey, I'd really rather snuggle under a comforter with my cat in my lap right now.

It's 47 degrees and foggy/overcast here. Nothing frigid, nothing that would put your car in the ditch, but not exactly inviting.
Anita

I had a similar topic in mind, then Paula posted this. Since our garden has been well underway--about five years--I've been able to garden through much of the winter. This year we've had abundant snow on the ground since a little before Christmas, and weeding and mulching just isn't an option. The only thing I can do is prune my mature climbers, and so, perhaps recklessly, that's what I'm doing. The climbers are 'Jaune Desprez', 'Maréchal Niel', 'Crépuscule', and 'Duchesse d'Auerstaedt'. 'Cl. Papa Gontier' has already been whacked back; the double white Lady Banks is buried under snow and barred by mud; 'Mme. Alfred Carrière' I plan on cutting back to a big shrub, likewise 'New Dawn'; 'Cl. Mrs. Herbert Stevens' and 'Souv. de Mme. Leonie Viennot' didn't grow that much. By now some of my other shrub roses have matured and will need significant pruning, but they're too deep in snow to be dealt with now. Sadly, I'm severely cutting back 'Archduke Joseph'. The last three winters it got squashed flat by snow and responded by sending up new vertical canes which got squashed in their turn the following winter. By now it's totally out of hand and just needs to be reduced, and that's what I'm doing. I hope it will take it gracefully and not sulk. I think some other mature, snow-flattened Teas and Chinas will also require vigorous pruning: 'Clementina Carbonieri', 'Mutabilis', and 'Sanguinea'; 'Mrs. B.R. Cant' has already been dealt with.
The forecast has changed and the meteorologists are no longer talking about snow, or not much of it, and temperatures are forecast to be generally a little above freezing. Maybe this white stuff will go away and I'll be able to go to work on my once-blooming shrubs, which are what I really should be pruning now, not the relatively tender Tea-Noisettes.
I'm curious to see if this wintry weather will have any noticeable effects in the garden: behavior of the plants that require winter chill; levels of disease and pest infestation.
Twenty-two days have passed since the winter solstice. Three more weeks, and we'll be out of the land of darkness.
Melissa

Here in Sweden we are so lucky that Christmas traditionally ends on January 13, called Twenty Day Knut (Canute) so there is no need to take down the Christmas ornaments before that day. I've tired already of them, though.

Spring pruning traditionally begins when the birch leaves are the size of mouse ears. Last spring was warm so we became less traditional.

It takes me the entire winter and on into spring to tidy up this monsterous place. I have learned though that somehow it happens. Every year despite set backs the garden is beautiful by the time we have our open garden party. Pruning will be done by mid-Feb. Sometimes the picking up of prunings takes another couple of weeks.
I have to share with you though that when people say, "Spring is around the corner" I panic!

I guess I will have to move to Sweden----I'm always reluctant to put my Christmas things away------I love my decorated trees with all the lovely memories---each ornament has its own memory-----We did cut down this year---we usually have 5 trees but just two this year---one large real tree and only one special "angel tree"----
With more surgery looming over my head I guess my poor roses will be neglected again.
I will still read about all your progress-----

Florence

Paula, I know how it feels to be running late!

I usually prune all my hardy roses over Christmas break. This year we had 18" of snow before Christmas and record cold temps so I did not much pruning started, let alone finished! Now it's bitterly cold out and still some snow and ice on the ground. I will have to wait until spring, which puts a lot of pressure on because I have a long list of other gardening tasks that have to be done at the same time!

Oh well, I'm sure it'll all get done somehow.
Lori

marianesse: I'll have to watch the birches at our zone 8 retirement home this year! Our rule of thumb is often when the forsythia start to bloom, and some go by Mother's Day there. Last year MD was too late, but the locals keep telling me about late, late snows or frost...

I had to get organized this year.......Christmas put away end of year horse paperwork done, bills paid - had knee surgery to remove hardware yesterday. Cant do much for awhile, so my back was against the wall to get it done. Now.....getting into trouble ordering roses! Weather has warmed up from the arctic blast of last week and I am wanting to go plant those roses still in pots. I have help, so will let him dig holes, I will supervise. I made an order with Northland Rosarium today, working on a couple more......Am glad for the downtime winter weather - let knee heal, then will be ready to dig with a vengence, pruning will start Valentines Day. With Christmas packed away - I will decorate the 2 tall skinny lit trees in my dining room with Valentines deorations - I started this tradition last year - the trees looked so good decorated and lit at Christmas that I will now leave them up and do decorations for Valentines, then Easter, 4th of July, then fall. Love the twinkle lights and change of decorations and table settings! Something to do in this dreary weather that will sparkle until spring comes.
Judith

I would say you guys are making me sick with envy, but really, I have 50 roses in the house because I screwed up. I ordered them last fall, but winter showed up in September. The leaves freeze-dried on the trees. It was one homely fall.
Today, I repotted four, re-arranged, etc. Most are under grow lights, some in a window that are big. Captain Kidd, Doubloons, and Souvenir de la Malmaison are about four feet.
Nobody is very happy, sticks with a few leaves. SDM has been in a pot for two years and needs to go out to the garden sink or swim. Last year I got several flushes in the winter, but this year she is getting ill.
Tomorrow, the last of the Christmas decos go away, and everybody is coming over. So there is a whole lotta cooking going on.
Being a newly hatched empty nester isn't easy; after all, I used to have my own crowd, and me and the gang are now me and the cats.
Friday was Hump Day, half way through the winter. The forecast is for the 40's next week.