With a spotty record of blooms last year, I decided to change my tactics on pruning. I had been afraid to prune my roses too much and, as a result, the bushes grew tall with the blooms at the very top. It's been a mild winter this year, with heavy rainfall early, so I did preliminary pruning the 4th week of December, and the secondary pruning in late January. Caribbean, Camelot, Electron and Ingrid Bergman were pruned back by 75%.

New growth is appearing on all my roses, with Sheer Bliss and L. D. Braithwaite already presenting me with a bud. Mikado, after a weak showing last year, looks especially healthy.

I have new additions this year--Graham Thomas, Black Jade & Texas, and successful rootings of a red floral rose that my husband gave me for our 10-year wedding anniversary.

I sprayed all the roses today with Orthonex to prevent the spider mite infestation I had last year.

I'm anxiously awaiting spring!

Besides the roses listed, I have several roses that have not been identified, having been scavenged from the yards of old houses that were being torn down for new development. It\'s ironic that these rescued roses seem the most grateful ones in my garden, blooming generously, many with intense fragrance. The roses that I purchased, received as gifts, or were planted by the previous owners of our house are a mixed lot.

Of the original roses planted at our house, Caribbean is by far the most prolific, with Apricot Nectar, Love and--surprisingly--Sterling Silver being distant seconds. Mme. Isaac Pereire did well too.

Big disappointment this year in bloom production (read, little or none!) were Sunset Celebration, Sonia Rykiel, Oklahoma, Peace, and Cherish. I discovered much too late that the drip system was not properly working so maybe next year they\'ll recover.

I\'m a beginning rose grower so I\'m not going to hold their nonproduction against them or take it personally, at least not yet.