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Feb. is a busy month. We have had such a warm Winter so far, that everything is at least (2) weeks early. It's time to prune the roses. I took a rose pruning class several years ago and learned the proper way to prune my little beauties. These are my tools. I sharpened my Felco #2's, gathered my leather gauntlet gloves and rubbing alchol to clean my shears between bushes. (Not in the pix, a bottle of waterproof wood glue)

In our Italian garden, we plant an antique shrub rose in between (2) treeform roses. I have planted peonies around the tree roses. I start by pruning out all the dead branches, and than cut back by 1/3rd. I cut out all the oldest canes to let the young and viggerous canes to take over.

I put a dab of wood glue on all the cuts on canes that are bigger than a pencil. All this work will pay off come May. I cant wait.