Video time

Whether it's from growing up in the television age or just the way my brain is wired, I seem to learn from watching. Let me watch you do a thing, and I will be able to repeat it on my own. So how-to videos on YouTube are priceless and free, to boot. Also, meeting people who know roses on video whom I will likely never get to meet in person is a real opportunity to glean from the experts. This morning I stumbled across a video which lead to another and another. You know how that goes. So I thought I'd list the ones I really liked here so you could simply click away. It proves the old adage that learning can be fun, so let's get teachable.


This first one by Paul Zimmerman is about planting roses in shadier locations. Really?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3B8DkGw8c0


Terry Reilly of the San Jose Rose Garden shows how to plant a bareroot rose for optimal bloom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3B8DkGw8c0


A surprising method of pruning Drift roses by Steve Hutton of Conard-Pyle Roses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fCD3L8AAWc&list=UUEd0UPicjMLHANuS5UDKvxA


Steve Hutton of Conard Roses and Alain Meilland of the House of Meilland, rose breeders for 150 years, discuss the evolution of the rose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=6JibSngrPHo&NR=1


A series of four videos with Alain Meilland and Jacques Ferare as they walk through the rose fields discussing their roses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZOmndj9iD4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=UnwuBZNlvaM&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXHgib_ElSA&feature=endscreen&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=17meRmZvT5M&NR=1


Alain Meilland's father introduced the 'Peace' rose in 1935. Very interesting,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=6JibSngrPHo&NR=1


They weren't just kidding when they called this one "A Little Bit of Paradise".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&v=0q2gpG-MHLE&NR=1


A different take on roses for arbors by Paul Zimmerman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkyqAJKEA8w


Do climbing roses scare you? Paul Zimmerman takes the mystery - and the fear - out of dealing with climbers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf7F5qhChFM


Knock Outs are vigorous roses, to say the least. Here's a good look at taming them with a late winter/early spring pruning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_192COm58qE

A winter rose garden in Florida takes some getting used to for this Floridian. Admittedly, it doesn't look as bad as the post-hard freeze garden, but my vision is still colored by what is coming so the actual view is more tolerable. Mine has been through only a couple of nights of 32 degrees (quite unusual) several weeks apart, so there are only a sprinkling of blooms and the greenery is less. Some roses are in desperate need of pruning, but that must wait until the freezes are past. The last freeze was a couple of weeks ago, I think, and temps have stayed in the 70's during the day since then, so the roses think it's spring and are sending out new growth like crazy. 'Mme Lombard' has three basal breaks coming out of the ground!! Oh, joy! The teas are suckers for this weather. Being evergreen, they are growing machines, and my heartbreak will be huge when the hard freezes come during the next month or so - and they will come. I've got the gardens tidied up pretty well. New things are planted, and this week the plan is to go get the composted horse manure, spread it and then the wood chip mulch. I'll be cleaning out the shed, too. This weather has been glorious!!

So whether your roses are the virtual kind this winter or the kind you actually walk among, enjoy your gardens!!