SPRING IS IN THE AIR

Greetings
Spring is right around the corner.This is a good time to buy that new grill, get the lawn mower out and ready to go or buy some new gardening gloves. My tulip bulbs are coming up which makes me want to grab my spade and trusty trowel and begin creating rows to do some more planting however, I have to curb my bursting enthusiasm for gardening a little longer because the ground is still too cold for tender young plantings. I am going to plant some bare root roses this year, so way too early of course, I ordered 4 yellow roses bushes that smell like fruity chewing gum. They arrived earlier than expected and have taken up residence in the guest bathroom tub(you must keep the roots moist until planted). I tend them anxiously watching out for any signs of mold or rusty leaves that might sprout. Rust can grow on rose leaves if kept too wet and it will spread to other rose bushes the only way to cure them is to cut off all their leaves and discard but roses are not as delicate as they appear . They are fairly easy to grow and maintain. In the winter you cut them back and by spring in some places or summer in others, they will come right back with new growth and beautiful blooms. Aphids (small almost clear bugs} adore rose leaves but you can control them naturally by washing the bugs off the leaves with a solution of dish soap and water being careful to dry the leaves when finished. A small tip where ever you have ants in your yard you will usually find Aphids.