Celine wrote in
:

Grrrrr
Zone 4 b.....
Everything Frozen....
Still Snowing....
Very Cold....
Everything Dead....

I'm sorry about your late winter. I'm in Los Angeles too and while my
garden's blooming now it's about a month behind its normal cycle---first
time I can recall such a "late" (for us) bloom period.

Normally my Bourbons and Portlands pop in mid- to late February but
Eugene de Beauharnais has just offered his first blossom; Gloire de
Rosomanes and Reine Victoria are also at full speed.

The hybrid teas and floribundas opened as well last week and one that I'm
really enjoying is Norwich Castle (thanks, JD!) with its stunning orange-
sherbet color.

Another that really surprised me is Barbara Worl, a hybrid perpetual.
First time I've grown it and it popped last week with blooms of
astounding size and frangrance. This was bare root two months ago.

Two of my second-batch cuttings from two years ago, Cardinal Hume and
Indian Love Call, are just on the verge of opening. This is exciting for
me; I've never seen them bloom before. I'm not even sure I know what the
latter looks like, but it was highly recommended by an esteemed local
rosarian.

Zepherine Drouhin is late this year. She just started putting out
burgundy foliage and no sign of flower buds yet. An odd spring but one
worth wating for, in any case.

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