Another 30 completed today on a beautiful sunny day. So, 160 are done and 49 remain - I am now 76.6% complete. Two more good days needed to finish. May have to wait until Thursday - rain expected the next two days.

Today I got to a rose that was really leafed out - a lesser rosarian might have said, "Looks Good" and moved on to the next bush. But I knew a hybrid tea needs to be pruned down to where there is decent cane thickness - so I pruned it. What rose is way ahead of all the others with Spring growth? Drumroll please....................................it's the Pretty Lady Rose in the South Garden. Honorable mention goes to Marmalade Skies.

I put down 2 TBS of Epsom Salts around every bush that has been pruned. Wanted to do that prior to the rain. First time I have ever done that. I have used Epsom Salts before but always added to water being used for fertilizer or with alfalfa tea.

28 were pruned today so now 130 completed (~62%) with 79 still to go. Temps reached 79 today here with sunny skies. Tomorrow should be similar albeit 5 degrees cooler.

My second year with Desdemona. She bloomed continuously and late into the fall last year, though the Japanese beetles really tried to eat her up. This year, I am moving her to a partial shaded area where I hope the beetles won't get her. She's budding and getting ready to pop already!

Life can mess up the best laid plans. Only 17 roses pruned today - now 102 completed (~49%) and 107 remaining, all in the South Garden.

It's amazing to me how leaves embed themselves intricately into the canes and prickles. It can take me over 5 minutes to remove all the leaves from a bush so that I'm not flying blind when attempting to prune it. Really extends how quickly a bush can be pruned.