For me:

1. It's OK to shovel prune a rose that you've given adequate chances, and just hasn't panned out.

I hadn't done any shovel pruning until 2012. I couldn't bring myself to do it. The roses I finally SP'd in 2012 were: Medallion, Tantalizing Red, Grand Masterpiece and Europeana. They just weren't working for me. The first three were bare most of their 3 years in my garden. The 4th was a PM incubator, and when it bloomed, the bloom clusters were so heavy, the canes would bend to the ground. I finally got tired of their underperformance continually catching my attention, and I can't believe how much better I feel without them. Then, still a little slow on the SP'ing, I moved VooDoo, Tropicanna, Montezuma and Cinco De Mayo out of their prime spots, to pretty inconspicuous spots. Couldn't SP them, but put them in odd places out of the way, to make room for roses I wanted in their place. Again - what a difference those few moves made for my general sense of peace in the garden.

2. Have faith in the ability of the garden to rebound after hard times

Anyone whose been on this forum all year I'm sure is tired of me continually writing about the )(@#*@#$ gophers. But 2012 was rose garden from #&!! for me. I feel such empathy for anyone who suffers a setback in the garden that gives them a year without roses, and I feel worse for those of you hit with RRD - that is so heartbreaking. Perhaps the latter doesn't often end in a happy ending. But mine sure did. I almost gave up, but instead - coming out the other end in early 2013 in better position than in the start of 2012. Here's hoping to a great year.

3. It's ok to rethink your own self imposed limitations

I decided mid 2012 to stop adding to the garden. I had the fear of adding too many roses without enough time to care for them. I think I was in the 80's at that time. I find myself now with almost 130. Oh - what the heck. I'm in good health, and completely physically able to care for them. I'm goin for it. No holding back. The worse case scenario - will have too many at some point, and will need to go backwards. But for now, what a great journey.

4. Don't expect to become an expert anytime soon

Going into my forth year of rose gardening. I'm pretty happy that I can now answer some simple questions for others on this forum. But I continually realize how much I don't know, about some of the most basic things. Pruning for example, I'm still asking about when to prune my roses - Jan, Feb, and why. This was my first year for rust - I didn't even know what it looked like before 2012, so when I first got it, I didn't even know what I had. Thank goodness for the many experts on this forum.

5. It's fun to branch into unfamilar territory - getting "out of the box"

First year for seriously trying cuttings, and first year for trying to propogate rose seeds. I find myself going into 2013 wanting to try new things. I didn't feel bold enough prior to now, but suddenly I want to create my own, with the ultimate goal of actually doing some hybridizing. These new ventures have added a new excitement for me, in rose gardening.

LOL! Harmony, is there REALLY any such thing? An "expert" is honestly someone who knows ONE more thing than you do, or one more thing than anyone around you knows. It's also a has-been drip. Ralph Moore used to love saying, "Just when you think you know the rules, the rose changes them!" and he was SO right! Roses and Mother Nature have real senses of humor and both are ready to stick a stick in your spokes, throwing you over the handlebars just as soon as they feel you're getting too big for your britches!

We love looking at things as "on" and "off" situations. Do this and that will always occur, but it ain't necessarily so. All of it is like scale...do something on one side and it MIGHT result in the desired effect...unless one of the "it depends" decides to rare its obstinate head. I guess the best we can do to become "more expert" is to learn the "it depends" and take them into consideration when we encounter a question. Another of Mr. Moore's favorites..."The rose will find the way". Little we can do to/for them is actually going to hurt them in the long run, as long as it isn't anything really stupid! Fortunately, in relatively benign climates, it's really hard to kill a rose. Dump a pound of inorganic fertilizer against the shank and that will do it. Keep them in the house as house plants and that will likely do it. Treat them as bog plants or never provide them water and that will probably accomplish their murder, but barring anything that obvious, most are going to survive in spite of "us". Kim

- Notice the rose not the deadheading, or its related rule for this year - Notice and enjoy the roses that survived and don't count all the ones that died. I actually find deadheading a fun part of rose gardening, but sometimes I find myself leaping into it with a little too much focus and not taking the time to step back and appreciate the rose itself or the peacefulness of the garden as a whole. The whole reason we grow roses is to enjoy roses, but I get distracted by the work or worry in various tasks. I need to spend more time stepping back and saying "Dang, that looks nice" even if it's only a small patch or "When we moved in this was nothing but grass and a few trees".

Thanks for sharing these lessons, harmonyp.

Cynthia

I've had to let go of the idea that I'll ever have a totally mature garden since there are always plants that need to be replaced for various reasons, and tiny little bands put in their place take their time to make a show. Dry heat and decomposed granite don't encourage plants to grow like weeds (although the weeds do!) so patience is another virtue I'm trying to acquire.

I'm too critical of my garden and need to enjoy the successes instead of wallowing in the failures. That will be easier once we're closer to the spring flush!

harmony, your list is very insightful and shows great understanding.

Ingrid

BUT - my Cl Cecile Brunner is really happy where I planted her, and when she blooms she'll be great! After trotting her around in a half barrel for years, where she bloomed every year but never got really large, she's happy to be in the ground. Once I get the bigger things situated, I can start shuffling around the smaller things. All my narcissus etc. are in a wire cage that is barely deep enough because I had to dig it in the Not Digging Season. I could move it now, but I don't know where I'd put it, so it's going to have to wait until next year at the earliest. I need the bones of the bed settled before I play with the rest of it.

My newest resolution is to research a rose in a local rose grower's garden or check here before I buy it. I only have room for about 70 roses and finding out I bought something that is going to become a monster results in a lot of reshuffling. Mary

Kay

1. Things don't always work out as planned. Sometimes its even better than I envisioned and sometimes I wonder 'what was I thinking?'

2. Some of my best results have been accidental dumb luck. I planted a rose (that I later found out likes 'humidity') where the vent for the clothes dryer emits warm moist air. It loves it there. Lesson = try something different it might just work!

3. How can something that smells so bad work so well? Alfalfa tea, liquid fish emulsion, etc.

4. Kelp meal really works for me to reduce disease.

5. The collective knowledge of the board is amazing. Roseseek - thank you for your detailed posts to my questions. Kstrong and Jeri thank you for your comments on coastal roses that work or don't work in your gardens. Thanks to everyone for their willingness to share their experience and for asking the questions I don't know enough to even ask.

6. Why do some roses look better than the pictures and some not nearly as good? Lesson: it's best to see the rose in person before buying it, DUH.

7. Enjoy the garden!

Happy gardening this spring!
Lee