A rose is a rose is NOT a rose.

Who ever suggested that roses are all created equal? Wrong. Roses grown in Canada need winterizing, which means about 50 cm of fresh soil or triple mix mounded up the main canes of each plant.

To be clear, this is only true for floribunda, hybrid tea, grandiflora and miniature roses. Winter hardy shrub roses are, well, winter hardy.

Yes, even in zone 2 prairie gardens these roses are best left to their own devices for the winter. Come spring, you might trim them back a bit to get them under control. The four aforementioned rose families like to be pruned hard: down to about 20 cm come spring. Only prune them in the fall if you fear that they may whip around in the winter wind and break off at the bud union. See the video of my buddy Jeff and I for details (you will get the answer to the question about what a "bud union" is.)

And if, while you are winterizing your roses, you happen across one or two that are still blooming (and it can happen!) don't forget to stop and smell them.

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