It's time to get serious about winter cleanup chores. Up to now, the rain and the cold have made serious gardening impossible here, but now the weather has warmed up enough to make all-day gardening a possibility. Unfortunately, my right hand suddenly stopped working. Given my age, I'm fairly certain it's osteoarthritis, unless it's possible to contract carpal tunnel syndrome from vigorous weeding, typing, and scrolling the PC mouse (which is really hard to do with my left hand).

I'm right-handed and not the slightest bit ambidextrous, so it's been grim trying to master everyday tasks such as brushing my hair with the wrong hand and opening flip-top cat food cans with one hand. Everyone who comes to my house, including the UPS driver, has had to unscrew a jar lid or two for me. I've found lots of ways to adapt. I've learned to use a shovel with only one hand, but I haven't figured out how to use loppers with one hand yet.

I wish you all the best of luck in completing your winter gardening chores and getting ready for another blissful spring. Lots of wonderful plants are blooming here already -- daffodils, azaleas, cyclamen, hellebores, and camellias.

The thumbnail photo for this month is Valentine Heart, a Dickson floribunda. Look at those beautiful scalloped petals!

Oh, Zuzu!!! That is a lovely, lovely rose!! It has scalloped edges like Memorial Day!

Here's me trying to make lemonade out of your bad situation. They say that when we use our nondominant hand, we give our brains a work out and that this is a good way to prevent Alzheimers. Sometimes I try to do things with my nondominant hand just to help my brain....but you've got a week or so to do really good things for your brain.

But, seriously, good luck with your hand. I hope it starts to feel better soon.

Thanks, Carol. I hope so too. That's interesting about Alzheimer's, but it's something I never worry about because I'm a smoker. Alzheimer's is exceedingly rare among smokers. I'm not sure that's a good thing because it means we remain fully cognizant as we choke to death from emphysema.

So sorry to hear about your right, dominant hand, Zuzu! I have some osteo-arthritis in my hand, but was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and told not to use it for a couple of weeks besides taking 800 mg. Ibuprofen around the clock the first week when I woke up with it painful and swollen after pruning and doing garden chores in the spring. It still acts up sometimes, but I've found taking a T. of fresh olive oil taken daily makes a big difference in being able to open and close my hand without stiffness I was having. I hope yours gets better!

Zuzu, Sorry to learn about your hand. I have the beginnings of that myself, but I find that swimming helps tremendously. And I love your sense of humor.
I'm downloading a photo I took two days ago of 'Jacques Porcher', a Hybrid Tea of 1914, and a second one taken in September a couple of years ago. An astounding rose that blooms almost twelves months a year, taking only a few weeks breather now and then.

Zuzu, sorry to hear about your arthritis, I have them in my hip and my hands have problem for nearly 20 years. I couldn't even use toilet paper back in 2001/2002 time frame, injury from doing yoga, I did hear a pop. I thought eventually it would get better. But it has taken a long time to recover by doing a lot of stuff. But today it's definitely 90% better than 20 years ago. For which I'm very grateful and hopeful that it's manageable. Not too painful now. I do squeeze oranges to make orange juice often, hence strengthen my wrist better.

Hurray for Feb. It's getting a bit sunnier where I planted some of my roses recently. Hopefully this means I will get more roses. It's in the shady part of my garden.
I managed to convince my husband to move 3 citrus trees to the back, they are too ugly in the front, practically no growth for 5-6 years, we will put them in containers. So that means I get more room to show case my tree roses, can't wait really.

Rose pictures today

Violet's Pride


Belinda's dream, this rose offsets my blue and white border nicely.






Simply Magnifiscent from another angle





Last but not least, iceberg rose, I'm showing it here because of the absence of chilli thrip damage, a few months ago before I removed the blue plumbago, it was severely affected. This pretty common landscape rose here.

Be careful Zuzu that you do not over use your one good hand. Thank heaven for people coming by that lend you a hand for the difficult things. This is why other cultures have 4 generations living together to work the farm, and open jars.
The snow has melted here . February came in with a fierce wind storm that howled all night, and is still raging. Any old tattered leaves still clinging to the roses are probably blown away.
That is such a perfect photo of Violets Pride !

My husband is planning Neptune next to Iceberg roses, I think the white color should showcase the lavender color nicely.

Grandmother's Hat in better lighting than this morning, which I couldnt take any picture.






Julia Child bud

Happy Ground Hog's Day, Happy Super Bowl, Happy Valentine's Day and Happy February! At least it's a short month.

Is it spring yet? Not here! It's snowing out right now. Way too soon to do any yard work. Maybe late next month.

Perfect rose for this month, Zuzu! So lovely! A little over a year ago my right index finger and thumb went completely stiff over night. Hand Dr. said it was carpal tunnel and trigger finger and did surgery. After 3 months of therapy they were still stiff. So he sent me to a neurologist. Three EMGs later they still couldn't pin point where the problem was. They wanted to just start at my wrist and cut up my arm until they found the right nerve. But they also said that at that point it had been so long that it might not do any good anyway. So I graciously thanked them and said NO WAY! I have gotten used to using the three fingers working on my right hand and my good left hand to do things with. I'm getting real comfortable with a left hand mouse now! It does make everything you do more difficult and challenging but don't give up!

Schrammd, that's a beauty!

SoCal, arrgh, they're gorgeous and I'm so jealous you have blooms! I just have memories for now.
Love Song

The groundhog had better not jinx it; spring is clearly coming early. My roses are starting to bloom led by Old Blush as usual. Unfortunately my camera and computer are not currently on speaking terms, but my roses are no match for Zuzu's February beauty anyway.

My very first Charlotte bloom.

That's a great shot, Lola!

Lola, your Charlotte is gorgeous! Makes me want to get one. You will have to let us know if the color fades in the sun or over time. Beautiful rose!

I am sorry to hear about everyone's hand and finger problems. Sending you all healing wishes!

The weather all winter long has been teasing us with spring. My plants have been saying to me, feed me...feed me, it's spring! Flower buds are opening on the pear trees. I have resisted because I know that many times in early Feb., the weather will turn and become very cold, very quickly. I can't trust it. YUP! I had a feeling! It was beautiful yesterday. Was able to open the house, get fresh air inside, garden outdoors without layers of clothing on, etc. It was close to 70 F! Mother Nature was a big tease! It is supposed to be nice this morning and then the wind will start early this afternoon. We will be getting to as low as 25 F. Supposed to be in the upper 20's to low 30's at night until at least Thursday. I thought this might be the first year I didn't have to cover my citrus. Wrong! Ugh! So don't need to be doing this today when I am hosting the super bowl party. Will be going out when it is light and making sure all my pipes are covered along with my citrus. Then it is time to clean the house and prep the food. Busy, busy day! Have a good day everyone!

First casualty from last year order. Belle of Portugaise was dead. I contacted ARE and he said if I mail the tag and $5 check, I'll get a replacement. Phew! This is one of the roses I look forward to see it growing in my yard.

Julia child rose



First Baronne Prevost rose bud






Another angle of Simply Magnifiscent, I think this is a Grandiflora, same as Queen of Elizabeth. My husband loves it.

My roses are starting to bloom, but they can't catch up with the gorgeous Californian roses.

Oh, and happy palindrome day: 02-02-2020!

Thanks for the olive oil tip, Rosemary. I really hate the smell of olive oil when it's used in cooking, but I can start using it in salads. Ibuprofen really helps me with the pain, but I can't go hog wild with it because I'm a bleeder.

Schrammd, I've created a database entry for Jacques Porcher and I hope you'll add your lovely photos to it.

Rose (Rosa 'Jacques Porcher')

Yes, Fisherwoman, I fortunately am blessed with many helpful friends. As for the other option, I love living alone, so the thought of four generations in my house is horrifying. I'm so glad I'm living in this time and this culture.

Seil, mine started with the right index finger and quickly moved to the thumb. The other three fingers were quite useful for a short time, but now the pain has spread to my wrist and forearm. I'm watching this progression with interest, but also with alarm.

Today, however, I experienced a brief period of painlessness and suddenly was able to use both hands, so I grabbed my loppers and lopped lots of canes and branches in the garden. It was glorious while it lasted!

Zuzu - I didn't know that Alzheimer's is rare in smokers! Live and learn. Yikes, that IS alarming to have it spread!

Schrammd - That's a lovely rose!! Sounds like it's a pretty wonderful bloomer.

SoCal - GASP!!!! Those are stunning pink roses!!! Oh my!!! for sharing those pictures! I adore pink roses! And then you posted some more pink roses!!! Your BP and SM are mouthwatering!

Seil - you made the right decision in not getting surgery...yikes! Man, that's a gorgeous Love Song!! Swoon!

Lola - That's a wonderful Charlotte bloom!! Good job! Such a soft yellow...lovely.

PorkPal - I heard on the news that it's a palindrome day! How cool!

Hope everyone is feeling better.

As Monty Python would say, "Now, for something completely different....."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Nice video on how to breed roses. Brought to you by our friends up north in Canada....

That was an interesting video, Mustbenuts! It makes any modern rose seem like a bargain for all the time and labor that goes into making it into the commercial marketplace!

Hear, hear, Rosemary! I totally agree. It takes me so long to even grow old roses up from cuttings, that if I really want something I'll just buy it to save time! thanks for the link, MBN. ;- )