Mocha Mousse, a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort. – From Pantone website.

2025 Pantone of the year

Each year Pantone sets the color stage for design whether inside or out. Last year was Peach Fizz and I was a big fan of that especially outside with all the roses with peach hues –especially my newly released rose — Petite Peach. More about her here.

For this year it’s all about… Coffee. Chocolate. Comfort. I’m in.

More about the color of the year HERE.

All this talk about mocha mousse had me thinking about the rose Koko Loco (hybridized by Christian Bedard of Weeks Roses) that has been trending for several years. What a perfect time to jump into that trend with a rose in the same palette. So I ordered one from High Country Roses (LINK) 

Description on High Country’s website.
Koko Loco: The cocoa is creamy like latte. But the latte goes loco to finish all lavender! You just can’t imagine a milky chocolate-colored bud would mature to be a solid soft lavender blossom. Early to bloom, every lovely bud spirals open with impeccable show form. The flowers last long on the plant and in the vase. Beyond its novelty, there lies a great plant….rounded, handsome & bushy…chock full of clean green leaves.

For more info on growth habit, etc or to see if she’s still in stock, read more HERE.

GARDEN TRENDS

Another early season treat is to see the House Beautiful garden trend list and here it is…

• Chocolate Brown Tones 
• Cottagecore 
• Front Gardens (love it)
• Waterwise gardening
• Out with bedding traditional plants
• Cutting Gardens: bring the outdoors in (YES)
• Future floristry
• Light-touch gardening
• Brownfield gardening
• Sustainable power tools
• Greenhouse living
• Seedling success: growing plants from seed is back in the spotlight (Yippee)
• Bulbs in pots (I’m not the best at this.)
• Homegrown produce
• Edible landscaping

For explanations of each of these categories check out their article HERE.

SPRING ROSE CARE

I’ve recently had several questions about spring rose care and simple rose pruning tips. While it is certainly not one size fits all, here are my general tips. (For reference: I’m in Zone 6a.) Again these are basic tips on what I do.

WHEN: My rule of thumb for when to prune roses is when the Forsythia Blooms. The blooming Forsythia tells us that the ground temp has warmed to about 50 degrees. Here we can have temps that dip a bit but we usually do well with the Forsythia rule.

HOW: I cut out any dead, damaged or disease-looking canes, any canes that are crossing the center or rubbing against other canes. For height pruning … I prune the shrub about 1/3 of it’s size. You will also want to remove the leaves still clinging to the shurb and any that have fallen on the ground. 📸 GLAMOUR SHOT:  To get her ready for glamour shots to come, after I prune I take a step back and look at the overall appearance, and using my creative license I make tweaks to get her looking just right. 😉

EXCEPTIONS…

GROUND COVER ROSES:

For ground cover roses I don’t worry too much about all those pruning details. I just shape it up and take it down a bit for size control. As you experience a season of growth, you’ll know how to prune it to get the shape you want. I have 8 Sweet Drift Roses (groundcovers) making a border. While they appear to have a tangled growth, when they bloom they are show stoppers.

CLIMBING ROSES:

Totally different pruning method. I think the best way to learn about this is to SEE it done. Garden Answer and Heirloom Roses have great videos on pruning climbing roses. Orange text denotes links!

OLD GARDEN ROSE, RAMBLERS (and other one-time bloomers):

No spring pruning! As with other blooming shrubs the rule is PRUNE AFTER BLOOM. Pruning in the spring will eliminate your spring blooms! If you want to shape up your plant do it immediately after blooming. NOTE: OGRs need little to no pruning. Just take out dead and diseased canes. Or the ones that are catching on your husband’s shirt as he mows the grass. Don’t ask me how I know. 🤦🏼‍♀️

NOTE: Don’t be afraid! It isn’t rocket science. I’ve made a million “mistakes’ and the roses always forgive and bloom in spite of the gardener. I remember the first time I saw Steve Hutton, then President of Star Roses, take electric hedge trimmers to Knock Out roses. Now you see many gardeners do that with more than just Knock Outs. I’m not saying I would do it, but I guess you could.

FERTILIZER: At the time of pruning, I fertilize per package recommendations. (RoseTone or Scott’s Rose and Bloom: Both are available at our Lowes and sometimes Walmart). The fertilizer doesn’t kick in until temps raise a bit more but it is convenient for me to do it at this time. 

DORMANT SPRAY: Before leaves start developing we use a dormant spray. Through the years we have used several products. (Lime Sulfur, Captain Jack and Bonide products.) Jason from Fraser Valley Rose Farm has an excellent video on using dormant sprays that includes what to use and why you should proceed with caution when doing so.
VIDEO LINK

MULCH: I add 3-4″ of mulch to help with water retention, weed supression and for beauty… mulch makes everything look so fresh and tidy. I know the roses appreciate it as they move to their time to shine!

If you have other specific questions leave me a comment or email me, I am happy to help!

UNINVITED GUESTS

We’ve had some uninvited guests… one tried to get his annual eye exam. Wrong “office” buddy.

ROSE CHAT

Rose Chat 2025 has begun!

THE HERBAL PROPERTIES OF ROSES
Jason Croutch, Fraser Valley Rose Farm

For thousands of years roses have been used for so much more than an ornamental plant. Join us as we take a look at the additional benefits of growing the Queen of Flowers.

NEXT UP is Leon Ginenthal to chat about SOIL & PLANT HEALTH – this one will be posted on Sunday, February 23. 

WINTER SOWING

Winter sowing is now complete with 22 jugs! In many of the jugs I did sections to be able to plant more than one variety. I certainly don’t need a “jug full” of everythng I wanted to try this year! 😳

• Love in a Mist: Mulberry Rose
• Blue & White Alyssum
• Calendula: Bronzed Beauty
• Onion: Yellow of Parma
• Strawflower: Red, Rose and White
• Larkspur: Katy’s Picot
• Gomphrena: Audray Purple-Red , Raspberry Cream, Lavender Lady and Las Vegas White 
• Marigolds: Sugar & Spice, Queen Sophia & Savannah
• Rudbeckia: Sahara & Caramel Mix
• Statice: Seeker Pastel Blue
• Coneflowers: White and Mellow Yellow
• Snapdragons: Apple Blossom, Royal Bride and Costa Velvet
• Sweet Pea: Jewels of Albion
• Rose Seeds: Tuscany Supurb
• Bachelor Buttons: Cyanus Double
• Canterbury Bells: Calyan Mix
• Nasturtiums: Cherry Rose Jewel and Tip Top Pink Blush
• Dara: Mixed
• Columbine: Barlow’s Double Mix
• Ageratum: Blue Horizon
• Verbascum: Shades of Summer
• Phlox: Sugar Stars
• Lady’s Mantel

Spring winter sowing

I will begin “winter sowing” again in April to plant Zinnias, Cosmos, Tomatoes and Basil! It worked so well last year!

WHILE WE WAIT

As finish up this post today we are having a wintery mix – rain, ice, snow. Single digit temps. Yuk.  BUT to those of you with colder winters, look at these pictures… they were taken the 3rd week of March last year! Our beauties are coming back!

Ignoring the weather outside, with every seed I sow I am giddy with anticipation of the miraculous new life that is to come. As gardeners we get to experience miracles most every day.

To everything there is a season but often it seems Winter tends to be a boundary pusher — we just have to keep the faith in the garden and out.

Until next time, have fun in your garden.