Notes from a Head Gardener ~ Chapter 9 ~ Tying knots with gloves on

Rose pruning. Of all the garden tasks this is one of the most satisfying. I enjoy a puzzle. To take a jumble of stems and train them into a pleasing and ultimately floriferous form is immensely rewarding. 

With every year that passes, my adoration of the rose multiplies. 

A thorny mess......

........becomes an attractive arrangement......

......with just a pinch of knowledge, a few moments of thoughtful invisioning, several clean snips and careful tying-in. Without the bitter wind it would take but twenty-five minutes. With the unfriendly breeze, seemingly straight from Siberia, it took rather longer. My knots were clumsily tied because I could not bring myself to remove my gloves. It was of no consequence. The rose was successfully pruned and trained and my fingers remained toasty in my favourite winter gloves. A happy day indeed!