Question
Hello, my husband bought me a pretty little mini rose bush for Valentines day. All the leaf stems are turning a light yellow & falling off the plant plus all the little buds are rapidly going black right behind the buds head and dyeing. I keep snipping them off to try to keep whatever is is from spreading but its dyeing off pretty quickly....can you help?, I hate to see living things die" its very upsetting. Thank You for any help....Patricia Kirby. PS, the Sweet little. bush is from out of Canada.

Answer
Dear Patricia,  Mini roses are very hard to keep, because they are more delicate than the larger roses, but they still require a lot of sun for a houseplant.  I am assuming that you have it inside, so the first thing you need to do is provide it with more light, a lot more light.  That is probably why the buds are dying and the leaves are yellowing.  Get it under a grow light or facing a west or south window, make sure you are keeping it watered, and don't leave any water remaining in the dish afterward.  Mini roses are very popular for Valentine's Day, so they are often grown in greenhouses with strict growing conditions so they will be beautiful for the appointed day.  When they are sold, they go to a home with obviously different conditions and the plant goes into shock.  Sometimes it is out of your control and the plant just won't recover, but don't let this put you off having plants.  Even the best gardeners have limited success.  Good luck, and let me know if I can help you further.  Melissa