Question
QUESTION: Lynnette
I had a floribunda rose bush that had purple colored roses. The first year I planted it the roses were purple, the next year they were more a fuchsia color and then the next year they were red. I really love the purple color is there a away to get it back. This plant just up and died this year not sure why but before I purchase any other purple bush I want to make sure it is going to stay purple.
Also when is the best time to prune and should you cut them down to almost ground level. Even those on trellises?
Thank you for your time. I am located in New Boston, New Hampshire. Slightly North west of Manchester, New Hampshire.
Sue - Ellen

ANSWER: The floribunda you got did not have a stable flower colour. That means when most roses do change the flower shade a little in different weather, your rose went overboard and changed too much. However purple sometimes is not a very stable colour. Big Purple and Rhapsody in Blue are a couple of good ones.I don't think breeders have got purple down to perfection yet. Also weather, soil and even fertilizer will all make a shade of a colour look different.
Whacking a poor rose down hard is another rose myth that seems to die hard. When you do this the poor rose has to make a comeback in the spring. Roses need canes and leaves before they can make lots of flowers especially leaves, as they are the factories that make the food. 18 inches is quite low enough and means the rose will have a good start in the spring. Climbers need to be tied back so the winter winds won't tear them down. Also any canes that are really sticking out should be trimmed or tied back. You garden in a good part of the world for growing roses so your roses should come through the winter and bloom well for you.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have a rose bush planted last spring that I need to move to a more sunny location. This will be it's second winter and I don't want to lose it. When is the best time to transplant it. Also I have four red rose bushes from J&P. two from the mail and two from Lowes. The two from Lowe are going like weeds but the two from the mail seem to be lagging - should the plants be handled differently?
Thank you

ANSWER: Roses tend to go into a snit if they are disturbed so the best time to move them is when they are dormant and not growing such as late fall or early spring. Then they start off in the spring with no problems. It appears that some nurseries handle their roses very well and the plants start off with a bang while others seem to lag behind and wimp along. Just give the weak ones lots of water and a little more fertilizer to get them up and going. If they are putting out new growth, then they will be fine and catch up next year with the other roses.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: One more question - how late can I give them food? and how early should I start feeding? Should I cover the base of the plant with leaves for the winter months?
Thank you

Answer
One of the main reasons that roses do not make it through a cold winter, is because the gardener was too generous with the fertilizer and  gave it to them after August. This means the rose did not have time to draw down the nutrients into the roots and so had softer canes. The nasty winds in the winter killed or damaged the late growth.  Bacteria then get into the canes, cause disease and make them go black even right to the base. In your area don't fertilize a rose after the middle of August. Even after the end of July is a safer bet.
To make sure they will survive a winter, take soil from another part of the garden and make a mound about 8 inches high all around the base of the rose bush. This will protect the plant so if in a very nasty winter, it will only die back to 8 inches and you will get a good plant the next year from the 8 inches which is left. If you want to cover them with leaves then just make sure the leaves are somehow anchored  with soil and won't blow away.