Question
hi,

I live in zone 7, NY. I have a Rose 'The Fairy' that i just got this year.
I have two questions:
1) during the middle of the season (summer)I know you are supposed to trim the finished blooms to promote more blooming. Where do you cut when you prune that bud? Just under the bud? How low do you go on the stem?
2) Do I have to cover the Rose with something for the winter so it does not freeze? My grandmother used to put a 3 liter glass jar over the Rose and it kept it protected. Something tells me that's an old way of doing this nowadays. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you,

Liza

Answer
Grandmothers way was a good one for a small rose bush. If something works then it is a good idea as that is the beauty of gardening. We all have our ways of doing things. In regards to your rose. There is no need to cut the buds off The Fairy. This rose will still produce just as many flowers. The new growth will come right behind the old one. Many gardens take  hedge clippers and snip away at this rose to shape it. Believe it or not, The Fairy prefers to be pruned this way. So if the bush gets too large, never mind about where to cut simply whack it back to where you want it. Because The Fairy is a shrub, this is the reason you can prune it this way.
You are in an area that could be boarder line in that if you get a mild winter, then there is no need to do anything but if you get hit with a nasty winter, then the bush should be mounded up. Because you may not be able to plat what will happen, I would mound the rose up as a precaution. The Fairy is very hardy so even if it does die back it will bounce back up again. Hope this helps.