pruning the roses

My Martha Stewart gardening book says to prune your roses (at least in my area) in late March, and that's what I always try to do.

It's been so cold around here lately, but the temperature was up a little today - and it's the last day of March!

It's supposed to snow tomorrow, but I really wanted to get it done.  It was drizzling a bit, but I made myself do it - I've certainly pruned them in colder weather than this.

I only have three now.  A rugosa -

which grows like a weed, is very fragrant and has lots of spiny thorns, 

and rose-pink blooms.

Another is a red grandiflora - Mr. Lincoln, maybe? - I like the way the blossoms turn blackish after a cold snap in the fall.

How messy they were, with many more broken canes than they normally have, resulting from a severely snowy winter.

The third rose is one of those newer, very hardy types, called Regensburg - a little, delicate-looking thing, which I left alone for now.

I have a thing about pruning - I'm quite severe with them.  Here's the grandiflora after-

and the rugosa  -

I assure you, it will come back.  When pruning, I often think of the way God "prunes" us - with our difficulties and sufferings of one sort or another - but it's so we'll be more focused and produce larger, more beautiful "blooms".  I didn't clean away the leaves, because of the weather that's coming - maybe they will help protect the roots.

I actually do have another rose, but it's a moss rose and blooms only in June, so I don't prune it till afterward  - I almost forgot about that one!