There is something about that tall, skinny stem and the big rose ball on top (though these haven't even been set into their summer pots yet and so look a little puny) that intrigues me about tree roses, also called standard roses. I had long wanted to own one, even though they are the most formal of rose bushes and my whole garden is about the natural look. Nevertheless,last year I finally broke down and ordered two standards that were on sale in the Jackson and Perkins catalogue. Later, I was also given one for a gift. I would not say they bloomed profusely, but they bloomed sufficiently to delight me (knowing my own propensity to plant things in the wrong places in my first three or four tries, or to water too much/too little, etc., I try to keep my expectations low).

My plan all along was to overwinter the roses in my garage, which I did. They held their green leaves until almost Christmas, then went into dormancy during the worst of the cold weather. Early this spring, I started setting them outside during the day. The two J&P roses seemed slower to bud than the other one, and so I covered the tops with drycleaner bags and stuffed a couple of wet paper towels in each one to keep them from drying out. They began to bud nicely, although there was much dead wood on them, too. Yesterday I pruned them and moved them onto the deck, where they will live out the summer.

My neighbor has a standard rose planted in a small garden in the middle of her yard. She buries it in the winter and covers the grave with a straw bale. In the spring she lifts the rose, fertilizes generously with "barn dirt" from the family's cow yard, and waters well. This rose was trampled by a bull last year and not expected to survive, but after duct taping and some TLC, it lived and bloomed all summer. Maybe rose standards aren't as fragile as I'd thought? More on this in June. For now, I'm just enjoying the way these formal-looking these roses contrast with all of the natural-type gardens beyond. I'm thankful they survived the winter. And I'm already worrying about whether or not they will give a repeat performance next year. Should I put them in the garage again? Or should I bury them? At least I hope I don't have to worry about a bull leaping onto my deck and trampling them. A deer? Maybe.

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