As if on cue from the Holiday marketing department, this morning we have snow.  No significant accumulation, but snow.  Finally the weather has turned to winter.  The winterizing of the rose beds can now be completed and we will all start thinking about next spring.  We will update the  "New Roses for 2008" as more information becomes out from the various growers, especially photos that can be downloaded to our site.   One of the regular contributors to the Post-Gazette Garden Form, managed by Doug Zoster, has commented about the effects of climate change on our season cycles.  Things have been different the past three seasons.  Winter has been coming later with significant thaws in early spring followed by a last blast.  It's the last blast that is the most damaging to rose bushes.  Just when they start sending our new growth they get hit by a hard freeze.  Please keep this in mind as we go into the 2007-08 spring.  The "Things to Do" page will give you advice as to removing your protection, if you did any.  Many of our members do not bother to winterize and so far so good. But it is probably good to protect new plantings and roses that are not rated down to Zone 5. if you have any questions please call one of our Consulting Rosarians.  The complete listing for Western Pennsylvania is on the “Consulting Rosarian” Page of this site.