Rose Bud

I don't care if it is trite, my favorite flower is a classic rose. Growing up in Pennsylvania, my mother tended a climbing rose bush - some kind of tea rose, ornamenting a trellis. 

So now that I have my own home, with plenty of spots that glean at least 6 hours of full sun a day, I'm experimenting with my first Florida rose bush. I bought it as a small (3 lb) plant in early December 2017 from the my local garden center. 

It's a hybrid tea rose, called “Secret” from Neslson's Florida Roses. Nelson's roses are grown on Fortuniana rootstock, which is meant for Florida's soil and climate. 

When I bought the plant, it had about a half a dozen pink and white blooms. I didn't want to shock it by placing it in the ground just yet, so it remains in its pot. I dead-headed after the last flush or roses were gone. Since then, my plant has been growing, and it appears that I have some new buds.

My Game Plan:

1. Fertilize once a month (I'm in Southwest Florida, so this should be fine) with Miracle grow rose plant food. 
2. Major yearly pruning should happen in mid- February to early March