Firstly, given the sight that greeted me this afternoon (picture) I think it's fair to say that my roses really liked spending February buried in 6ft of snow, and I suppose the current wet and warm (but not too warm) conditions must be agreeing with them too! They've put on a spectacular show in the last couple of days, and it's pretty exciting to see what I had envisioned when I planted them three years ago! They stretch up the entire length of fence on the west side of the house, and there's another swathe of them at the back as well. I'm amazed! I'd never thought of myself as a "real" gardener before I started The Great Rose Project in 2007 so it's even more satisfying. In the meantime, starting the countdown towards the next gig - and I can't deny I'm looking forward to the role, and the many surrounding events which will be going on around me concurrently: in addition to operatic performances, this festival will offer a lot of int