Zuzu, your Crepuscule is a sight to behold -- it looks so beautiful growing alongside the pergola!
I'm sorry your foot is out of commission; that must be so frustrating. I've managed to put knee replacement surgery off (again) with sinovial fluid injections in my knees. It keeps me mobile, but bending down and standing back up is still very difficult and painful. But I've dealt with this condition for 45 years ever since I developed juvenile arthritis as an adolescent. I try to grin and bear it, and if that doesn't work, I gin and beer it.
With the exception of February, this past winter was mildish here in the Hudson Valley. That means I didn't have to prune the roses nearly to the ground this spring like I've had to do in previous years when the winters were harsh with spells of sub-zero temperatures. As a result, I expect the blooms will start the last week of May instead of the first and second weeks of June.
Two weeks ago I planted four bare roots from Regan under protective domes of fine mulch, and I expect to see their new shoots in a couple of weeks. The eight own-root bands from Heirloom that I planted last fall came through the winter like champs and are fully leafed out. They include one of my favorites Griffith Bucks, Paloma Blanca, as well as two Bourbons, Mme Isaac Pereire and Souvenir du President Lincoln, whose onion-dome buds I like as much as their blooms and fragrance. The bands I planted last fall also included a new one for me, Earth Angela, plus Distant Drums, Ebb Tide, and two Red Edens that are growing against south-facing walls of the house. They all look great right now.
Yesterday I received four additional bands from Rogue Valley that included Precious Dream, Tattooed Lady, Incantation, and Mrs. William G. Koning. High Country informed me that my order of four other bands was delayed due to snow and freezing temps earlier this month. They include Red Ribbons, Denver's Dream, Scarlet Moss, and Marilyn Monroe. I'll start them out in pots before moving them to the garden later in the season, or possibly overwintering them in the garage -- I'll make that decision this coming fall. In the meantime, the garden is looking good this spring, I'm fully vaccinated, and am looking forward to returning to some form of new normal as the season progresses.