Question
i brought my mum a yellow rose bush last year.after she uncoverd it after the winter it is looking rather dead an has a few shoots comeing up from the base,is this a problem?any advice please?thank you.

Answer
Yellow roses are not the hardiest of colours. But what has happened is that your rose has died back a long way but it is still alive. Cut the dead canes back to where the green canes are. Don't totally uncover it but after pruning your rose, put some leaves or every green boughs over it until there is no chance os a nasty frost. Uncovering it right away, because it is frail, a hard frost may just kill it. When you see it making nice new growth then sprinkle some rose fertilizer all around the base, water it in well and it will do well for you.