I also have crocus blooming right now but no daffs yet. Personally I'm waiting until the end of April, we usually get one last big snow here at the end of April and I plan to prune after that. I don't have roses breaking leaf buds yet and I don't want to stimulate the plant into doing that too early when I know we have freezes in the future.

Thanks, that makes sense to me. We also could get snow in late April. I was just outside looking at them and they don't seem to be even thinking about making leaf buds. [g] It's no problem for me to wait. I have plenty of other things to do.

I was taught to prune roses around Valentines Day, but I am in Texas. I think you are fine pruning them now in your zone. Even with cold nights still expected. I, personally, think it's better to prune them before they start leafing out.

The David Austin website says: "We recommend pruning in late winter/early spring, when the first growth is beginning. This is generally between February and April, depending on your zone. It is OK to prune earlier, but it can be more difficult to identify the less healthy stems that you will want to prune out.

Pruning is essential if you really want your rose to thrive. English Roses are naturally vigorous and, if left without pruning, may become large and leggy shrubs.

The main purpose of pruning is to create a shapely, attractive shrub, with good structure, you can do this by simply removing parts of the plant during the non-flowering season. Pruning encourages fresh new growth and plentiful blooms for the following season."

We are now past April. Maybe someone from your zone can advise.

Pruning when the forsythia and daffodils are blooming works for me.

Moses