oh jared .. they are not shrubs.. they are conifers ... they are not pines .. they are spruce ... mores specifically .. dwarf alberta spruce ... properly called Picea glauca v. albertiana 'Conica' yours have one of two problems... or both ... first you have classic winter burn ... either from winter sun.. or winter wind. .. lightly brush off whatever will fall off .. and if the buds are viable .. they will bud out.. and the damage will disappear ... though sometimes they get so ugly they arent worth keeping.. i wouldnt be surprised if, as you drive around town.. you see the same damage all over ... also.. this plant is subject to spider mites infestations .... link below to google search of such .. very easy to control .. ignore them for a month.. and see how they flush out in spring.. and then determine if you have the bugs .... which can be remedied with the hose ... just blasting them off ... good luck ken PS and if they ever cone.. they will have picea cones.. not pine cones .... Here is a link that might be useful: study spider mites

One thing you should know is that, even in well-drained soil, most of the feeder roots are in the top 6 inches. This layer needs to be consistently moist if the roses are to grow and bloom continuously. Another is that the gardener's judgement of "moist" encompasses a range that may include not-quite-moist-enough. As long as they grow continuously, you are OK. New growth should start at the upper leaf axils within 7-9 days of deadheading or pruning. Almost all new shoots should flower as opposed to going "blind." So basically you need to judge water by how the plants are doing. 10 days without water in hot weather seems like a long time, though. Most gardeners who irrigate for maximum growth do so at least once a week. If you have a non-drainable layer a foot or so down, it may be better to water your shallow soil only 1/2" inch at a time but at closer intervals (perhaps twice a week). As you suggest, saturated soil can cause iron-deficiency chlorosis, but you ought to check the pH as well. Roses do best at pH 6-6.8. Narrowing of new leaves could suggest some other trace deficiency such as zinc. I wouldn't recommend cultivating rose beds. The feeder roots come right up to the mulch boundary.

Lillium guy yes you can transplant your columbine. I move mine around all the time. In fact the seeds I sowed this year already from my plants right after they were harvested will stay where they are now and then I will transplant some in the spring as I had way more germinate than I expected. They seem to have a higher germination rate if the seeds are sown as soon as they are ready to be harvested. Columbine will also cross very easily with other columbines so if you want to keep the species pure then you will have to plant them in an area where there are no other columbines for them to cross with. Penny

How are your soils? Most high bush blueberries in cultivation came from the pine barrens of New Jersey. Soils there are sandy, peaty, and very acid. Wild high bush blueberries usually grow near streams, ponds, and bogs, and have never known the taste of limestone. The surest way of killing them is to mulch them with manure (I've done it and it works every time). A good acid holly fertilizer would be your best bet. It's nice to see that you're growing blue berries. Here in south Jersey you could walk for 50 miles picking berries all along the way. When I was a kid my father and I would take the canoe and go drifting down our little rivers. We'd float under the overhanging bushes and eat our fill - dad was a man who loved his berries.