Wear gloves when you work in the roses.

Two months ago I was picking roses for a bouquet and caught a thorn in the middle finger of my left hand. Man that hurts. Worse, the thorn broke off in my finger and pained me for two months. Just yesterday, it worked its way out. Thank goodness. My finger was killing me for 2 months. I'm a guy who likes to put his hands in the soil (I'll tell you about the slice of potato I got under my fingernail another time) but from now on, I'm using puncture-proof gloves (nurseries have many types) when I work in the roses.