[Rose-list] Re: Rose garden design question

**"* <r*@transport.com>**

Hi Phillip,

What roses do you have?  

I started my Rose Garden; diverse with small trees, a few shrubs,
bulbs and perennials, last year too.  I had several years to work up 
a ''wish list'' while selling our old home and building this new one.
I felt as you do when I got started; all that space, what to do...
rather intimidating, yet thrilling to have a ''blank slate''.  

My ''design'' is made up of five islands (all the tilled, amended
soil shoved into these ''raised'' islands) mostly in oval shapes with
wandering borders that fill up the 50x70 fenced area on the south
side of the house. Soon I added grass paths, arbors, a pillar my son
welded up, and cut a little more out of the lawn for shapely flower
beds. Fall I decide to designate color themes to each island, which
makes it much easier on the eyes and mind. Like having several
mini-gardens in one.  I'm very happy with the islands and I can cut
flowers without having bare views like my old border only garden. 
Now I'm in ''revise'' mode, which I'm told is never ending, and I
have many plans yet to impose upon my garden. 

There are many books and ideas on designing gardens. I got lost in
them. For me, I've found that pictures (Library books & magazines) 
or actual gardens are great ''idea jumpers'', then I think on it for
a month or so, then throw caution to the wind and go for it. Try it 
without a measuring tape or level... ekkk.. :-)

Later on other garden ideas and features will sound appealing, or 
I find plants I can't bare to live without and I then struggle with
how to fit it in the ''plan'' of things. Great stuff to chat over
with garden friends.

I don't think roses of different stages of age will look bad at all.
Nice thing about roses is that for the first several years they move
fairly easily.  Don't laugh, but at least 1/3 of my 100 roses I've
move at least once already, a few to other friends gardens.  Like
'Sally Holmes; she was moved 4 times last year and never complained.
She now resides at my mother's home. It's best to move roses on 
an over-cast days and water for a week or two. 

Feel free to ask questions or just toss about ideas, what better use
for a rose-list than that.  

Sincerely,       
~Carleen~
Keeper of Sheep & Old Roses

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