One of my first rosebuds for this year...
I always loved the walled gardens of England... so we did the next best thing, with what we had plenty of...
We planted Rose borders.......... surrounding the veggie garden ... They create airy walls that provide a more sheltered environment for the vegetables, birds and beneficial insects...
Besides beauty... the Roses provide a valuable function for us..
When I sit over there, I feel encompassed by nature, beauty and fragrance...
Every rose at our place originated from 3 rose bushes that I brought here from our old place in 2000... we had heavy clay soil and shade back there and the roses never really flourished...
I divided them up and planted them temporarily in a nursery garden area... for a couple years...
The roses still looked quite scrawny when we spaced them out in all the locations... but they grew bigger and bigger every year....
We also planted some surrounding the verandah and the front of the house... so when they are in bloom... the beautiful scent hits us as we go outside...
More of the divisions were placed around the rock-walls of the courtyard that the driveway encircles... even a portion of bare root, planted will grow a rose bush...
Now some have started poking out here and there... between the crevices of the rock-walls...
When Roses are blooming here... there is no getting away from them... I wish they lasted all year long...
Hardy Shrub Roses...Rosa Rugosa... they are perfect for sandy well drained soil... They love air movement, so the sea breezes do not hurt them... they seem to thrive on them... they are very easy to grow here...
I have divided them many, many, many times over the years... There are more but I just couldn't take pictures of them all...
16 comments:
Oh Gwen it's just breath taking! I can't believe all of those from 3 small bushes! It seems that the fragrance of a rose just sinks deep into your soul, you know what I mean?
I also love the panoramic view of the rolling hills and the sea. It's sure is a peace of heaven on earth! Thanks for sharing, I was looking forward to seeing it and it was a delight!
Ditto on everything Anet said! Amazing!!! And that view of the bay looks so close. I had no idea! Thanks, I really enjoyed that. :)
Thanks Anet and Sharon, you guys are sweet!!!... I really wished the sky was blue for the shots but It was one of those grey days... we have lots of blue skies but not today.. and with wind and rain coming I thought I better not wait...
Guess you can tell I'm kind of crazy about roses...
Ooops! that's (piece of heaven,) I have "peace" on the brain!
Oh... and the pink chair is lovely, it goes great with the roses!
This is astonishing to me, I had no idea roses would grow so readily like that, even in the cracks like weeds. I also didn't know you'd been in your locations that many years. I have always liked mass plantings of the same plant, and so for me the roses of one color are very very effective, and again, the right color for your gray house (and gray sky, which is actually nice for the photos, I think).
Don wants to plant some roses, hasn't decided where, doesn't have them yet. I don't know if they will do as well here. Your open site seems perfect.
So beautiful! Amazing view, and flowers, and architecture, and green! Lovely
How absolutely wonderful, Gwen. I didn't know you could just split them up like that. I wonder if Rose Geranium grows in your area. It has the most amazing fragrance too.
Hi Robyn!! Oh yes root division is really simple with roses.. especially this type... Rosa Rugosa... many times when I was moving them .. if I left even a tiny root in the ground in the original location it persevered and grew a new rose bush.. so they never give up..
I believe Rose Geranium is available at garden centers but it doesn't grow wild...unfortunately.. I love all the hardy geranuims too..I use to have Lemon geranium .. wow such beautiful citrus fragrance.. I'm glad you reminded me!!!
Aw... Ruth.. Seems like yesterday but when I look in the mirror I know it wasn't...
Well I guess I think of it this way: we did move here in 2000, but we worked both night and day on building the place, and running our art/craft business... I believe I only started feeling like I was "Living here" for the last couple of years... It now feels like Home... not like a "work in progress". I does feel like freedom though!
Don would love these. Sometimes they do get some little nibbling creatures but I don't spray.... I just wait... and soon the rose spiders and ladybugs come for their meals and everything balances out.. so everything eats well at our garden!
Thanks so much Denise... It was the view that captured us and made us do all this work... Sometimes our emotions rule our brain..
Thanks Anet, that pink chair is plastic(eek) but it is super-easy to carry around the garden to sit where it is cosy or wherever something is blooming... summer goes too fast!!!
Gosh Gwen what a divine setting you have. Your yard is absolutely stunning - can smell those roses from here. Such a beautiful home you have.
Thanks Janice, since we work at home, we spend almost 24/7 here and only go to the city every 1 1/2 -2 weeks...sometimes longer... we feel so lucky everyday, to have found some land we could sculpt, play with and make our own.
Lovely gardens. I wish mine were that organized. You have given me something to shoot for. Thanks
Oh, this is so beautiful.
We have really old wild Rugosa roses around our little house, and the scent is transporting. I just love this time of year when I can have all the windows open and the house is filled with it. Your home looks stunning too!
Thank you, Ciara, You are so right... the scent just lifts me, too..there is just something magic about their scent... and all those bright pink satiny petals lying all through the grass and the garden paths... I love it!!
As Anet said, this is breath taking. I LOVE LOVE your house and property.
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