Make Your Own Bed Of Roses

In order to experience the magic of having a bed of roses, you have to plant them first… aw, but “ain’t that a bit grand, dahling?”

Oh yes, there's something quite wonderful in having lots of these glorious flowers for yourself.... and with a little sashay here and there, it feels a bit like having a title or something..

" I have a rose garden.."

and yet, in fact, it has me. I was hooked the moment my little child-nose stuffed itself inside a mass of fluffy petals. And now that I'm all grown up? I still do that.... mmmmm....they are my favourite and I now have a whole garden of them.

I'm not sure I ever asked myself if I wanted a bed of roses. I'm not sure the question ever entered my head. But of course I did. I actually longed for one. I craved planting my own Rosebushes.

It was just a matter of ...where to put one. To tell the truth, at first I was really only thinking about a single rosebush. ..... not a whole garden full of them, my, how daunting.... a whole bed? How on earth would I manage to growr a whole bed of roses when I wasn't really a gardener?

It started in February (2002)with a big old inherited tree that dropped a huge branch on the fence, and the poor thing had to come down. When the tree-man said it would be another $250 to take out the stump.

I bravely said, ' don't bother....

I'll make a flower garden around it'.

Well I did, and because it was in the middle of the back yard, there was a lot of sun. I put a pot of something bright and fluffy on the old stump with a few nice rocks around it.... and then, my first Rose Bush.

My, didn't I feel special. It was green, it came in a pot and was covered with buds. It was called a "DREAM ROSE- a Rose that everyone can grow". Well, not me apparently - because sadly, it died.... it did bloom that year, but chose in a somewhat pouty-fit did not come back the next Spring. Perhaps it didn't like where I planted it? or the harsh winter (Zone 5) http://nlwis-snite1.agr.gc.ca/plant00/index.phtml.... I didn't know much about Planting Roses - and truthfully? Actually I didn't know anything - but I wanted to learn.

Here we are, early in 2008 and this is my own Bed of Roses as it was and how it looks now.

MInd you, it didn't take 6 years to get it this way. It took about 3 years because In 2005, I won third place for my garden in our Communities in Bloom contest (imagine ! me the non-gardener !!) and in 2006, I placed first. Guess this means I have Rose Garden. Yee-haw....... (Here's how it looked on judging day)

Bottom line is, if I can grow a Rose Garden from a stump, you can grow one just about anywhere you want with sunshine, water, bone meal, fertilizer and of course a large dose of faith and a smattering of hope.

© lush-gardens.com 2008